What you need to know
- The iPad dominated the tablet market in the United States in 2021.
- Apple reportedly shipped 19.1 million units over the year, almost double that of Amazon which came in second.
- It did, however, represent a 17% decrease from shipments in 2020.
The iPad continues to dominate the tablet market without much real competition.
In a new report from analytics firm Canalys, Apple's iPad continued to lead the tablet industry in the United States for the fourth quarter as well as the entire year of 2021. With 19.1 million iPads shipped and a 42.1% market share, it almost doubled the shipments of Amazon which came in second place for the year.
The report notes that, despite its dominance, the company's 2021 iPad shipments represent a 17% drop when compared to sales from the previous year.
In tablets, Apple maintained its dominance in both Q4 and the full year, ending 2021 with 19.1 million iPads shipped, though this represented a 17% drop from 2020. Amazon and Samsung took second and third place with 10.9 million and 7.9 million units respectively as the country's key Android vendors. Both saw relatively weak holiday season demand compared to the same period in 2020. Microsoft and Lenovo placed fourth and fifth respectively in the 2021 tablet market.
In the PC (desktop and laptop) market, Apple grew 12% year over year and now commands over 11% market share. It currently sites behind Lenovo, Dell, and HP but now leads Acer and other PC brands.
In the market for PCs excluding tablets, HP led all vendors for full-year 2021, boosted by a strong standing in the Chromebook market, which led to struggles in Q4 as demand from the education segment fell off. Dell gathered momentum as the year went on, and achieved the top spot in Q4, with its tally for the full year leaving it in second place with 22.0 million units shipped. Lenovo achieved third place, with impressive growth of 11% over 2020. Apple and Acer rounded out the top five, with each seeing growth over 2020 as well.
So, what's next for the Mac and the iPad? We should find out at Apple's rumored March event where the company is expected to announce a new iPad Air and at least one new Apple silicon-powered Mac.
Bottom line: Apple's iPad mini 6 packs so much power into its small chassis, meaning it will be future-proofed for years to come. If you need portability and still want a top-notch tablet experience, the iPad mini is the only real choice.
