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Apple Releases Two New Tablets, Maintains #1 Position
November 05, 2018

Apple remains #1 in tablets, but their overall volume has been shrinking since peaking in 2013 at 71m units. 2018 volume is expected to fall to 33.8m units, down 23.8% Y/Y. So it was no surprise that Apple, heralded the new iPad Pro as the biggest ever update to Apple’s flagship tablet, which may not seem like a huge claim, since the product is only three years old and three models in - and big improvements are expected with every iteration. But, the new laptop-in-a-tablet ‘notebook’ is the upshot of more than just a few tweaks here and updates there, with significant upgrades spanning screen, speakers, design and power. There is an 11in version and a 12.9in model.
 
Figure 1: Apple’s Worldwide iPad Shipments

As with the iPhone X series, the home button is now gone and Apple’s Face ID performs screen unlocking duties. As with iPhone X, controls and sliders can be opened directly by swiping from different corners and edges of the screen. There's a USB-C charging port in place of the Lightning connection, leaving only the iPad 9.7, iPad Mini 4 and iPhones using Apple's proprietary Lightning connection. The iPad Pro can now charge an iPhone, and means easier connectivity to a vast number of accessories. And while the 11in Pro offers more screen over last year’s 10.5in model, its 5.9mm-thick chassis is no larger, because Apple shrank the bezels.  Prices are in the following table.
 
Table 1: iPad Pricing

Source: Company

In Q318, Apple continued its leadership in the category with 9.7m units and a 26.6% share down by 0.7% in share and 6.1% in volume. Samsung was #2,with a 14.6% share down 0.4% in share and 11.4% Y/Y in shipments. Huawei was the only company showing an increase in volume, but it was only.2m shipments.
 
Table 2: Tablet Shipments, Share and Y/Y Growth by Company

Source: IDC