Apple pips Samsung to take 2nd spot in India tablet market

New Delhi: Riding on the surge in remote work, learning and fun activities at home during the pandemic, Apple dethroned Samsung to take the second position in the India tablet market with a market share of 29 per cent in the January-March quarter of 2021, a new report revealed on Thursday.

In Q1 2021, Apple iPads continued to perform exceptionally in India with more than 140 per cent (year-on-year) growth, as per estimates by market research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR).

In the first quarter, Apple iPad 8 garnered 17 per cent market share while Apple iPad Air 2020 had a 9 per cent market share in India.

Lenovo continued to lead the India tablet market in Q1 2021.

"Driven by the everything-from-home trend, Apple had a breakout quarter with iPad shipments growing a phenomenal 144 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2021. Apple's success is remarkable, as it lacks the cost-advantage that Android tablets have," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told IANS.

Apple's success in Q1 2021 was "primarily driven the aspirational appeal that the brand enjoys amongst consumers, and its performance in the ed-tech sector," Ram added.

Apple was able to continue its strong growth momentum from the second half of 2020 into the new year.

Apple iPad's growth (YoY) was 42 per cent for 2020 in the country while in the Q4 last year, it was a massive 135 per cent (YoY).

"Despite facing some supply side crunch through the past year, Apple has been able to gain strength and market share," said Menka Kumari, Analyst-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

However, the competitive market outlook for the tablet market remains tough.

"Tablet market players would need to focus on bringing exciting value propositions to maintain their competitiveness against smartphones," she added.