Strategy Analytics: Global tablet shipments reached 45.2 million units in Q2 2021, up 5% year-on-year

A recent research report released by Strategy Analytics shows that Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and Amazon have strong performance, and hybrid office and more digital classrooms will continue to drive record tablet demand in mid-2021. However, supply constraints have had a negative impact on some major manufacturers because they met high demand slightly earlier than expected. What impact will this have on the second half of the year?

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a major concern around the world, and as the back-to-school and winter holiday Christmas shopping season approaches, the tension between high demand and low component supply will test manufacturers and their channel partners.

Eric Smith, Director of the Connected Computing service at Strategy Analytics, said: “Global tablet shipments grew 5% year-over-year in Q2 2021, with most major vendors achieving double-digit growth. Tablet shipments were essentially flat compared to Q1 2021 at 45.2 million units, as supply constraints began to hit the tablet market faster than expected. Hybrid work and online learning continue to drive high demand for mobile computing devices, but vendors expect to face increasing supply shortages for the remainder of 2021. If higher component and shipping costs filter through to tablet prices as expected, the competitive environment for mobile computing devices will be very intense.”

Chirag Upadhyay, Industry Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added: “The Android tablet market is going through a massive shift as vendors restructure their portfolios to offer enhanced productivity solutions for the era of hybrid work and online learning. Samsung leads the way with its Galaxy Tab S7, which includes premium features like 5G connectivity, while Lenovo recently launched its Tab P11 device, which is priced lower than most detachables in the market. Even Amazon is tapping into this massive demand with its latest Fire HD 10 productivity bundle, which includes access to Office 365.”

Note: Figures are rounded

In Q2 2021, Apple's iOS/iPad shipments (wholesale) increased by 11% year-on-year to 15.8 million units, and its global market share rose by 1.8 percentage points to 35%.

Samsung is the leading Android vendor, with 8.2 million tablet shipments, up 19% year-on-year in Q2 2021. Its main products include entertainment tablets and detachable tablets. Its market share increased by 2.1 percentage points to 18% during the same period.

Lenovo's tablet shipments grew strongly year-on-year, up 67% to 4.7 million units. The company regained market share outside of China from Huawei. Its market share rose 3.8 percentage points year-on-year to 10%.

Amazon had a strong quarter thanks to its multi-day Prime Day promotion in June, with tablet shipments up 49% year-over-year to 4.2 million units. Its market share grew 2.7 percentage points to 9% during the period.

Huawei's tablet shipments fell 57% year-on-year to 2.1 million units in Q2 2021. Huawei's market share fell 6.7 percentage points to 5% compared with Q2 2020, as the US chip ban hindered Huawei's ability to produce and sell high-quality tablets in the highly competitive Android market.