Tablet Shipments Fell 23% to 32 Million in 3Q26

The global tablet market contracted by 23% year-on-year to 32 million units during the third quarter of 2026, marking its lowest volume in nearly three years, according to Omdia. The Middle East, China, and Western Europe were identified as the most impacted regions, suffering sharper declines than the market average.

"Following a 10% decrease last quarter, the tablet sector recorded another double-digit decline in Q3," stated Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Omdia. "As supply limitations intensify, tablets are increasingly deprioritized within vendors' strategic plans for 2026 and 2027. With supply conditions expected to tighten further next year, a significant recovery in the tablet market is improbable before 2028.”

During 3Q26, Apple sustained its market lead despite a 28% year-on-year shipment decline. Its market share decreased to 36% from 38.2% a year prior, as its volumes fell more sharply than the industry total. Samsung remained in second place, shipping 5.4 million units—a 22% decrease—and securing a 16.9% share. Despite introducing new hardware, the firm continued to face pressure as component shortages impacted shipment volumes.

Lenovo was the only top-five vendor to achieve growth, with shipments rising 12% year-on-year to 4.1 million units. Its market share increased to 12.7%, up from 8.7% a year earlier, representing the largest share expansion this quarter. While detachable volumes declined significantly, slate tablets drove overall growth, supported by stronger performance in all regions except Europe and Latin America.

Xiaomi occupied the fourth position, shipping 2.3 million tablets, an 11% year-on-year decline. Its market share rose slightly to 7.3%, bolstered by strong performance in Latin America. Huawei completed the top five with 1.8 million units, recording the sharpest decline among leaders at 43%. Despite the downturn, the vendor continued to report growth in CEE and APAC this quarter.

“We have observed several major tablet introductions in the latter half of the year, including Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12, Apple's OLED iPad mini, and Xiaomi's Pad 9 series. Huawei, HONOR, OnePlus, and realme also launched new models. However, these releases failed to stimulate demand amid difficult market conditions,” Mukka added. “Supply constraints are also limiting significant specification upgrades, resulting in fewer differences between new models and their predecessors. Consequently, consumers are expected to delay purchases until more substantial improvements are introduced.”