Tablets Rebound in 2025 as iPad Sets Q4 Record, With 2026 Slowdown Looming
Analysts cite memory constraints as the key risk that shifts strategies toward AI-centric experiences.
Overview
- Global tablet shipments rose 10% to 162 million units in 2025, the highest total since 2020, according to Omdia.
- Apple shipped 19.6 million iPads in Q4 2025, up 16.5% year over year, marking its strongest quarter on record.
- Apple captured 44.9% market share in Q4, well ahead of Samsung at 14.7% as Samsung shipped 6.4 million units with a 9.2% annual decline.
- Lenovo’s 3.9 million Q4 shipments represented 36% growth, which Omdia says was boosted by proactive pull-ins ahead of expected price increases.
- Omdia links the late-2025 surge to holiday promotions, new high‑performance chips like Apple’s M5, and pre-builds before rising memory costs, with vendors now emphasizing AI features and cross‑OS tools such as Lenovo’s Qira.