Demand Outlook Remains Weak
In the first quarter of 2026, the global tablet market experienced a marginal year-on-year growth of 0.1%, with shipments reaching 37 million units, according to Omdia’s latest research.
Although this represents an increase, inventory build-up rather than an actual rise in end-user demand primarily drove growth. Latin America showed the strongest regional performance, followed by the Middle East and Africa.
Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Omdia, commented, “Heading into 2026, tablets have been relegated in importance for vendors across margins, volume, and overall value.” Mukka emphasised that in the current supply-constrained environment, both consumers and vendors are prioritizing certain devices over others.
“Within the tablet space, vendors’ focus in 2026 will be skewed toward the premium segment, where demand has held up better relative to the mass market,” Mukka added. She explained that the volume tier faces challenges such as limited promotional headroom and difficulty in absorbing price increases.
Apple led the market with a significant increase of 7.9% in shipments, reaching 14.8 million units, largely due to the strong performance of the iPad Air. Samsung, however, experienced a decline of 12.6% in shipments, falling to 5.8 million units, largely due to pricing pressures.
Huawei and Lenovo saw substantial growth in their shipments. Huawei’s shipments rose by 28% to 3.2 million units, while Lenovo’s increased by 20% to 3.0 million units. Xiaomi’s shipments decreased by 13.6% to 2.6 million units.
Kieren Jessop, Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted, “Within the PC segment, Chromebooks are currently the most impacted category, with volumes declining significantly.” Jessop pointed out that education-related deployments are increasingly deferred until market conditions stabilise.
The education sector, especially in Japan, faces challenges. Japan’s GIGA School Programme 2.0 is expected to experience delays due to ongoing supply constraints. Although the first phase completed in 2025 without major disruption, the current supply environment is likely to affect the next phase.
Caution prevails for the second half of 2026, with volume market segments expected to face significant pressure on both shipment volume and value. This situation arises particularly in the absence of a catalyst similar to the Windows 10 end-of-support cycle seen in the PC market.
As the global tablet market navigates this complex environment, some vendors are focusing on higher-margin premium products, while others struggle with decreased shipments and reduced demand in the volume segment. The market’s future will hinge on how these dynamics evolve and whether new catalysts can stimulate demand.
