Apple Grew to 29.2 Percent of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2020, Samsung in Second Place: IDC Report

Apple led the global tablet shipments with 29.2 percent market share in the third quarter of 2020 (3Q20), according to research by International Data Corporation (IDC). Accord to the IDC report, Apple shipped 13.9 million units in 3Q20, and recorded 17.4 percent year-over-year (YoY) growth. However, this falls short of the overall market growth, and Apple's share has actually fallen slightly from 31.1 percent in 2019, to 29.4 percent. Samsung regained the second spot, shipping 9.4 million units and registering the maximum YoY growth of 89.2 percent, up from 5 million units in 2019. Overall, the worldwide tablet market posted 24.9 percent YoY growth and shipments of 47.6 million units.

According to data from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker remote work, learning, and leisure due to COVID-19 restrictions drove the demand for affordable access to basic computing and larger screens. As a result, the global tablet market delivered solid results in 3Q20. The market research firm found that consumers are spending more on technology as compared to dining, entertainment, and travel. The top five brands accounted for 37.7 million worldwide tablet shipments, out of a total of 47.6 million shipments.

Company-specific highlights

With 13.9 million units shipped in 3Q20, Apple led the market recording 17.4 percent YoY growth. The vendor performed well in the education segment and the iPad (2019) was able to maintain the largest share of shipments. Samsung registered a massive YoY growth of 89.2 percent shipping 9.4 million units taking the second spot. IDC says that Samsung focused on its Android detachable portfolio, which recorded solid growth in the quarter.

The third place went to Amazon with shipments totaling 5.4 million units. The company registered a decline of 1.2 percent as compared to the same quarter a year ago. Huawei shipped 4.9 million units in the quarter and registered 32.9 percent YoY growth, and Lenovo recorded YoY growth of 62.4 percent by shipping 4.1 million units — capturing fourth and fifth spots, respectively. IDC says that Lenovo's slate tablets did “exceptionally well” due to their affordability and larger screen sizes.

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