Ipad Sales Fell Twice As Fast As Overall Tablet Market Last Year But Remains Market Leader

Despite the plunge in iPad sales, however, Apple comfortably retains its #1 slot in the market.

Trendforce is predicting that iPad shipments will continue to fall this year, with a further slip in its market share, but that the damage will be minor. It is forecasting a slide in sales from 42.5M to 39.3M. With Samsung expected to experience a similar drop, Apple’s market share would be only marginally reduced, from 27% to 26.6%.

Apple‘s iPad […] retained its top spot, selling 42 million devices to comfortably best Samsung. Samsung came in at a distant second place with 27 million tablets sold.

The numbers back earlier ones from IDC and Strategy Analytics, which also give Apple a comfortable lead over Samsung and other players. Numbers differ, thanks in part to rather interchangeable use of sales and shipments, and also through different definitions of ‘tablet.’ Some analysts count two-in-one laptop/tablet devices while others don’t.