Tablet Sales & Usage Statistics Australia 2024

As Australia’s education, business, and entertainment demand more portability and functionality, tablets have significantly increased sales and usage.

Dubbed to replace laptops for everyday use potentially, the latest tablets, including the Apple iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 9, and Google Pixel Tablet, blur the line between tablets and laptops as the favoured computer for personal and professional use.

In this article, we’ll discuss the latest tablet sales and usage statistics, highlighting key trends and demographic preferences and how these impact consumer behaviour. Read on to get curated data for tech enthusiasts, market analysts, business owners, and everyday consumers looking to keep up with changing digital habits.

Tablet Sales and Market Statistics

A Statista study projected that Australia’s tablet market would generate about AU$754 million in 2024, a consistent figure since the past year. This strongly implies a stable tablet sales and market as education and other sectors increase demand.

Moreover, the same study projects that the market is expected to experience a 0.52% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) rise from 2024-2028. Even years after the COVID pandemic, this implies that tablets are here to stay and will only experience slow yet stable growth.

Looking at a global landscape, the US remains at the lead in tablet revenue, projecting a total of AU$14.594 billion in 2024. At a more localised scale, each Australian will contribute approximately AU$27.41 in tablet revenue in 2024.

Tablet Unit Volume Statistics Australia

The revenue market is looking all bright and hopeful for tablets. But how does that translate to units?

Here are what the numbers say:

By 2028, the tablet market is expected to have sold about 1.1 million units. Globally, these shipments reached more than 142 million units in 2023, with its 3rd quarter achieving more than 33.2 million units shipped.

The global tablet market demand has grown in recent years, with a 1.72% growth rate from 2023 to 2028. It even achieved a growth rate bigger than the smartphone industry but smaller than the laptop market.

But we expect a slight decline in 2025, as figures predict a subtle drop in growth rate of -0.3%. In Australia, the increasing demand for tablets is currently rising as more institutions and workplaces adopt online learning and remote work environments. That said, Australia’s tablet revenue is expected to remain stable at around AU$0.75 billion from 2023 to 2028.

Source: Statista Market Insights

Tablet Ownership in Australia: By Brand

According to the Global Digital Report, 46.1% of all Australian internet-users aged 16~64 own a tablet in 2024, a 4.8% growth from 2023.

Regarding ownership by brand, Apple remains the dominating brand among tablet owners in Australia. With 57% ownership in the country, the tech giant is more than twice as popular as its closest competitor, Samsung.

As newer tablets, such as Apple’s iPad M4 series and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series, take the market by storm, it’s safe to say that volume and ownership will favour the top 2 brands.

On the other hand, Xiaomi/Mi sits on the opposite end, with roughly 1% device ownership.

Source: Statista

Tablet Vendor Market Share Australia 2024

Tablet ownership translates to market share, as Australia’s vendor market sees Apple as the leading brand, taking the lion’s share of 80.96% as of April 2024. Samsung takes second with 16.71% market share, and the other brands at less than 1%.

Source: Statcounter

It’s safe to say that Apple’s massive hold of the tablet market means the tech giant will remain at the top spot for a few years. Samsung’s decreasing market share from 2022 to 2023, from 20.19% to 17.64%, respectively, may indicate fluctuating growth for the company, but it’s definitely here to stay.

Source: Statista

Apple’s stranglehold on Australia’s tablet market (along with the smartphone market) continues despite a few models flopping in the previous years (iPhone X, etc.) primarily due to significant market, technology, and customer service factors.

First, all major Australian telcos, including Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, offer iPhone plans and packages. This caused users to stick with the iPhone from the beginning, fostering a sense of familiarity with the Apple ecosystem.

That leads us to the second reason: iOS.

Apple’s operating system, iOS, provides a more secure and closed environment than Google’s open-source Android OS. That means many iPhone apps, services, and features, such as AirDrop, Find Device, iMessage, and FaceTime are exclusive to iPhone users and cannot be transferred to Android smartphones.

Tablet Usage Statistics Australia 2024

Tablets have become more powerful, functional, and versatile—to the point of bridging the gap between smartphones and laptops. Some have tried replacing their Macbooks and Laptops with iPad Pros and Samsung tablets for daily workflow computing and productivity tools.

Australians are mostly on the same page, with more people using tablets than ever. 40% of survey respondents answered that tableets can potentially replace laptops.

Moreover, 3 out of 5 Aussies (60%) use their tablets daily, with 95.6% using the internet via a laptop, desktop, and tablet. Common browsers used by Australians include Safari (51.37%), Chrome (45.24%), Android Browser (2.34%), and others (0.6%). Considering how Apple dominates Australia’s market share and tablet volume, it’s a no-brainer that Apple apps like Safari would top the list.

Australians mostly use tablets for the following activities:

• Browsing the web (70%)
• Watching entertaining videos (62%)
• Reading content (news, recipes, etc.) (57%)

The main reason Aussies favour tablets for content consumption is their larger screen size than smartphones (75%). 

Further responses highlight the other advantage of tablets over laptops and desktops: Portability.

Australians love using their tablets on the go, with statistics showing that Aussies often use tablets when:

• Travelling in a plane (38%)
• During commutes (31%)
• At the park (26%)
• In the toilet (19%)

When asked which factors are driving forces when buying tablets, price remains the top priority, particularly value for money (39%). Display size and quality (pixel density) come second at 26%, especially for those who love absorbing visual content.

Finally, performance and speed (20%) come in third on the list, reinforcing value for money and how their tablets can keep up with school, work, and play.

Final Thoughts

Tablets are here to stay in the land down under. Not only that, but recent technological innovations, microchip breakthroughs, and increased computing power in small builds mean tablets will continuously improve their functionality in the long run.

We already see tablets with laptop-like screen sizes, a record-breaking 5.1mm thickness, and compatibility as laptop/smartphone companions. Tablet sales and usage are expected to grow as new models enter the market to accommodate the growing need for portable daily computers, Netflix machines, and digital sketchpads for students, artists, entrepreneurs, and employees.

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Looking for more statistics? Make sure to check out our other statistic articles below!

• Australian Mobile Phone Statistics
• Australian Local SEO Statistics
• Australian Internet Statistics
• Australian Google Search Trends Statistics
• Australian Buy Now & Pay Later Statistics
• Australian eCommerce Statistics
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