The iPad (2021) and iPad mini were the world’s best-selling tablets in Q1

Apple’s iPad line absolutely dominates the tablet market

International Data Corporation (IDC) analyst Francisco Jeronimo has declared that the iPad lineup accounted for 31.8% of global tablet shipments between January and March, making Apple the number one brand. The brand’s success was spearheaded by the entry-level iPad (2021), which debuted in September and starts at $329 in the US. It was not only Apple’s best-selling iPad but also the most popular tablet worldwide.In second place followed the well-reviewed and long-awaited iPad mini (2021). Apple’s mini-branded iPhones have severely underperformed in recent years — to the point that the size is being discontinued this September — but the latest data suggests that there’s still a lot of demand for mini-sized tablets.

Completing the top 3 was another iPad — the iPad Pro (2021). Apple’s high-end tablet comes in two sizes and starts at $799, but that high price hasn’t dissuaded customers, with the latest iPad Pro outselling every Android tablet on the market. That’s certainly no mean feat. 

Apple didn’t manage to capture the fourth spot on the best-sellers list, but the previous-gen iPad Air (2020) did end up becoming the fifth best-selling tablet overall in the first three months of 2022. That’s especially impressive considering the tablet originally launched in October 2020. But the iPad Air stands to make a big leap in the second quarter, as demand picks up following the iPad Air (2022) release in March.

The iPad (2021), iPad mini (2021), iPad Pro (2021), and iPad Air (2020) accounted for a combined 94% of Apple’s total tablet sales in Q1 2022. The remaining 6% is likely attributed to older models such as the iPad (2020) and the new iPad Air (2022). These four iPad models also captured a 30% share of the overall global tablet market.

Samsung continued as the second-largest tablet brand

Samsung followed Apple in second place with a 21.8% market share in the global tablet market, with the two brands executing a strong duopoly in the segment with a combined market share of almost 54%. Details about Samsung’s performance are scarce, although the company’s affordable Galaxy Tab A 8.4 (2020) did prove popular enough to become the world’s fourth best-selling tablet, as well as the best-selling Android tablet.

Other models like the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and Galaxy Tab S7 FE are examples of other tablets that should have sold well, but demand ultimately wasn’t enough to push them into the global top 5. Things could change in the coming months, however. Rumor has it that Samsung is working on a refreshed Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022), as well as an updated Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and what could be a smaller and more affordable Galaxy Tab S7 FE variant. 

Amazon beat Lenovo to third place in the tablet market

Now that Huawei has been removed from the equation, there’s often a tight battle between Amazon and Lenovo for third place in the tablet segment. Last quarter, Amazon was the winner. The company behind Fire tablets captured almost 10% of the market — 9.8% to be exact. It offers a small but popular portfolio of affordable tablets, led by the Fire HD 10 and HD 10 Plus models that launched around a year ago.Amazon also sells two smaller and even cheaper devices, the Fire HD 8 and HD 8 Plus, but these have been around for almost two years and are due for an upgrade soon. Once they’re refreshed, Amazon stands to gain even more share.