Apple, Samsung Combined for 62% Share of Tablets Shipped Q3, ABI Says

Apple and Samsung combined for a 62 percent share of the nearly 36 million branded tablets shipped in 3Q, ABI Research said Wednesday in a report. Apple shipped 12.3 million iPads in Q3, 7.5 percent fewer than it shipped in Q2 and 12.8 percent fewer than in Q3 a year earlier, the report said, but Apple is expected to incur a jump in shipments for Q4 because its next-generation iPad Air and iPad mini models started shipping in October. "The pieces have been set for the end-of-year holiday 2014 tablet market chess match," said ABI. "The advanced mature markets will once again be where the Apple vs. Samsung duel occurs, while eyes are on Lenovo in the developing markets." While the 3 million tablets Lenovo shipped Q3 put it in third place with an 8.4 percent share, behind market leaders Apple (34.3 percent) and Samsung (27.5 percent), Lenovo’s star is clearly rising, the report said. Its Q3 shipments were 30.4 percent higher than in Q2, and also 30.4 percent higher than in Q3 a year earlier, said the industry research firm.