Apple Climbs to Number 1 in Constrained Tablet Market

The overall tablet market in EMEA declined 10.9% YoY, shipping 9.7 million units in the first quarter of 2019, according to IDC. Demand remains weak in the consumer segment as the lack of compelling reasons for consumers to refresh their tablets has slowed the pace of device renewals.

Apple emerged as the clear winner in the first quarter, regaining the number 1 position in EMEA, with an impressive run of six consecutive positive YoY quarter performances in the declining market. Market consolidation continues as more b-brands and local champions either exit or become less relevant.

The commercial segment continues to consistently outperform the market average. It only represents around a fifth of the overall market in EMEA, however, so its growth in 1Q19 did not offset the decline in the consumer space. Overall, the tablet market in Western Europe declined 7.7%, while Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMA) declined 15.8%.

Apple regained market leadership in EMEA as it continues to grab share from Android, boosted by last year's iPad release. Samsung remains strong across the three subregions despite the double-digit decline, especially in the CEMA region where it holds the number 1 position.

Huawei was third and posted a flat performance, leveraging the growing strength of the brand in the region before the recent boycotting of its products by many prominent players in the industry following the U.S. ban. Lenovo continues to shift its focus away from tablets in favor of a stronger presence in the PC market. Amazon held on to its top 5 ranking as a result of the very aggressive price points of its Fire devices.

The outlook for tablets in 2019 remains constrained with a forecast decline of 8.7% for the overall year. Lack of innovative features within the category and the growing spectrum of consumer devices in the market will continue to negatively affect demand. iOS-based devices are expected to continue to perform positively and grow in share over the coming quarters. Detachables are projected to rebound in 2020, fueled by commercial segment adoption after years of strong decline.