After three consecutive years of decline, worldwide tablet shipments returned to growth last year with the total shipments for 2024 reaching 147.6 million units, up 9.2% compared with 2023.
Tablet shipments grew 5.6% year-on-year in Q4 2024, reaching 39.9 million units, according to data from research firm Canalys.
Apple was the market leaderer last year with an estimated 56.9 million tablet shipments and a 38.6% market share.
In May last year, Apple unveiled a new generation of iPad Pro devices with its latest M4 chips. The new iPad Pros came in two sizes: a 13-inch and 11-inch model. Apple skipped the M3 chip and instead went straight for the AI-primed M4 chip in the new iPad Pro devices. It also released a redesigned 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models, backed by its M2 chip.
Then in October, the Cupertino company launched its new iPad mini at a starting price of $799. That iPad Mini runs on iPadOS 18, has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, compared to the previous generation iPad mini, its A17 Pro delivers a 2x faster Neural Engine.
Apple expanded its leading position with 14% growth in Q4 2024, and a 5.3% increase for the full year, shipping 16.9 million iPads in the quarter.
For the full year, Samsung came in second place with 27.8 million shipments and an 18.8% share of the global market, while Huawei was third with 10.4 million units shipped and a 7.3% market share.
Lenovo came in fourth place with 10.4 million shipments and 7.1% market share. Xiaomi rounded out the top-five with 9.2 million shipments and a 6.2% market share, while also recording a 73.1% annual growth. Xiaomi displaces Amazon and its Fire tablets from the global top-five list.
“A recent Canalys survey of channel partners found that 52% of those that sell commercial tablets expect their shipments to increase in 2025, with 32% expecting flat performance and just 16% anticipating a decline,” said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Canalys.
