Global Tablet Market Soars in Q3, with Amazon and Huawei Leading Growth

A new report from IDC reveals that global tablet shipments grew by 20.4% year-over-year in the third quarter of this year, reaching 39.6 million units. 

Apple remains the top player, shipping 12.6 million units and securing a 31.7% share of the market. Though Apple's shipments increased by 1.4% compared to the same period last year, its market share declined from 37.7%. Samsung follows in second place with 7.1 million units shipped and a 17.9% market share, marking an 18.3% rise in shipments despite a slight dip from last year’s 18.2% market share.

Amazon made a notable impact, taking third place with 4.6 million units shipped and an 11.6% market share. The company saw an impressive 111.3% growth in shipments, largely due to strong sales during Prime Day promotions. Huawei also experienced robust growth of 44.1%, achieving an 8.2% market share with 3.3 million shipments, up from 6.9% last year. Lenovo rounds out the top five, shipping 3 million units for a 7.6% share, an improvement from 2.6 million shipments but a slight decrease in market share compared to last year’s 8%.

Amazon and Huawei emerged as the big winners of the quarter, with other brands collectively accounting for 9.1 million units and 22.9% of the market.

IDC notes that Apple's iPad Air saw increased sales during the back-to-school season, although the high price of the iPad Pro affected its performance in emerging markets. Samsung’s sales were led by the budget-friendly Galaxy Tab A9 series, while its premium Galaxy Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra contributed less. Amazon’s surge in sales was driven by Prime Day deals, Huawei's by the MatePad SE 11, and Lenovo saw growth from demand in China and Western Europe.