2013 Internet Trends Report: Mobile Growth Soars, Tablet Shipments Surpass PCs in Less Than 3 Years

At the All Things Digital D11 conference today Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker published her 2013 Internet Trends report, a 117 slide presentation that covers a range of topics from Internet usage and traffic to mobile device growth trends.

Unsurprisingly, mobile adoption continues to grow. Both Apple and Samsung have experienced enormous smartphone market share unit growth over the past two years, with Apple going from 16% share in Q1 2010 to 22% share in Q4 2012 and Samsung growing from 4% to 29% during the same time period.

applesamsung
Tablet growth has exploded as well, outpacing even smartphone growth. When comparing the first 12 quarters after launch, iPad shipments ramped up three times more quickly than iPhone shipments.

tabletgrowth
In fact, tablet shipments surpassed both desktop PC and notebook shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012, less than three years after tablets surged in popularity. A similar report from IDC earlier this week confirms the rapid tablet growth, estimating that yearly tablet shipments will surpass notebook shipments by 2013 and the total PC market in 2015.

tabletshipments
Other highlights from the report include overall smartphone growth, which is up 28% year over year in the United States and 31% in China, and mobile internet traffic, which now accounts for 15% of total global internet traffic.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

166 months ago
I like that Apple was labeled as growing rapidly at 1.4x and Samsung's is seemingly marginalized at 7x.

"Both Apple and Samsung have experienced enormous smartphone market share unit growth over the past two years"

Apple has experienced fantastic growth. Samsung - quite honestly has exploded.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M-O Avatar
166 months ago
It's a good thing Tim Cook said last night he doesn't care about Market Share because he's getting A** Whipped by Samsung.

He should have elaborated a little more last night how Apple can be like Samsung...

iOS better be more than Flat because that's what Apple iOS sales are.

It's OK, Tim doesn't care. He just wants developers to make money, he doesn't care how much Apple makes.

Worst interview ever last night. He was defensive all night and just kept spouting the same BS as in the last earnings report.

on behalf of the internet, i give you a swift kick in the nuts.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
166 months ago
No.

I just think comparing Apple and Samsung is like comparing sales of Porsche and Ford.

If Porsche had a market share matching Ford, that would be considered more significant even if Ford had a slightly larger share. But that comparison wouldn't say alot since they sell to entirely differnt markets.

Remember this. If you ever think about making a car to computer analogy...don't. They're not apt at all.

Apple hardware might sport a slightly better build quality than most of the competition, but they cost about the same, and use roughly the same parts. If this were the case with the car market, then a Porsche and Ford would both cost about $15,000, but the Porsches have better bumpers and look nicer.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
No.

I just think comparing Apple and Samsung is like comparing sales of Porsche and Ford.

If Porsche had a market share matching Ford, that would be considered more significant even if Ford had a slightly larger share. But that comparison wouldn't say alot since they sell to entirely differnt markets.

Samsung and iPhone sell to the same markets. You can get both Samsung and Apple phones for free (at least here in the US for example).

Apple isn't a luxury product. You can get them at Walmart. A comparison of Apple to Samsung relating to Porsche and Ford doesn't work as analogous.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
This is why Apple takes patent violations very seriously. Technological innovations and design and ease of use features stolen and put on a cheaper product makes a difference. China and other eastern Asian nations like Korea have a long history of stealing trade secretes rather than self innovation. The very history of the start up of Samsung and their corporate culture in the 1970’s was to study televisions of the day improve and add on top of the existing technology. This is how they came to be and many other Television companies who could not compete with the low prices died out. I see a lot of comments here the don’t take these facts in account when people discuss how apple is being frivolous. If you love Apple and want it to be around 20 years from now, hope they don’t do to cell phones, tablets and computers what they did to the TV markets.

Wow - and this has what to do with what in this thread? Or did you just want to rant?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
166 months ago
Market Share

It's a good thing Tim Cook said last night he doesn't care about Market Share because he's getting A** Whipped by Samsung.

He should have elaborated a little more last night how Apple can be like Samsung...

iOS better be more than Flat because that's what Apple iOS sales are.

It's OK, Tim doesn't care. He just wants developers to make money, he doesn't care how much Apple makes.

Worst interview ever last night. He was defensive all night and just kept spouting the same BS as in the last earnings report.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)