Earlier this month we reported that Chinese agencies and state-backed companies across the country had asked their staff to not bring Apple iPhones and other foreign devices to work. Reuters reported in September that staff in at least three ministries and government bodies were told not to use iPhones at work. 

Did the shift away from iPhones in mainland China extend indirectly to tablets, considering that they're companion devices? It's hard to say if that's the case or if Apple's lack of an iPad update caused their tablet sales to stagnate while Huawei and Xiaomi tablet shares dramatically rose.

While Apple remained the leader in tablets in Q3-23, they lost 5% annual growth and 7% market share while Huawei dramatically rose 90% YoY and gained 9% market share. Xiaomi also dramatically rose by 71%, gaining 4% market share.  

(Click on Chart below to Enlarge)

Emma Xu, Analyst at Canalys: "The continuous digitalization trends in learning and working are a driving force for tablet expansion, enabling usage in various life scenarios, including home, school and business environments. For more, read the full Canalys report.