Tablet sales beat expectations in Q1 2020

Lenovo grows 2%, Apple shrinks 2%, and Samsung shrinks 3% as global tablet market contracts by -12%.

The first quarter of 2020 presented enormous challenges as the COVID-19 outbreak hampered the supply chain in China as well as domestic consumer demand there. Despite some very dire predictions in the beginning of the pandemic, the tablet market actually outpaced expectations and were in line with Strategy Analytics’ outlook, shrinking by only -12% year-on-year in Q1 2020.

The question now becomes, what will the worldwide pandemic and steep decline in economic activity bode for tablet vendors in Q2 and beyond?

The full report from Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices (CCD) service, Preliminary Global Tablet Shipments and Market Share: Q1 2020 Results can be found here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/tablets-and-pcs/connected-computing-devices/market-data/report-detail/preliminary-global-tablet-shipments-and-market-share-q1-2020-results-300420

Eric Smith, Director – Connected Computing said, “There were some real standout results from the largest tablet vendors in the world. Lenovo marked its third straight quarter of tablet shipment growth at 2%. Apple growth was down -3% and Samsung growth was down -2%.

“What’s remarkable about these otherwise meager results is that they were achieved in a market that declined by -12% overall. Other vendors fared worse as they faced serious headwinds in China, like Huawei, or pressure to match fantastic growth rates from last year, like Amazon.”

Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Research Analyst added, “Overall, there will be intense pressure on consumers in Q2 2020 as economic activity is stunted by the worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is evidence, however, that work/learn-from-home needs will benefit some vendors like Apple and Lenovo as large corporations and educational institutions seek to keep people productive while on quarantine.”


Exhibit 1: Most Major Tablet Brands Exceeded Expectations in Q1 2020 ¹

Global Tablet Shipments by Vendor (Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)
Vendor	Q1 ’20	Q1 ’19	Quarterly Growth Y/Y
Apple	9.6	9.9	-3%
Samsung	4.7	4.8	-2%
Huawei	3.0	3.6	-15%
Amazon	2.8	3.0	-9%
Lenovo	1.6	1.6	2%
Others	10.6	13.7	-23%
Totals	32.2	36.6	*-12%*

Global Tablet Market Share by Vendor (Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)
Vendor	Q1 ’20		Q1 ’19
Apple	29.8%		27.2%
Samsung	14.6%		13.2%
Huawei	9.4%		9.8%
Amazon	8.6%		8.3%
Lenovo	4.9%		4.2%
Others	32.7%		37.3%
Totals	100.0%		100.0%
Source: Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices service


Exhibit 2: Apple Reaches 30% Market Share for First Time Since 2013¹

Global Tablet Shipments by Operating System (Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)
Operating System	Q1 ’20	Q1 ’19	Quarterly Growth Y/Y
Android	18.4	21.6	-15%
iPadOS	9.6	9.9	-3%
Windows	4.1	4.9	-17%
Chrome	0.2	0.1	14%
Totals	32.2	36.6	*-12%*

Global Tablet Market Share by Operating System (Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)
Operating System	Q1 ’20		Q1 ’19
Android	57.1%		59.0%
iPadOS	29.8%		27.2%
Windows	12.6%		13.4%
Chrome	0.5%		0.4%
Totals	100.0%		100.0%
Source: Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices service
¹ All figures are rounded