Global tablet shipments fell 23% from a year earlier to 32 million units in the third quarter of 2026, the lowest level in nearly three years, research firm Omdia said on Nov. 5. The Middle East, China and Western Europe fell the most, the firm said.
Related: Apple Opens Siri AI to Third-Party Apps.
Vendor by vendor
- Apple kept the lead despite a 28% drop in shipments, and its share fell to 36% from 38.2%, Omdia said.
- Samsung shipped 5.4 million units, down 22%, for a 16.9% share.
- Lenovo was the only top-five vendor to grow, up 12% to 4.1 million units, lifting its share to 12.7% from 8.7%.
- Xiaomi shipped 2.3 million, down 11%, for a 7.3% share.
- Huawei shipped 1.8 million, down 43%, the steepest decline among the leaders.
Why shipments fell
The quarter followed a 10% decline in the second quarter, Omdia research manager Himani Mukka said. She said tablets are taking a back seat in vendors’ priorities as supply constraints intensify.
Mukka said launches including Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 series, Apple’s OLED iPad mini and Xiaomi’s Pad 9 series did little to lift demand. Supply limits also restrict meaningful specification upgrades, so buyers are expected to delay purchases, she said.
What happens next
Omdia expects supply to tighten further next year and said a meaningful recovery is unlikely before 2028. More device coverage is in Technology and Business News.
Sources
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