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Tablet Shipments Plunge 23% in Q3, Recovery Unlikely Before 2028

Devices1 min read

Global tablet shipments fell 23% in the third quarter, according to research firm Omdia. The market may not recover meaningfully until 2028 because of supply limits.

Tablet sales drop sharply

Omdia says worldwide tablet shipments in the third quarter fell 23.0% from a year earlier. Shipments also fell 9.9% in the second quarter. The third-quarter total was about 32.19 million units, the lowest in almost three years. The Middle East, China and Western Europe saw the biggest declines.

Key numbers

  • Total Q3 tablet shipments: 32.19 million units, down 23.0% year on year
  • Apple (iPad): 11.58 million units, down 27.5%; market share fell from 38.2% to 36.0%
  • Samsung (Galaxy Tab): 5.43 million units, down 21.7%; market share rose slightly from 16.6% to 16.9%
  • Lenovo (No. 3): 4.09 million units, up 11.9%; market share rose from 8.7% to 12.7%
  • Lenovo is the only top-five company that grew in Q3

Why supply is tight

Omdia uses the phrase 'supply constraints' to describe rising memory chip prices. These higher costs push up device prices and shrink the market for cheaper products. As a result, device makers are putting tablets lower on their priority lists for 2026 and 2027.

Why it matters

Tablets are a big business, and companies like Apple and Samsung depend on them. Omdia expects supply limits to get worse in 2027. Buyers may also wait, since new models have offered few big upgrades over older ones.

What to watch

  • Whether memory chip prices fall, easing pressure on device costs
  • How new tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 and Apple's OLED iPad mini sell
  • Whether makers add meaningful upgrades that persuade buyers to upgrade
  • Whether the market shows real recovery before 2028

Glossary

Omdia
A market research firm that tracks and counts device shipments worldwide.
Shipments
The number of devices sent from makers to stores or distributors.
OLED
A display technology that makes brighter, more colorful screens using organic light-emitting materials.
Galaxy Tab S12
Samsung's newest high-end tablet series, released in the second half of 2026.

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