Apple lost its top spot to Huawei in the Chinese tablet market in the first quarter of 2020 as the health crisis battered local sales, according to a new report today (via South China Morning Post).

ipad china 2019
China's tablet shipments plunged 30 per cent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, based on data from research firm IDC. Huawei was the only brand to see positive year-on-year growth, up 4.3 per cent in the quarter ended March 31 to 1.5 million units.

The Chinese electronics giant's success saw it topple Apple as the top tablet brand for the quarter, with a 40.2 percent share of China's market compared to 31.5 percent for Apple.

Xiaomi, Microsoft and Lenovo all saw their sales slump in the same quarter, according to IDC, accounting for 5.5 percent, 3.2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

In March, Nikkei reported that iPad stocks were running low in China because parents were buying them to help with e-learning at home in response to school closures. Local labor shortages had also reportedly seen suppliers struggle to meet production demands, amid government-imposed lockdown restrictions.

Typically that would be positive news for Apple, but with suppliers severely affected by the global health crisis, the company was unable to keep ‌‌iPad‌‌ stocks plentiful to meet the increased demand.

Tags: IDC, China

Top Rated Comments

KidAKidB Avatar
37 months ago

The creepiest thing on earth is to carry and communicate on any device manufactured by Huawei...
If this is the creepiest thing on earth, then you live a very privileged life.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
37 months ago

The CEO of Huawei has stated publicly that hey get their rip-off designs (err, I mean ‘inspiration’) from Apple. Huawei, the cheap rip-off imitation of an American designed and engineered product.
Steve Jobs: "Picasso had a saying -- 'good artists copy; great artists steal' -- and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjudson Avatar
37 months ago
The creepiest thing on earth is to carry and communicate on any device manufactured by Huawei...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
37 months ago

So they chose to settle for a vastly inferior product...
The CEO of Huawei has stated publicly that hey get their rip-off designs (err, I mean ‘inspiration’) from Apple. Huawei, the cheap rip-off imitation of an American designed and engineered product.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
37 months ago
So to me, it seems, the article left a question as to whether the fall to second place for Apple was a result of preference or inventory.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bustycat Avatar
37 months ago
Huawei is marketed as a national brand and people in China are brainwashed to buy those brands to support China.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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