After several quarters of declining sales, Apple’s iPad division has made a significant recovery, thanks to the recent launch of the iPad Pro and iPad Air. This resurgence in iPad sales has played a crucial role in Apple’s latest financial performance, which saw the company posting a quarterly revenue of USD 85.8 billion, a 5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The introduction of the new iPad Pro and iPad Air has been a game-changer for Apple. These products have driven a notable uptick in iPad sales, reversing the trend of soft sales that the company experienced in previous quarters. This comeback is particularly significant given that Apple’s iPad market share had seen a decline from 35.2 percent in Q1 2023 to 32 percent in Q1 2024, according to IDC data. This drop represented a decrease of roughly one million units sold. Despite this, Apple remained the top player in the tablet market, although Android manufacturers such as Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi have been closing the gap.
In addition to the strong performance of the iPad, Apple saw robust results in its services and Mac divisions. However, revenue from the iPhone and wearables remained relatively flat, as consumers await the release of the new iPhone 16 series and other refreshed hardware in the coming months. These upcoming products, which potentially include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, are expected to generate significant interest and drive future sales.
The competitive landscape in the tablet market has intensified, with Android OEMs like Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi achieving substantial growth. Huawei’s market share rose to 9.4 percent, Lenovo to 7 percent, and Xiaomi to 5.9 percent, collectively commanding a larger portion of the global tablet market. Although Samsung experienced a slight decrease in market share, from 23.2 percent to 21.7 percent, the overall Android tablet market has seen an increase in shipments.
Future outlook
Looking ahead, Apple’s product pipeline can further bolster its market position. The expected release of new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watch hardware in September, along with spec bumps for the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini featuring the upcoming M4 chip, is expected to drive future growth.
Moreover, Apple’s investment in AI is set to enhance its software offerings. The upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and other operating system updates will integrate generative AI features, including capabilities from OpenAI’s ChatGPT, branded under Apple Intelligence.
Some of these features are already a go as part of the latest developer beta releases. Broadly speaking, the larger feature set is reportedly delayed to late 2024-early 2035 even as Apple looks to fine-tune things. Along the way, it is expected to announce more partnerships including one potential with Google, to integrate its AI chatbot Gemini into its devices.
