iPad remained the queen of tablets in Q4 2017, the company's tablet Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), generating sales only 1% better than those in Q4 2016, but in the end that matters less. In Q4 2017, the iPad tablet managed to remain in the top of tablets sold globally, while the difference compared to the 2nd place was 5.8 million units, a huge one in favor of Apple.
Amazon is the only company that could come close to Apple in sales, with 7.7 million units sold, up 50.3% compared to Q4 2016. Samsung placed third with 7 million tablets sold, but in the case to the Koreans, we are talking about a decrease of 1 million units in tablet sales, the situation putting the company in a delicate position.
Lenovo does not do better either, being placed in the 5th position in the top with a percentage decrease identical to that of Samsung, these manufacturers being the only ones with decreases. Based on the sales recorded by the iPad, the tablet accounted for 26.6% of the tablet market in Q4 2017, this registering a 7.9% decrease in sales compared to Q4 2016.
"Apple maintained a solid lead in the holiday quarter driving growth both through its lower-priced 9.7-inch iPad as well as its newly refreshed iPad Pro products. While the lower-price iPad has continued to drive a strong consumer upgrade cycle, the shifting focus is to iPad Pro and its potential in the commercial and education segments."
Tablets have long ceased to be the gadgets that consumers look for with great attention, sales of this type of product being in constant decline in recent years. Despite this, the Apple company managed to increase its iPad sales in the last year, something that no one thought possible in 2015, but the marketing from Cupertino is very good.
| Vendor | 4Q17 Unit Shipments | 4Q17 Market Shares | 4Q16 Unit Shipments | 4Q16 Market Shares | Year-Over-Year Growth |
| 1. Apple | 13.2 | 26.6% | 13.1 | 24.3% | 0.6% |
| 2. Amazon.com | 7.7 | 15.6% | 5.2 | 9.6% | 50.3% |
| 3. Samsung | 7.0 | 14.1% | 8.0 | 14.9% | -13.0% |
| 4. Huawei | 3.5 | 7.1% | 3.2 | 5.9% | 11.9% |
| 5. Lenovo | 3.1 | 6.2% | 3.5 | 6.6% | -13.1% |
| Others | 15.1 | 30.4% | 20.8 | 38.7% | -27.7% |
| Total | 49.6 | 100.0% | 53.8 | 100.0% | -7.9% |
