The success of the iPad encouraged other companies such as Samsung and Huawei to release their own tablet versions in quick succession. However, after shipment peaked in 2014, the global demand for tablets has witnessed a steady decrease. In 2019 tablet shipments worldwide are forecast to decrease to 136.8 million units.
Apple still remains the leading tablet vendor in terms of shipments. In 2017 alone, Apple sold about 43.8 million iPads, while Samsung sold around 25 million tablets that year. Apple's market share of tablet shipments worldwide was at between 25 and 30 percent, while Samsung held about 15 percent of the market. Lenovo, Amazon and Huawei round out the top five tablet vendors with a combined market share of 20 percent in 2018.
Google’s Android operating system, which is used by a number of different vendors, is the leading OS in the tablet market. Apple’s iOS has held about a quarter of the market share over the years. Microsoft's Windows operating system accounted for around 13 percent of the market as of the beginning of 2019.
