Tablet industry rebounds in 2024 as Amazon's shipments double
According to the latest report from analyst firm IDC, worldwide tablet shipments grew again in the third quarter of 2024, reaching 39.6 million units.
In brief: This year is proving to be a good one for the tablet industry, which just experienced its third consecutive quarter of growth. It comes after what was a terrible 2023, when tablet shipments fell to their lowest point in 13 years. It's been an especially good 2024 for Amazon's tablets, having doubled their shipment numbers year-over-year.
According to the latest report from analyst firm IDC, worldwide tablet shipments grew again in the third quarter of 2024, reaching 39.6 million units. That's an impressive 20.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
As always, Apple remains the market leader with a 31.7% share, even though it experienced the smallest yearly growth – from 12.4 million to 12.6 million. The company recently launched an updated $499 iPad mini featuring the A17 Pro SoC and Apple Intelligence support. IDC notes that the back to school season has helped boost sales for this model, but the iPad Pro series has performed below expectations in emerging markets due to the tablets' high prices.
Second-place Samsung saw its tablet sales grow 18.3% to 17.1 million during the quarter thanks to the launch of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+, while the Galaxy A9 models drove sales across most regions.
The biggest success story was Amazon. With its wide range of low-cost Fire tablets, including the updated Fire HD 8, and the discounts offered during Prime Day, Amazon returned to the top five. Its 4.6 million units shipped represent a massive 111.3% increase compared to a year earlier.
The final two tablet makers were fourth-place Huawei (3.3 million units shipped, up 44.1%), and fifth-place Lenovo (3 million units shipped, up 14.7%).
IDC writes that one factor driving the uptick in the tablet market is the introduction of generative AI in many models. Microsoft heavily promotes Copilot+ with its Surface Pro. There's also Apple Intelligence, of course, Samsung's Galaxy AI, and even the Fire HD 8 has AI features. IDC believes these AI tools are bringing optimism, increasing interest, and pushing up average selling prices of tablets.
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