2016/11/01 10/31 Apple Follows Microsoft's Lead on 2-in-1s to Rebuild iPad Growth
by Eric Smith, Peter King | Oct 31, 2016 Leave a comment
Windows Tablets clock fastest growth in the quarter at 25% and reach 16% market share
Boston, MA - October 31, 2016 –Taking a page from Microsoft’s success with Surface in the 2-in-1/Pro Slate Tablet market, iPad Pro is putting Apple on the path to recovery with prices trending 6% higher year-on-year and shipment growth down only 6% in Q3 2016. Contraction in the global tablet market outpaced Apple’s, falling 10% during the quarter but average selling prices (ASPs) were up slightly higher at 7% due to many more vendors shifting resources toward 2-in-1 Tablets and away from traditional Slates, according to the new “Preliminary Global Tablet Shipments and Market Share: Q3 2016” report from Strategy Analytics’ Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies (TTS) service.
The associated report is published here: http://sa-link.cc/TabletsQ316
Peter King, Service Director, Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies service said, “Microsoft has led a transformation in the tablet market with its Surface Pro and Surface Book. Apple is now reliant on iPad Pro for tablet and laptop replacement, while many other PC OEMs abandon Android Slates in favor of more expensive 2-in-1 Windows Tablets for better productivity and versatility.”
Eric Smith, Senior Analyst, Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies service added, “Even as strong 2-in-1 Tablet demand contributes to rising ASPs, prices are falling for these devices into a sweet spot where consumers can now justify replacing one or more computing devices with a single 2-in-1 Tablet. The wave of growth we expect in the next several years is based on this trend as well as hastened adoption among enterprises over the next several years.”
Tablet Market Results by Vendor
Preliminary analysis of vendor performance in Q3 2016 has shown that Samsung, Asus, and the White Box community of vendors continue to lose ground to newer players in the market, while Apple stabilizes its iPad business. Meanwhile, Lenovo has bounced back and forth between positive and negative growth in 2016 as it faces fierce competition in Asia from its archrival, Huawei. Amazon has achieved strong sales of its $49 7-inch Fire Tablet, reaching a broad range of consumers looking for an entertainment tablet with key content tie-ins to the growing Amazon ecosystem.
Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Market Decline Reached 10% Year-on-Year
Tablet Market Dynamics by Operating System
Market share among operating systems in the tablet market continue to shift away from Android toward Windows as tablets transform from pure entertainment devices to everyday computing devices capable of completing most tasks for consumers. Business use cases for tablets are multiplying too, as mobility becomes more important and touch eases its way into workflows.
- Apple iOS shipments (sell-in) fell 6% annually at 9.3 million iPads in Q3 2016 leaving it with a worldwide market share of 20% of the Tablet market. Meanwhile, ASPs climbed 6% year-on-year to $459 as a higher mix of premium Pro devices boosted revenue.
- Android-branded vendors shipped 30.1 million units among them worldwide in Q3 2016, down 17% from 36.0 million a year earlier and down 1% sequentially. Market share has fallen to 65% as high growth of Windows tablet shipments squeeze Android tablets.
- Windows shipments grew 25% year-on-year at 7.3 million units in Q3 2016, from 5.8 million in Q3 2015, reaching 16% market share.
