Is the versatility, and therefore the perceived utility, of tablets finally delivering on the promise? After years of sluggish uptake, tablets are finding greater adoption for a mix of work and entertainment consumption purposes. The numbers suggest as much, with CyberMedia Research (CMR)’s latest Tablet PC India Market Report Review for Q3 2024 pegging a 46% year on year growth, which translates into a 79% growth over the previous quarter. They believe this increase in tablet sales partly finds a foundation in 5G, with users getting more connectivity options—that said, Wi-Fi only tablets still corner 62% of the sales.
“India’s value conscious consumers are prioritising better-specced tablets for work, learn and play. Apple and Samsung are clear winners from these strong tailwinds,” says Menka Kumari, Analyst – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CyberMedia Research. The latest numbers give the lead to Apple. Which as a 34% market share at this time, and that stems from a 95% year on year growth. Samsung follows closely. With a 25% market share, and a 70% year on year growth. Samsung has a broader tablet portfolio than Apple, with crucial plays in the affordable price points.
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For Apple, the 10th generation iPad (also called the entry or base iPad; prices start ₹34,900) released a couple of years ago, with a colourful array of choices, still contributes to as much as 60% of the total iPad sales in India. Earlier this summer, Apple ushered in the M4 chip era, with updates for the iPad Pro range, alongside a new iPad Air. The 11th generation iPad, is expected in the coming months. Samsung’s Galaxy A9 Plus 5G, according to CMR numbers, makes up for 52% of all Samsung’s tablet sales. The company has recently added its largest ever tablet to the portfolio, the 14.6-inch screen sized Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.
“Recent market entrants, including Xiaomi and OnePlus are gaining traction amongst value conscious. As brands align their strategies with consumer expectations, the future of the tablet market looks incredibly promising,” Kumari points out. Xiaomi’s 146% growth compared with last year, sees its market share jump from 9% in Q3 2023 to 15% in Q3 2024. OnePlus too sees an annual growth of 97%, with the share now up from 4% to 6%.
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Xiaomi’s growth has largely been driven by sales of two recent additions, the affordable Redmi Pad (37%) and Redmi Pad SE (26%). For OnePlus too, the pricing has been crucial, with the OnePlus Pad Go making top for 57% of all of their tablet sales. HT has received the Redmi Pad Pro, and we had noted that “simply far better than its mid-range price may suggest”. With the OnePlus Pad Go, launched late last year, HT had noted a level of refinement in the experience, which was rare for budget Android tablets at the time (this is priced upwards of ₹19,999 now).
While analysing the tablet market earlier, HT had pointed out that Lenovo’s uninspiring tablet portfolio in India, and the lack of meaningful launches, portray a rather disinterested approach overall. That is how it has translated into sales too, with Lenovo being the only player to see a market share dip—its down from 20% at this time last year, to 12% now.
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CMR estimates this trajectory will continue through the year, with the tablet market seeing as much as a 15% growth in 2024. This market growth, they say, will be driven by robust consumer demand for premium as well as value-for-money tablets. “Our market estimates point to a strong growth momentum for the rest of the year, with the India tablet market growing in healthy double digits,” says Kumari.
Alongside, there will be continued adoption of tablets across commercial workflows, particularly in ed-tech and health-tech, which will further provide an impetus. Tablet makers will be vying for a share of that pie too. That is also one of the reasons why we are seeing a more focused approach by tablet makers, to populate the optional accessories portfolio with detachable keyboards, stylus and more utilitarian sleeves for these devices.