Apple led the tablet market in Q4 of 2019 with a 36% share

iPad Pro 2020 Trackpad Hero
iPad Pro 2020 Trackpad Hero (Image credit: Rene Ritchie / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple swiped more than 36% of the tablet market in Q4 of 2019.
  • That's according to a CNBC report, and a Consumer Technology Association analyst.
  • Apple was one of only two brands that saw tablet growth at the end of last year.

A CNBC report claims that Apple took a 36.5% share of the tablet market in Q4 of 2019.

According to the report:

According to Rick Kowalski, senior manager of industry analysis and business intelligence for the Consumer Technology Association, 2020 will bring a 5% drop in unit shipments of tablets in 2020, down from 39.5 million in 2019. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the launch of Apple's seventh-generation entry-level iPad helped the firm grow its hold to 36.5% of the sector, up from 29.6% the previous year, according to research firm IDC. Lenovo, with 5.8% market share, was the only other brand that saw growth.

IDC researcher Lauren Guenveur says that "Apple is bucking the trend with its iPad Pro", stating that "you don't see much excitement about tablets". She further noted that with the iPad Mini now the only iPad that isn't 'detachable' Apple is definitely leaning towards a detachable iPad lineup with removable keyboard functionality.

Apple announced its brand new iPad Pro last week, featuring a new A12Z processor, 4K video, a 12MP camera, a LiDAR scanner for improved AR and its new Magic Keyboard with a trackpad. It also confirmed that from iOS 13.4, all compatible tablets would feature keyboard and mouse support.

In our own review, Rene Ritchie pegged the new iPad Pro as "the ultimate 2-in-1 for everyone thanks to its awesome edge-to-edge Liquid Retina Display, fast processing, mouse or trackpad support, and great new cameras.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9