The global tablet market contracted by 10% in Q2 2026, with manufacturers increasingly prioritising premium devices amid supply constraints and shifting consumer demand.
Omdia said the global tablet market fell 10% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments slipping to 36 million units. The figure was notable not only for the size of the decline but also because it broke with the usual second-quarter uplift linked to back-to-school buying. The research firm said tablets still have a clear place in households, schools and some business settings, especially where larger-screen and detachable models can stand in for a basic PC.
The latest quarter follows a softer start to the year. Omdia said first-quarter shipments were broadly flat, rising just 0.1% to 37 million units, with much of that movement driven by inventory build rather than stronger end-user demand. That suggests the market entered the second half of 2026 with weaker momentum than in 2025, when annual tablet shipments rose 9.8% to 162 million units. Omdia now expects the downturn to continue through the rest of this year as higher prices and limited availability weigh most heavily on lower-cost devices.
The company said vendors are reacting to supply pressure by concentrating on premium tablets and flagship models rather than pushing the category broadly. That shift is likely to favour higher-margin products and leave budget models more exposed. Omdia also expects manufacturers to lean more on software services, AI features and revised sales strategies to support revenue as hardware volumes soften. The broader backdrop is a component market in which memory and storage costs have been rising sharply, a trend that has already forced PC makers to raise prices and trim promotions.
Apple remained the market leader in the quarter, shipping 13.5 million iPads and taking a 38% share even after an 8% annual decline. Samsung held second place with nearly 6 million units, down 13%, while Lenovo was the only major brand to grow, with shipments up 27% as it benefited from channel stocking and demand tied to retail events. Xiaomi shipped 2.8 million tablets, down 7%, and Huawei finished fifth with 2.7 million units, down 16%. Omdia’s figures point to a market that is still concentrated in a handful of large vendors, but one where demand is becoming more selective and increasingly tied to premium pricing.
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