In 2023, Samsung emerged as the world’s second-largest tablet manufacturer, maintaining its position behind Apple despite a decline in sales. While Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series remains popular among Android tablet users, overall tablet sales experienced a downturn last year, affecting major players like Apple, Amazon, Huawei, and Lenovo. Forecasts suggest that the tablet market may continue to face challenges in the foreseeable future.
Samsung’s Q4 2023 tablet sales reached 7.3 million units, contributing to a total of 26.2 million units sold throughout the year. However, these figures represent a 6.6% decrease in Q4 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, with an overall decline of 13.9% for the full year. Despite this decline, Samsung introduced several new models in 2023, including the Galaxy Tab A9 series and the Galaxy Tab S9 series, aiming to cater to diverse consumer preferences.
In contrast, Apple reported Q4 2023 iPad sales of 14.9 million units and total annual sales of 48.5 million units. While experiencing a substantial 29.3% decrease in Q4 2023 compared to the previous year, Apple’s overall sales for 2023 dropped by approximately 20%, indicating a more significant decline than Samsung’s in the tablet market.
Meanwhile, Huawei witnessed a surge in tablet sales during Q4 2023, recording a remarkable 21.2% increase to 2.8 million units. However, the company’s total sales for 2023 were 4% lower than the previous year. Lenovo also experienced growth in Q4 2023, with a 12.5% rise compared to Q4 2022, shipping 2.6 million tablets. Nevertheless, Lenovo’s overall sales in 2023 declined by 19.7% compared to 2022. Xiaomi demonstrated notable improvement in Q4 2023, selling 1.6 million tablets, marking a 35% increase from Q4 2022, although it did not secure a position in the top five global rankings for 2023.
Despite challenges and market fluctuations, Samsung maintains its standing as a key player in the tablet industry, showcasing resilience amidst evolving consumer demands and competitive dynamics.