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

Earlier this month, it was announced that Apple’s iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max were the best-selling smartphones worldwide in the first quarter of 2022. Now, new data shows that Apple devices also dominated the tablet market.

Apple’s iPad line absolutely dominates the tablet market

International Data Corporation (IDC) analyst Francisco Jeronimo has stated 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 model 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. Second place was the highly rated and highly anticipated iPad mini (2021). Apple’s mini iPhones have been seriously under-performing in recent years — to the point that the size will be discontinued in September, but the latest data suggests that mini-tablets are still in high demand.

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 deterred customers, with the latest iPad Pro outperforming any Android tablet on the market. That is certainly no small feat.

Apple failed to take fourth place on the best-seller list, but the previous-generation iPad Air (2020) did become the fifth best-selling tablet overall in the first three months of 2022. That’s especially impressive considering the tablet was originally launched in October 2020. But the iPad Air is set to take a big leap in Q2 as demand picks up after the iPad Air (2022) release in March.

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

Samsung continued as the second largest tablet brand

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

Other models such as the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and Galaxy Tab S7 FE are examples of other tablets that should have sold well, but in the end demand was not enough to push them into the global top 5. However, that could change in the coming months. Rumor has it that Samsung is working on a renewed 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 in the tablet market

With Huawei removed from the equation, there is often a fierce 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, spearheaded by the Fire HD 10 and HD 10 Plus models launched about 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 nearly two years and will soon be due for an upgrade. Once they’re revamped, Amazon will stand for even more market share.