During Apple's last Financial Conference Call on April 28, CFO Luca Maestri stated: "We grew in each of our product categories except iPad, which remains significantly supply constrained throughout the quarter. Today, a new analytical report covering tablets in mainland China shows that Apple remained the leader in tablets but took a massive hit.

A new report by Canalys shows that Apple and Huawei remained first and second in China’s tablet rankings, but both faced supply issues, leading to declines of 29% and 11% respectively as presented in their chart below.

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With a greater focus on its Mi Pad line, Xiaomi climbed to third place with 0.6 million units shipped after three quarters of consistent growth. HONOR took fourth place with 2% year-on-year growth, while Lenovo rounded off the top five with a 17% year-on-year fall in shipments. 

Canalys Analyst Emma Xu: "The surge in tablet use in China during the pandemic has paved the way for new vendors to enter the market. Tablet shipments reached a high in 2020, with Apple the main beneficiary, as there were limited brand options as Huawei struggled. Though the market’s momentum was lost as life returned to normal, we are now seeing a similar situation develop as the latest lockdowns are set to cause an uptick in demand. The difference this time is that smartphone vendors such as OPPO, vivo and realme have launched their first tablets as part of strategies to build wider product ecosystems. These players are entering the market at a time when the Chinese government is encouraging investment in digital education, not just in large cities, but in smaller towns and rural areas. The success of these new entrants will firmly rest on their ability to deliver quality user experiences in line with evolving consumer needs while also navigating a difficult supply chain environment."

For more on this and for stats relating to PC shipments in Mainland China where Apple doesn't appear in the top five vendors, review the Canalys full report.