Global tablet shipments fall 10% in Q2 as supply pressures weigh: Omdia

Component shortages and rising prices hit tablet demand in Q2, with vendors prioritising premium devices as global shipments fell 10 per cent year-on-year

The global tablet market came under pressure in the second quarter of calendar year 2026, with shipments falling 10 per cent year-on-year to 36 million units, according to research firm Omdia. The decline reflects a combination of supply and demand pressures. Component shortages have made it harder for manufacturers to keep lower-priced tablets available, while higher prices have led some consumers to delay purchases.

 

The decline was also notable because tablet shipments typically receive some support in the second quarter from back-to-school demand. However, shipments did not increase sequentially during the quarter, indicating weaker market conditions than expected. Omdia expects the pressure to continue through the rest of 2026 as limited component availability affects cheaper models and vendors focus more of their available supplies on premium tablets.

 

Tablets may retain demand despite market slowdown

 

The Omdia report noted that the decline was expected, but the market had remained more resilient than anticipated in earlier quarters. The second quarter, however, saw one of the steepest declines in the tablet market over the past two years. Despite the wider slowdown, Omdia said tablets continue to have an established role in households and some commercial and education settings. Larger-screen models and the relative affordability of tablets continue to support demand in some use cases. Detachable tablets are also increasingly being used in place of traditional PCs for everyday computing, according to the research firm.

 

The latest decline does not necessarily indicate a loss of consumer interest in tablets. Omdia’s findings point instead to a combination of supply constraints, higher prices and delayed purchasing decisions. Limited component availability is making lower-priced models harder to supply, while consumers facing higher prices are taking longer to replace or buy devices.

 

Supply constraints shift focus to premium tablets

 

Component shortages are also affecting the types of tablets manufacturers are prioritising. Omdia expects vendors to avoid broadly increasing their focus on the tablet category while supplies remain constrained.

 

Instead, companies are expected to use their limited component availability for flagship and premium models. This could result in a greater shift in vendors' product portfolios towards higher-priced devices, while lower-priced tablets remain harder to find.

 

Omdia's forecast for continued market decline through the rest of 2026 takes into account both the constrained availability of cheaper tablets and consumers delaying purchases in response to higher prices.

 

The research firm also expects tablet vendors to look beyond hardware to generate revenue and differentiate their products. Services, changes to AI strategies and use cases, and adjustments to go-to-market strategies are expected to become more important.

 

Apple remains the market leader

 

Apple retained its position as the world's largest tablet vendor in the second quarter despite recording around 8 per cent year-on-year decline in shipments.

 

The company shipped 13.5 million iPads worldwide during the quarter, giving it a 38 per cent share of the global tablet market. The standard iPad accounted for the majority of Apple's shipments, while the iPad Air and iPad mini made up a smaller portion.

 

Samsung remained the second-largest tablet vendor. The company shipped nearly 6 million tablets in the quarter, down 13 per cent from a year earlier.

 

Omdia said Samsung is expected to adjust its product mix through the year as component supply constraints continue. The company is expected to prioritise higher-margin models as it seeks to protect margins and profitability.

 

Lenovo records growth among leading vendors

 

According to the data cited in the report, Lenovo was the only company among the leading tablet vendors to record shipment growth in the second quarter.

 

Its tablet shipments increased 27 per cent year-on-year. Omdia said part of this growth came from genuine end-user demand, while channel sell-in ahead of expected price increases and major retail promotional events also supported the company's shipment numbers.

 

Xiaomi ranked fourth among the leading vendors, shipping 2.8 million tablets during the quarter. Its shipments declined 7 per cent year-on-year. The report mentioned that Xiaomi continued to benefit from strong domestic demand, along with steady momentum in other parts of the Asia Pacific region.

 

Huawei completed the top five despite limited availability outside its home country China. The company shipped 2.7 million tablets during the quarter, a 16 per cent decline from the same period a year earlier.

 

Chromebook market remains under pressure

 

The weakness was not limited to tablets. Chromebook shipments also declined in the second quarter, with Omdia pointing to pressure on budget and education-focused devices.

 

Memory is now accounting for a disproportionately large share of the bill of materials for budget and education-tier Chromebooks. This has made the category particularly vulnerable to the current supply constraints.

 

Lenovo remained the largest vendor, although its shipments fell 3 per cent year-on-year to 1.76 million units. Omdia attributed much of the decline to the completion of the first phase of Japan's GIGA 2.0 School Program, for which Lenovo had been the primary supplier.

 

Acer ranked second, shipping 1.18 million units, down 4 per cent year-on-year. Its performance was supported by demand in North America and incremental share gains from HP in the region.

 

HP ranked third, with shipments falling 13 per cent to 1.15 million units. Omdia said relatively weaker institutional demand in the education segment affected the company's shipments. 

 

Asus gains share in Chromebook market

 

As per th report, Asus was the strongest performer in the Chromebook market during the quarter. Its shipments rose 66 per cent year-on-year to 749,000 units. The company's market share more than doubled, rising from 8 per cent to 16 per cent in the second quarter. Omdia attributed the increase to Asus's role as a key supplier for the GIGA 2.0 programme, the US K–12 education refresh cycle and back-to-school inventory stocking.

 

Dell, meanwhile, recorded the second-steepest decline among the vendors tracked by Omdia. Its Chromebook shipments fell 47 per cent year-on-year to 465,000 units.

 

Education demand weighs on Chromebooks

 

Omdia noted that the decline in Chromebook shipments was partly due to vendors giving lower priority to the category because of its relatively low profitability. The comparison with the second quarter of 2025 also contributed to the decline, as shipments were higher last year when education deployments were at their peak.

 

Some education deployments that had already been agreed have also been delayed this year, further affecting Chromebook shipment volumes. This has added to the pressure on the category, particularly as vendors reassess their priorities amid changing demand and supply conditions.

 

The broader tablet market is also facing pressure from both supply and demand. Limited component availability is restricting the supply of lower-priced tablets, while higher prices are prompting some consumers to delay purchases. Vendors are expected to prioritise premium models as they manage constrained component supplies, with Omdia expecting the tablet market to remain under pressure through the rest of 2026.