The number of iPads shipped during Q2 2024 grew sharply when compared to the same quarter of last year, according to market analysts. It’s the first year-over-year increase in Apple’s tablet shipments since 2022.
The long-awaited launch of powerful new iPad models is credited for the improvement.
iPad Q2 2024: Sharp growth in shipments compared to last year
Apple introduced no new iPad models in 2023. None. And the drought continued into the early months of 2024. So it’s no surprise that tablet shipments slipped quarter after quarter while no fresh iPadOS models were coming out of Cupertino.
The long wait finally ended with the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air launch in May. And they brought a rush of orders, according to data published Friday by analysts at IDC. Apple shipped 12.3 million iPads in Q2 2024, and shipments grew 18.2% year over year in the quarter.
“With the launch of the 11″ and 13″ iPad Air and iPad Pro models, the company was finally able to record growth in the market,” said IDC in a statement. “iPad volumes grew across the globe except for China, where competition from local players like Huawei and Xiaomi negatively impacted the company.”
Analysts’ estimates are necessary because Apple itself does not reveal how many tablets it sells. However the company did announce a 24% increase in iPad revenue during the June quarter on Thursday. As both models released this spring are premium ones, it’s not surprising that revenue growth should surpass unit growth.
Not only Apple experiencing tablet growth
Apple dominated the global tablet market, as it has since the original iPad launch more than a decade ago. IDC said Cupertino made up 35.8% of the world market in the June quarter, while its next closest competitor, Samsung, had 20.1% of the total.
But Apple is not the only tablet-maker seeing their shipments expand. In fact, all of the top producers of slates enjoyed double-digit growth.
“The 2Q24 results signal that the market has moved beyond the pandemic,” said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC. “We expect the refresh cycle and growth in emerging markets to continue aiding the recovery in the near term. While new entrants to the market focus on their global expansion, long-term leaders continue to focus on improving technology (as in the case of OLED displays for iPad Pros), catering to the need for premium devices, and utilizing the power of emerging technologies like AI.”
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
