Ahead of the rumored launch of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models at its spring event on May 7, Apple finds itself in a strange situation. Despite the fact that iPad sales have faltered for the past two years, dropping by as much as 20 percent in the first six months of the company's fiscal 2024, Apple is still the undisputed leader in the global tablet market.
According to estimates from IDC, Apple shipped 48.5 million iPads last year, down nearly 20 percent from 60.5 million in 2022. And yet, the company grew its market share by half a percentage point, as the overall market and many of Apple's competitors fell into an even deeper slump than the iPad maker. Worldwide tablet shipments fell to 128.5 million units last year, as none of the top 5 tablet makers saw positive sales growth.
