Surging iPad sales help Apple stay world’s No. 2 computer-maker

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MacBook, iMac and iPad are all computers
All of these are computers, and all contributed to Apple’s growing share of the global computer market.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Strong sales of iPad and Mac during Q2 2020 propelled Apple closer to taking the lead in the worldwide computer market. But they weren’t quite enough to push Lenovo out of the top spot, according to a market-research firm.

Still, the Mac-maker stayed ahead of rivals HP, Dell and Samsung as the global computer market grew 14% year over year.

These results might confuse those accustomed to seeing Apple in fourth place in the world PC market, but that’s true only if laptops and desktops are counted while tablets are excluded.

The market researchers at Canalys do include tablets in their count, which pushes Apple up to second place. “For users with greater productivity needs, the proliferation of detachable tablets has been a boon,” said Canalys Analyst Ishan Dutt. “These devices have gained traction as primary devices for work and it is vital to include them when evaluating the PC market as a whole.”

”Detachable tablets” are ones to which a keyboard can be easily added and later detached. The iPad Pro series, as well as the iPad Air and recent basic iPad, are all detachables.

Worldwide computer shipments grew by double digits in Q2 2020

Lenovo took first place in the April-through-June period, just as it did a year ago. It shipped 20.2 million desktops, notebooks and tablets, a year-on-year increase of 12%. That gave it 18.3% of the global market.

As noted, Apple came in second with 19.6 million shipments, up 18% year on year. Cupertino experienced “an impressive quarter for its iPads and MacBooks,” according to Canalys. Apple’s share of the world market increased from 17.2% to 17.7% year over year.

HP captured 16.4% of the computer market in Q2 2020, thanks to 18.1 million shipments. Dell came in fourth place with 10.9% share, and Samsung got just 6.8% of the market.

The total global market (including tablets), grew 14% to 110.5 million.

Worldwide computer shipments Q2 2020 were up 14%: Apple ranks solidly ahead of smaller computer-makers, including HP, Dell and Samsung.
Apple ranks solidly ahead of smaller computer-makers, including HP, Dell and Samsung.
Photo: Canalys

iPad had a strong quarter because of COVID-19

Teleworking and remote learning helped boost tablet sales in the second quarter of 2020. “The coronavirus pandemic has increased competition for communal screen access between household members forced to stay indoors,” said Canalys’ Dutt. “Tablets help overcome this problem by allowing each family member to have their own device. And they are more budget-friendly than desktops and notebooks.”

No company benefited more than Apple. “Apple grew iPad shipments by 20% to lead the market once again, shipping more than 14 million units, a record for a second quarter,” noted Canalys.

This growth is reflected in Cupertino’s record earnings for last quarter. Revenue from iPad sales grew an amazing 31% annually.

Apple held 38% of the global tablet market in Q2, a commanding lead. Samsung came in second place with 18.7% of the market, thanks to 7 million shipments. Huawei had 12.7%, Amazon was at 8.4% and Lenovo’s share of the tablet market was 7.5%.

Source: Canalys

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