Apple Dominates Global Tablet Market with 38.6% Share, Despite Minimal Impact from M4 iPad Pro, Says Reports

Last year, Apple unveiled the highly anticipated OLED iPad Pro, showcasing a sleek design that surpasses any previous models released by the company. Despite a few competitors vying for attention in the tablet sector, Apple’s dominance in the global tablet market is unquestionable, particularly noted during the fourth quarter of the previous year. While earlier reports suggested that the M4 iPad Pro’s innovative design and advanced OLED functionality did not significantly impact the market segment’s 15% growth, the overall performance of iPads remained remarkable.

Apple’s Tablet Dominance: Unmatched Global Shipments

In a recent analysis, prominent tech journalist Mark Gurman confirmed the trends, identifying that much of the segment’s growth stemmed from the popularity of the iPad Air and more affordable iPad models. A new report from Canalys highlights that Apple’s market share rose to 42.3% in Q4 2024, reinforcing its industry leadership.

During this period, Apple shipped approximately 16.9 million iPads, a commendable increase from 14.8 million units in Q4 2023. In contrast, its primary competitor, Samsung, managed to ship only 7 million tablets, reflecting a mere 17% share of the global market.

Following Apple and Samsung, Lenovo secured third place, with Huawei and Xiaomi trailing behind. However, all these companies remain significantly distant from Apple regarding both quantity of units shipped and overall market presence. For the entirety of 2024, Apple successfully delivered 57 million iPads, claiming a 38.6% market share—twice the number of shipments attributed to Samsung, which stood at 27.8 million.

This impressive performance underscores Apple’s formidable position within the tablet market, enabling it to leverage its expansive user base to enhance its revenue through diversified service offerings. Although the M4 iPad Pro’s contributions to the segmented growth seemed modest, it’s reasonable to assume that its entry into the market positively influenced Apple’s overall market share.

Additionally, recent reports indicate that Apple has commenced mass production of its forthcoming M5 chips. This development suggests a potential upgrade for the OLED iPad Pro may be on the horizon, with expectations for a launch perhaps later this year or early next year. Given earlier speculations about potential delays regarding the launch of the M5 iPad Pro, it remains to be seen how its release will impact Apple’s ongoing tablet sales. What are your thoughts on the influence of the M4 iPad Pro on global iPad sales?

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