According to a report published by American market research, analysis and advisory firm IDC, the global tablet market has contracted by as much as 7 percent on a YoY basis in Q2, 2015, after having already fallen by 3.9 percent in the first quarter of this calendar year. While the lions’ share of the market is still controlled by usual suspects Apple and Samsung, both the companies seem to be losing market share to smaller and more dynamic rivals like LG, Lenovo and Huawei, who’re still growing their sales and market share in a hostile environment, given market conditions the way they are. Commenting on the state of the global tablet market, Mr. Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC research director, said, “Beyond the decline, we’re seeing a profound shift in the vendor landscape as the top two vendors, Apple and Samsung, lose share in the overall market”.
While sales of Apple’s iPads have fallen from the highs of over 20 million in the second quarter of 2013 to only 10.9 million in Q2 this year, the company still continues to be the undisputed market leader with a shade over 24 percent of the market share. Samsung meanwhile, has managed to ship 7.6 million tablets according to preliminary data from IDC, which is a loss of one percent market share and de-growth of exactly 12 percent over last year’s Q2 shipments of 8.6 million devices. Smaller rivals like LG, Lenovo and Huawei meanwhile have all seen increased shipments and as a result, increased market share, as already mentioned above. South Korea’s LG Electronics has seen its share of the market go from barely one percent in Q2, 2014 to a significantly healthier looking 3.6 percent in the last quarter, with shipments totaling 1.6 million tablets. Chinese consumer electronics majors Lenovo and Huawei meanwhile have seen their respective shares of the market go from 4.9 percent and 1.7 percent to 5.7 percent and 3.7 percent on the back of increased shipments in a shrinking market.
Speaking on the key takeaways from the report, Mr. Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said, “Longer life cycles, increased competition from other categories such as larger smartphones, combined with the fact that end users can install the latest operating systems on their older tablets has stifled the initial enthusiasm for these devices in the consumer market. But with newer form factors like 2-in-1s, and added productivity-enabling features like those highlighted in iOS9, vendors should be able to bring new vitality to a market that has lost its momentum”.
