While the Tablet Market Struggles, 2-In-1 Tablets Offer a Ray of Hope

Despite the ongoing challenges faced by the tablet market, the dawn of 2-in-1 tablets introduces a hopeful aspect to this landscape. Leading this dual capability revolution are industry giants such as Apple and Lenovo.

In the second quarter of 2021, Apple retained its place as the market leader in tablet space. However, as data by IDC, a reputable market research company reveals, Apple’s share in the market has been witnessing a gradual decline. With its tablet shipment year-on-year showing a shrinkage of -9.2 percent, Apple held a 25.8 percent market share in the second quarter of 2016.

Meanwhile, a recent report by Strategy Analytics, an esteemed business consulting and market research firm, sheds light on a promising development. Apple’s iPad saw an incremental growth in its market share from 19.1 percent in Q3 2015 to 19.9 percent in the corresponding quarter of 2016. This merely amounts to a 0.8 percent growth, but considering the disheartening trend of Apple’s falling iPhone sales figures, this comes as good news.

Apple’s progress is further highlighted by the fact that the overall tablet market is shrinking, contracting by about 10 percent. Thus, even a minor growth amidst a reducing market holds significance. This scenario may offer Apple an opportunity to regain some of its lost grandeur in the technology sector, given the conspicuous absence of a robust device by Samsung this season.

However, the tablet performance landscape isn’t universally bleak. A notable exception can be seen in the soaring shipments of Amazon’s Fire tablet. Sales of this $49, 7-inch entertainment tablet have more than doubled. This surge can be attributed to the broad appeal of its key content tie-ins to Amazon’s ever-expanding ecosystem.

An intriguing revelation from the report is the growing popularity of 2-in-1 tablets like Apple’s iPad Pro and Lenovo’s Yoga Book. Evidence from the report suggests that the iPad Pro’s contribution to Apple’s trudging improvement is vital. Indeed, the dual-functionality feature could potentially reshape Apple’s fortunes in the long term.

A quick rundown of the report’s findings includes:

– Apple’s iOS shipments (sell-in) contracted by 6% year-on-year to 9.3 million units of iPads in Q3 2016. This left them with a worldwide market share of 20% of the tablet market. On a positive note, the average selling prices (ASPs) saw a 6% increment year-on-year, rising to $459. This was primarily due to a higher mix of premium Pro devices that helped boost revenue.

– Vendors of Android-branded devices shipped 30.1 million units worldwide in Q3 2016, down from 36 million a year earlier and a slight decrease of 1% sequentially. This led to Android’s market share reducing to 65%, facing pressure from the burgeoning shipments of Windows tablets.

– As a striking contrast, Windows tablets experienced a growth spurt. Shipments surged by 25% year-on-year to 7.3 million units in Q3 2016, up from 5.8 million in Q3 2015, thus capturing 16% of the market share.

The evolution of the tablet market continues to be a dynamic landscape. While traditional tablets grapple with declining popularity, 2-in-1 devices bring an optimistic perspective to the table. As a blurring fusion of convenience and functionality, these devices may hold the keys to the future of this market.