Apple crushes tablet market with 45% share in late 2025 surge

The global tablet market saw a strong finish in late 2025, with over 43.8 million units shipped in the last quarter alone. This surge accounted for more than a quarter of the year's total sales. Demand was particularly high in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Asia-Pacific region.

Apple dominated the market, selling 19.6 million iPads in Q4 2025. This gave the company a commanding 44.9% share of the tablet sector. Samsung followed but saw a decline, shipping 6.4 million units and holding 14.7% of the market—down from the same period in 2024.

Lenovo secured third place with 3.865 million tablets sold, claiming an 8.8% share. The brand had climbed from fourth to third in Q3 2025, overtaking Huawei. Lenovo's shipments grew by 36.2% year-on-year in Q4, while Huawei improved its sales by 14.8% but still lost its previous ranking.

Despite the late-year growth, the tablet market faces challenges ahead. A persistent shortage of memory chips is expected to put pressure on production and sales in 2026.

The final quarter of 2025 brought a significant boost to tablet sales, with Apple leading by a wide margin. Lenovo's rise and Huawei's shift in position marked key changes in the rankings. However, the industry now braces for potential disruptions due to ongoing supply constraints in 2026.