Tablet Shipments Slow in the Second Quarter As Vendors Look To Capitalize on a Strong Second Half of 2013, According to IDC
According to a new report from IDC, worldwide tablet shipment growth slowed in the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13). There was a -9.7% decline in volume from 1Q13. However, the 45.1 million units shipped in the second quarter was up 59.6% year over year.
Surprisingly, tablet running Google’s Android operating system grabbed 62.6 percent of the market share in 2Q13, while Apple could only muster 32.5 percent in the same period. This means that Android tablet shipment increased 162.9 percent year-over-year. On the other hand, Apple saw a decline of 14.1 percent in the tablet shipment year-over-year. This drop in shipment is largely due to the lack of a new iPad last quarter.
According to the report:
Lacking a new product launch in March to help spur shipments, Apple’s iPad saw a lower-than-predicted shipment total of 14.6 million units for the quarter, down from 19.5 million in 1Q13. In years past, Apple has launched a new tablet heading into the second quarter, which resulted in strong quarter-over-quarter growth. Now, Apple is expected to launch new tablet products in the second half of the year, a move that better positions it to compete during the holiday season. Meanwhile, the other two vendors in the top 3 also saw a decline in their unit shipments during the quarter. Second-place Samsung shipped 8.1 million units, down from 8.6 million in the first quarter of 2013, although up significantly from the 2.1 million units shipped in 2Q12. And third-place ASUS shipped a total of 2.0 million units in 2Q13, down from 2.6 million in 1Q13.
“A new iPad launch always piques consumer interest in the tablet category and traditionally that has helped both Apple and its competitors,” said Tom Mainelli, Research Director, Tablets at IDC. “With no new iPads, the market slowed for many vendors, and that’s likely to continue into the third quarter. However, by the fourth quarter we expect new products from Apple, Amazon, and others to drive impressive growth in the market.”
“The tablet market is still evolving and vendors can rise and fall quickly as a result,” said Ryan Reith, Program Manager for IDC’s Mobility Tracker programs. “Apple aside, the remaining vendors are still very much figuring out which platform strategy will be successful over the long run. To date, Android has been far more successful than the Windows 8 platform. However, Microsoft-fueled products are starting to make notable progress into the market.”
Top Five Tablet Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Second Quarter 2013 (Shipments in millions)
| Vendor |
2Q13 Unit Shipments |
2Q13 Market Share |
2Q12 Unit Shipments |
2Q12 Market Share |
Year-over-Year Growth |
| 1. Apple |
14.6 |
32.4% |
17.0 |
60.3% |
-14.1% |
| 2. Samsung |
8.1 |
18.0% |
2.1 |
7.6% |
277.0% |
| 3. ASUS |
2.0 |
4.5% |
0.9 |
3.3% |
120.3% |
| 4. Lenovo |
1.5 |
3.3% |
0.4 |
1.3% |
313.9% |
| 5. Acer |
1.4 |
3.1% |
0.4 |
1.4% |
247.9% |
| Others |
17.5 |
38.8% |
7.4 |
26.2% |
136.6% |
| Total |
45.1 |
100.0% |
28.3 |
100.0% |
59.6% |
Source: IDC Worldwide Tablet Tracker, August 5, 2013.
Top Tablet Operating Systems, Shipments, and Market Share, Second Quarter 2013 (Shipments in Millions)
| Vendor |
2Q13 Unit Shipments |
2Q13 Market Share |
2Q12 Unit Shipments |
2Q12 Market Share |
Year-over-Year Growth |
| 1. Android |
28.2 |
62.6% |
10.7 |
38.0% |
162.9% |
| 2. iOS |
14.6 |
32.5% |
17.0 |
60.3% |
-14.1% |
| 3. Windows |
1.8 |
4.0% |
0.3 |
1.0% |
527.0% |
| 4. Windows RT |
0.2 |
0.5% |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| 5. BlackBerry OS |
0.1 |
0.3% |
0.2 |
0.7% |
-32.8% |
| Others |
0.1 |
0.2% |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Total |
45.1 |
100.0% |
28.3 |
100.0% |
59.6% |
Source: IDC Worldwide Tablet Tracker, August 5, 2013
