The global tablet market is in big trouble, with only one top vendor on the rise in Q3 2026
Lenovo is the lone winner of Omdia's latest quarterly tablet market report, while Apple, Samsung, and Huawei's sales numbers are all substantially down from Q3 2025.
Remember when Apple, Huawei, and Lenovo were defying all tablet market trends, majorly boosting their worldwide sales figures while the industry as a whole hit a stagnation point? Believe it or not, that was only six months ago, and somehow, two of those three companies find themselves in a completely different situation now... along with the entire global market.
While Omdia researchers aren't offering any insight into the incredible success story of the most improved tablet manufacturer out there, I think the answer is pretty simple.
Only one of the world's top five tablet vendors is growing, and it's probably not the one you expected to see a year or two ago. | Image by Omdia
As such, it shouldn't come as a shock that the Chinese brand's sales are up 11.9 percent in Q3 2026 from the same timeframe of last year after posting even more impressive improvements of 27.1 and 20 percent in Q2 2026 and Q1 2026, respectively.
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Of course, the market was not in the position it's in right now in either Q2 (when it contracted by 10 percent) or Q1 (when it was essentially at the same level as last year), so in a way, Lenovo's latest sales jump is even more remarkable given that it took place while the industry declined by no less than 23 percent, hitting its lowest point in almost three years.
What's up with Apple?
Once again, the researchers are merely laying out the data that shows iPad shipments fell by 27.5 percent in Q3 2026 compared to Q3 2025 and 7.5 percent the previous quarter from the same period of last year, leaving it to me to try to come up with an explanation that makes sense.
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The new iPad mini is unlikely to boost Apple's tablet sales very much. | Image by Apple
And once again, it seems relatively safe to assume that the problems are Apple's rising prices and the lack of excitement or distinction in the current iPad lineup.
Well, it definitely says a lot about the current state of the tablet market if Xiaomi's 10.6 percent year-over-year drop in Q3 sales is almost viewed as a positive result.
But how else could it be when Samsung's numbers are down by 21.7 percent and Huawei has somehow "managed" to shed nearly half of its Q3 2025 tablet shipments?
This is not an encouraging trend for the tablet market, and there aren't many reasons for optimism going forward either. | Image by Omdia
Huawei, by the way, was the market's bronze medalist at the beginning of the year, when its quarterly sales expanded by an industry-leading 28.1 percent, and the Chinese brand's fall to the number five spot in the global vendors' hierarchy highlights just how quickly things can change (for better or worse) in this fickle market.
That being said, the chances of seeing the global tablet industry experience a "meaningful recovery" before 2028 are unfortunately super-low, and continuously rising prices are only one of the biggest culprits. The other key things to blame are "persistent supply constraints" and the lack of "meaningful" specification upgrades delivered by both new iPad and Android models from essentially all major (and minor) brands.
In short, the future doesn't look bright for any of the world's leading tablet makers (including Lenovo, I would presume).
Here are more articles about new and upcoming tablets:
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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