iPad Continues to Lead Declining Tablet Market in First Quarter

MacRumors · Apr 30, 2015

The latest numbers from market research firm IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker reveal that Apple continues to be the largest vendor in a declining tablet market, shipping 12.6 million iPads in the first quarter of 2015 to capture a 26.8% share of the global tablet market. Apple maintained the top position despite facing a 22.9% decline in tablet shipments compared to the year-ago quarter.

Samsung was the second largest tablet vendor with 9 million tablet shipments in the first quarter, good for 19.1% market share in the global tablet market and a 16.5% year-over-year decline. Lenovo, Asus and LG Electronics rounded off the top five, with 2.5 million, 1.8 million and 1.4 million global tablet shipments in the first quarter respectively for a combined 12.2% market share.

Apple, Samsung and several other electronics makers are feeling the effects of a prolonged slowdown in the tablet market, with the iPad declining in annual growth for five consecutive quarters and competing tablets experiencing similar trends. The launch of the larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and lack of major updates to the iPad lineup since 2013 are likely contributing factors to falling iPad sales over the past few years, while consumers also upgrade their tablets less often than smartphones.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, during the company's recent earnings call, said he believes that continued investments in the company's product pipeline and shift to the enterprise market will help the iPad be an "extremely good business over the long-term," although he stopped short of providing a forward-looking statement about when iPad sales could begin growing again.

"And so my belief is, that as the inventory plays out, as we make some continued investments in our product pipeline, which we're doing, that we already had planned and have had planned for some time," said Cook. "Between that, the inventory playing out, the enterprise starting to take over, I think still, i believe the iPad is an extremely good business over the long-term. When precisely it begins to grow again I wouldn't want to predict, but I strongly believe that it will."

Strategy Analytics shared smartphone data for the first quarter on Wednesday.

Article Link: iPad Continues to Lead Declining Tablet Market in First Quarter

newdeal · Apr 30, 2015

It will start growing again once they start utilizing the larger screen in a more powerful way. Software advancement I think is what is needed to push iPad now

FSMBP · Apr 30, 2015

iPad's hardware is great & matured but it's software has not. iOS on iPad needs updated in a lot of ways (ex. Why does a folder only show 9 icons on the iPads 9.7" screen).

It feels like Apple has put iPad's version of iOS on cruise-control.

andreiru · Apr 30, 2015

Aside from it rebooting every so often, I love mine, use it extensively on daily bases and have been upgrading it with almost every generation.

dannyyankou · Apr 30, 2015

Not surprising, I didn't replace my perfectly working iPad 2 for four years. Currently enjoying my iPad Air 2 and plan on upgrading in the future.

Also, let's recognize this:

North%20America%20Tablet%20Usage%20Share%20Q1%202015_ChitikaInsights.png

thekeyring · Apr 30, 2015

Apple seems to treat iPad more and more like a Mac in terms of how much event time it gets, how they advertise it, etc. With iPad 2 and iPad 3 it felt as big as new iPhone launches - it felt like everyone was talking about the new iPad.

spiderman0616 · Apr 30, 2015

I refuse to believe this is anything other than tablets don't get replaced very often. From what I've seen in just daily observations, people use their tablets like crazy. I see mostly iPads, but also Kindle Fires, e reader Kindles, and even a few Android tablets ALL OVER THE PLACE.

The last time we went out to Red Robin for dinner, I saw at least three families with iPads. Is it obnoxious to bring a tablet to dinner? Yes. But people do love these things, and use them all the time.

I don't think this declining sales story necessarily paints the whole picture. However, I will admit that ever since getting my iPhone 6, my iPad usage has declined.

darcyf · Apr 30, 2015

There are all kinds of contributing factors we can point to for this, but I think the real elephant in the room that no one wants to admit is that most people still prefer to use a Mac.

For some the iPad is indispensable. But for most the iPad is novel and not really necessary.

Jakexb · Apr 30, 2015

You need a keyboard and you need a good way to shuttle files between programs. If you're going to do actual work.

iOS is built to be idiot-proof and malware-proof, but unfortunately that makes it pretty work-proof for a lot of purposes.

adammull · Apr 30, 2015

If I was going to have a tablet, I would have an iPad. I've had three, but replaced them with an MacBook Air 11". It does everything the iPad can't and I use it all the same places.

I got over the non-retina in about a week.

ninjadex · Apr 30, 2015

Apple has honestly dropped the ball with pushing iPad forward IMO.

They have been so heavily invested in iPhone, and have been timid of pushing iPad any further because it would impact Mac sales in a negative way. They want to sell users an iPhone, a Watch, an iPad and a Mac if possible.

This one is going to come to a head soon enough though. Big changes on the horizon.

iapplelove · Apr 30, 2015

iPads are built to go the distance. Yeah one can update every generation like iPhone users however I find owning an older iPad does just fine.

iPad Air 1 and have not even thought about an upgrade. The iOS will cripple the machine well before hardware does.

Meandmunch · Apr 30, 2015

newdeal said:
It will start growing again once they start utilizing the larger screen in a more powerful way. Software advancement I think is what is needed to push iPad now

I agree with this.

I can't see the hardware and form factor changing much at all for a long time. Thinner, big deal. Faster yes, greater resolution yes, maybe haptic feedback..., eye tracking perhaps...... But that tablet is what it is going to be for a while.

Tablets sans keyboard are the ideal surfing and entertainment consumption devices.

dagamer34 · Apr 30, 2015

My top use case for an iPad was a PDF reader, and I think the iPad 3 did that pretty well with the Air making it super portable and light again. Unless your playing games or doing a lot of browsing in Safari, there's been little reason to upgrade.

I do think that even the iPhone isn't going to forever have such stratospheric growth, simply because it took 7 years for the iPhone to finally reach its peak screen size for the default model when the iPad did it on day one.

KdParker · Apr 30, 2015

Unless iPads or tablets in general become bigger and more powerful, there isn't much of a need to update. My iPad works perfectly well as movie watching/game playing/web surfing portable machine.

0815 · Apr 30, 2015

For the first four years I bought a new iPad every year and handed my old one down to a family member - at some point I bought another one to replace the iPad 1 (Target had the nice $200 trade-in offer which I couldn't resist) .... but now every family member in my household has an iPad and is happy with it ... guess it will be a bit longer until I have to buy another one, since they just work fine and there is no good reason to upgrade (touchID as in the latest models would be nice, but does not justify a new purchase)

FSMBP · Apr 30, 2015

Jakexb said:
You need a keyboard and you need a good way to shuttle files between programs. If you're going to do actual work.

iOS is built to be idiot-proof and malware-proof, but unfortunately that makes it pretty work-proof for a lot of purposes.

Good point. I hope that the minds at Apple can add "power features" to iPad (in a way that won't affect it negatively of course).

For example, I was working on Garageband making a song and writing lyrics/ideas in a Pages document; on my Mac, I would put both those file in one folder called "Song A" - that way it's better organized & has all that project's files in one spot. Can't do that on an iPad - it's messy & I have to remember what apps created which document etc.

There has to be an efficient way of doing this on an iPad.

D.T. · Apr 30, 2015

I believe it's a mix of bigger phones and smaller/lighter notebooks.

You've got encroachment on one side from devices with better portability (i.e., pocketable) yet still very usable, the ability to make [cell] calls, a better camera - and on the other side full featured OS on a device that's barely less portable than a tablet with equivalent battery life and a real keyboard (if a keyboard is factored into a tablet there's trivial portability difference).

Plus now, the iPhone is the Watch symbiotic device, again cutting the tablet out of a whole market segment.

MasterRyu2011 · Apr 30, 2015

I wonder how much of the market share for Lenovo is made up of real tablets and not Windows 8.1 PCs in tablet form.

anomie · Apr 30, 2015

dannyyankou said:
Not surprising, I didn't replace my perfectly working iPad 2 for four years. Currently enjoying my iPad Air 2 and plan on upgrading in the future.

Also, let's recognize this:

Image

North America only... nobody cares

CB1234 · Apr 30, 2015

dannyyankou said:
Not surprising, I didn't replace my perfectly working iPad 2 for four years. Currently enjoying my iPad Air 2 and plan on upgrading in the future.

Also, let's recognize this:

Image

I am still using my iPad 2 with iOS 8.... Although it isn't as buttery smooth as it used to be, but I love it and do not need see any need to change it...

My son recently dropped it and a crack has developed on the screen, which seems to be widening daily... I will exchange it for a latest available iPad, when I have to finally lay to rest my beloved iPad 2.... It surely has been a champion...

phillipduran · Apr 30, 2015

spiderman0616 said:
I refuse to believe this is anything other than tablets don't get replaced very often. From what I've seen in just daily observations, people use their tablets like crazy. I see mostly iPads, but also Kindle Fires, e reader Kindles, and even a few Android tablets ALL OVER THE PLACE.

The last time we went out to Red Robin for dinner, I saw at least three families with iPads. Is it obnoxious to bring a tablet to dinner? Yes. But people do love these things, and use them all the time.

I don't think this declining sales story necessarily paints the whole picture. However, I will admit that ever since getting my iPhone 6, my iPad usage has declined.

This is the first thing I thought about when I read the article title. These devices just last. I primarily use mine for internet surfing and it's going to powerful and relevant enough for a long time.

Aluminum213 · Apr 30, 2015

my iPad Air 2 is a great device, but functionality wise it does NOTHING that the iPad 2 can't do. And Apple wonders why iPad sales decline. Also the fact the iOS on my 10" iPad is the same as my 5.5" iPhone is laughable

Apple has done nothing to innovate the iPad except make it thinner and lighter and now they are paying the price for it

teslo · Apr 30, 2015

this is because tablets were just a stage in the evolution to tablet/laptop hybrids like the surface pro. once companies get the form factor down to be both more comfortable and sturdy (for example, using on your lap), this is how we'll do portable computing. tablets are great, but their limitations (and long lifespans) tend to cause slight 'boredom' both with usage and proclivity towards future purchases, warranted or not.

it's my own opinion and prediction, of course, but i think there's enough evidence to conclude that tablets aren't quite enough for a lot of people, and touch screen laptops with keyboard docks are inevitable. desktops will become more like mac-minis and we'll eventually move on to internal computing - internal as in, your body and bloodstream. it's all 'going away' in terms of physical objects. tablets had a good run and probably some juice left in its existence, but not for too long.

MacDarcy · Apr 30, 2015

Simple, release a new 4.7" or 5.5" iPod touch with cellular capabilities, and rebrand it an iPad nano.

That coupled with the rumored iPad pro will pretty much jump start the anemic iPad sales.

iPad Continues to Lead Declining Tablet Market in First Quarter

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