Apple’s iPad still tops the global tablet market despite a 24% dip in sales in 2023

According to the latest data from Canalys, global tablet shipments experienced a drop of 11% year-on-year in quarter four (Q4) of 2023, totaling 37.8 million units. And Apple’s iPad wasn’t immune, though 2024 should be a better year.

Canalys says the drop resulted in a full-year 2023 figure of 135.3 million tablets shipped, a 10% decrease from 2022. China and India were key markets driving tablet adoption, helping to counter the prevailing stagnation in other parts of the world, according to the research group. 

Apple maintained its leading position despite a 24% year-on-year decline, shipping 14.8 million iPads in the quarter. Samsung secured second spot with 6.8 million units shipped, posting an 11% annual decrease. 

Lenovo dropped to fourth place but posted healthy shipment growth of 15%, gaining over 2 points of market share year-on-year. Amazon rounded out the top five with a 44% annual decline and 2 million tablets shipped globally. 

Apple’s iPad now has 39.2% of the global tablet market. That compares to 46.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022 based on sales of 19.5 million tablets. 

“New models announced by TCL and Lenovo at CES 2024 and anticipated updates to Apple’s iPad portfolio early this year will help provide a boost to the tablet refresh opportunity,”  says Himani Mukka, research Manager at Canalys. 

For the first time ever, Apple offered no iPad updates in 2023. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple’s next MacBook Airs and iPads are getting closer to release, likely in March.

He says there will be several new iPads, alongside the next batch of Macs with M3 chips. More specifically, we can expect the biggest revamp ever for the iPad Pro, a refreshed iPad Air, a larger iPad Air, and 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with M3 processors.

“I’m told these machines are likely to come out around the end of March — and that the new iPad Pros and 13-inch MacBook Air are already deep in production overseas,” Gurman writes.”The first beta version of iOS 17.4 has also given us a few additional clues. It references some new iPad accessories — there are fresh Magic Keyboards and Apple Pencils on the way — in addition to a possible landscape Face ID camera on the new iPad Pros. That last item has been on users’ wish lists for a long time.”