iPad continues dominance as global tablet shipments contract by 4.4% in Q3
Apple Grows 5.2% and Claims Over a Third of Tablet Market as Global Shipments Fall
• Global tablet shipments fell 4.4% YoY in Q3 2025, as buyers held onto devices longer and manufacturers faced excess inventory.
• Decline was driven by overstocked inventory and slower replacement cycles.
• Apple Rises in a Slowing Market, Commanding 34.7% of Global Tablet Shipments
For the first time since the pandemic surge, the global tablet industry is experiencing a contraction. After two years of steady upgrades and fresh launches, global shipments slipped 4.4% year-over-year in Q3 2025, totalling 38 million units, according to IDC. The decline suggests a market correction, an admission that manufacturing output may have surpassed sustainable demand.
In theory, 2025 should have been another safe year for tablets. Demand looked stable, suppliers were cautious, and everyone was still trying to ride the post-pandemic productivity wave. Instead, manufacturers ended up sitting on piles of unsold stock.
IDC’s report attributes much of this softness to overstocked inventory. Manufacturers built up supplies earlier in the year, anticipating potential tariff hikes and supply chain friction. That precaution came back to bite them: when demand steadied instead of surging, warehouses stayed full and new shipments slowed. In plain terms, the market just ran out of urgency. Buyers didn’t rush to upgrade, and sellers found themselves with more devices than the world needed.
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Apple’s Grip Amid a Slower Market
Even as overall numbers dipped, Apple continues to hold a commanding position, capturing roughly a third of global tablet shipments. The company shipped 13.2 million units, a 5.2% increase year-over-year, largely driven by strong demand for its 10.9-inch iPad line. Apple’s consistent design, regular software updates, and strong brand recognition give it an edge over competitors relying on high-end refreshes alone.
Other brands offered a mixed picture. Samsung shipped 6.9 million units, down 1.9%, hurt by a pullback in commercial projects despite solid consumer sales. Lenovo, on the other hand, grew 22.6%, reaching 3.7 million units thanks to its XiaoxinPad series and aggressive pricing strategy in consumer segments.
Huawei and Xiaomi rounded out the top five, Huawei posting 3.7% growth from new MatePad launches abroad, and Xiaomi continuing its climb with 7.2% growth off the back of the Pad 8 lineup. The contrast highlights that in a slowing market, volume and affordability often outperform premium-only strategies.
Consumers Have Changed the Rules
Beyond inventory issues and Apple's dominance, an underlying shift is occurring in consumer behavior: buyers are no longer replacing tablets annually. Modern tablets from the last few cycles are powerful enough to handle streaming, sketching, productivity, and work calls without performance issues.
IDC’s Anuroopa Nataraj summarizes the shiftneatly: the market is moving “from pandemic-driven demand to steady, value-oriented growth.” Tablets have matured into durable, good-enough gadgets. Once you have one that works, you keep it. That change in mindset, not just supply issues, is what’s really reshaping the curve.
Even as growth slows in developed markets, emerging regions provide pockets of strength. Education programmes, government digitalisation projects, and budget tablets from smartphone makers like Xiaomi continued to push volumes up. For countries still early in digital adoption, tablets are tools of access, not luxury, which means sales there are still rising.
What Comes Next
IDC predicts the next growth phase may be tied to innovation rather than frequency of purchase. AI-powered productivity features, smarter stylus integration, and hybrid tablet-laptop designs could redefine the category. For Apple, maintaining a third of the market demonstrates the value of a broad and trusted portfolio, while competitors will need to balance innovation with accessibility to compete effectively.
The tablet market may have slowed, but Apple’s dominance shows that strong design, software consistency, and timely updates can still command attention even when buyers are content to wait. How the rest of the industry responds will define the next chapter of this now-maturing market.
