iPad Shipments Slump to New Low in Q2

Being market leader is a tougher position than most would guess, and Apple knows this better than almost any company. This is especially true in the case of emerging markets and technologies, like smartphones and tablets, where notable fluctuations can occur from quarter to quarter.

That said, it seemed as though Apple would lead the tablet world forever, largely because it has since the launch of the first iPad back in 2010. According to new market research from TrendForce, however, the iPad's golden years are over.

Indeed, TrendForce research director Eric Chiou stated that the iPad's shipments fell from 19.5 million units in the first quarter of 2013 to 14.6 million in the second quarter, amounting to a quarterly drop around 25 percent. More shockingly, though, this now puts Apple's tablet market share at 35.5 percent — a new historical low for the company.


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According to Chiou, this can partly be attributed to the fact that the current 9.7-inch iPad is nearing the end of its lifecycle, in addition to the iPad Mini's poor sales and inventory adjustments. This second factor is also largely affected by the popularity of competing seven- and eight-inch tablets, such as the low-priced Nexus 7.

Indeed, global shipments of seven-inch tablets totaled 41.1 million units in Q2, a strong figure that actually amounts to a drop for this segment of 12.4 percent quarter over quarter. Meanwhile, another recent report from TrendForce says the market share for eight-inch tablets will grow to 11.9 percent in 2013, up from merely 2.6 percent in 2012.

In other words, history is repeating itself as Apple is once again being overwhelmed by market diversity, as seen in the PC and smartphone markets. That said, the company is still likely the tablet market's leader in terms of sheer profit.

Meanwhile, TrendForce's prediction from back in February — that the launch of the next generation iPad will reinvigorate Apple's share of the tablet space in the second half of 2013 — will likely prove true.