Windows 10 tablet sales bounce back, but Apple remains king of the slates

Windows 10 tablets have seen an increase in sales, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Microsoft’s own tablets, including the Surface Pro and the 2-in-1 Surface Book 2, performed better than expected, and Windows 10 tablet sales grew 1% compared to the last quarter.

That might not seem like a huge amount, but compared to most of the other tablet market, which is having a tough old time at the moment and fell by 6% earlier this year, any growth should be considered a good thing.

It looks like Microsoft’s devices are helping drive the growth for Windows tablets, with Microsoft’s devices being embraced by students and enterprise customers.

In response to the results, Eric Smith, Director of Connected Computing for Strategy Analytics noted that “After several quarters of softness in the Windows Detachable 2-in-1 segment, we are seeing a bounce back due to enterprise demand and a good product refresh cycle.”

He went on to suggest that Microsoft’s new affordable Surface Go could help spur on sales further.

Competitive market

Apple, Huawei, and Microsoft appear to be the winners of the report, taking a 40% market share combined. Apple shipments grew 1% year on year for a 28% share of the tablet market, with the new iPad being suggested as a driver of sales. Apple remains the largest brand in tablets.

Meanwhile, sales of Android tablets have faltered, with a drop of 10% compared to last year. Apple’s willingness to drop the price of its iPads to increase competition with Android devices has been touted as a reason for this. Only Huawei increased its sales as an Android vendor, while Samsung and Amazon, typically successful Android tablet makers, struggled.

So, overall things aren’t looking too great for tablets, but there is some good news buried in the results. Microsoft may take solace in the fact that its focus on Surface products seems to be paying off.