40 Million Tablets Expected to Ship Worldwide in Q4 2015

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In a recent report released by ABI Research, a leader in technology market intelligence, the company analyzes third quarter rankings and forecasts year-end quotas in tablet shipment and market share. While third quarter data shows 30.6 million branded tablets shipped worldwide, with unit shipments down quarter on quarter (QoQ), ABI Research anticipates the fourth quarter to be promising, estimating 40 million tablets to ship worldwide and equating to roughly 29 percent of the year’s total volume.

“Though unit shipments were down by 2.7 percent quarter over quarter and 19.7 percent year over year for the same calendar quarter, new tablets continue to be introduced for the holiday season,” says Jeff Orr, Research Director at ABI Research. “Vendors are hoping to gain back some of their unit and revenue shortfall from earlier in 2015. New tablets from Amazon and others will utilize a low-cost approach to achieve this strategy.”

According to the report, Q3 2015 market share for branded tablet vendors ranks Apple at number one, followed by Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei and ASUS, consecutively. Notably, the biggest QoQ vendor share gains were Lenovo and ASUS. “Lenovo’s quarter gains mark the first time the vendor holds 10 percent plus share in branded tablets,” continues Orr. “ASUS is still underperforming against its own estimates but is in the midst of a sales push on the current tablet portfolio.”

On the flip side of the spectrum, biggest QoQ vendor share losses pinpoint Apple and Microsoft. While Apple lost nearly eight percent share during the first nine months of 2015, the company expects to regain share and shipment volume during Q4 due to end-of-year holiday purchases. Microsoft lost more than half of its market share in the previous 90 days, with this mostly attributed to the shift from the Surface Pro 3 to introduction of the Surface Pro 4.

About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors.