Apple continued to dominate the global tablet market in the September quarter of 2026, accounting for more than one-third of total shipments, followed by Samsung and Lenovo. However, the overall market witnessed a sharp contraction, with shipments falling to their lowest level in nearly three years. Lenovo was the only brand among the top five to register growth.
According to research firm Omdia, global tablet shipments declined 23% year-on-year to 32 million units in the third quarter of 2026. The decline came despite several new product launches by leading manufacturers, indicating that consumer demand remains weak amid supply constraints and rising component costs.
Which are the top five tablet brands?
Apple retained its position as the world’s largest tablet maker, with a 36% share of the global market. However, its shipments declined 28% year-on-year, pulling its market share down from 38.2% a year earlier.
Samsung remained in the second place, with a 16.9% market share. It shipped 5.4 million units, registering a 22% decline from the year-ago quarter. New product launches could not prevent the fall in shipments as component shortages affected supplies.
Lenovo emerged as the only major brand to report growth. Its shipments increased 12% to 4.1 million units, taking its market share to 12.7% from 8.7% a year earlier. Growth was driven by conventional slate tablets, which offset the decline in detachable models.
Xiaomi ranked fourth, shipping 2.3 million units, down 11% year-on-year. Its market share increased marginally to 7.3%, supported by stronger performance in Latin America.
Huawei completed the top five, with shipments falling 43% to 1.8 million units. It recorded the steepest decline among the leading brands, although it continued to grow in parts of Central and Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Why is the tablet market shrinking?
The global tablet market has contracted for the second consecutive quarter, following a 10% decline in the June quarter. The Middle East, China and Western Europe recorded sharper declines than the overall market.
Supply constraints and component shortages are among the major reasons for the slowdown. Manufacturers are facing difficulties in securing components, affecting their ability to produce and ship devices. Tablets are also taking a backseat in companies’ priorities as they manage limited supplies.
At the same time, component shortages are restricting manufacturers' ability to introduce significant hardware upgrades. With fewer meaningful differences between new models and their predecessors, consumers are delaying purchases.
Several companies, including Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi, launched new tablets in the second half of 2026. However, these launches have failed to revive demand.
Omdia expects supply conditions to tighten further in 2027 and believes a meaningful recovery in the global tablet market is unlikely before 2028.