The global tablet market recorded a 23 per cent decline year-on-year, according to research by analytics firm Omdia. A total of 32 million units were shipped in the third quarter of 2026, the lowest shipment level in almost three years.
The Middle East, China and Western Europe were the hardest-hit regions. Despite the overall decline, standard tablets drove growth, supported by stronger sales in all regions except Europe and Latin America, while shipments of detachable computers fell sharply.
Apple retained its leading position in the third quarter of 2026, but its shipments fell by 28 per cent year-on-year. Apple’s market share dropped to 36 per cent, down from 38.2 per cent a year earlier.
Samsung remained in second place with 5.4 million units shipped and a 22 per cent decline compared with the same period last year. Samsung’s market share stands at 16.9 per cent, and the company is facing pressures due to a component shortage that limits the scope of shipments.
Lenovo was the only manufacturer among the top five to record growth, just as it did in the second quarter. Lenovo’s shipments rose by 12 per cent year-on-year, reaching 4.1 million units, while its market share climbed from 8.7 per cent last year to 12.7 per cent. This marked the largest share gain among all suppliers in the third quarter of 2026.
Xiaomi took fourth place with 2.3 million tablets shipped and an 11 per cent year-on-year decline, while its market share rose slightly to 7.3 per cent. Xiaomi also achieved a strong quarter in the Latin American market.
Huawei rounded out the top five manufacturers with 1.8 million units shipped and the largest decline among leading suppliers at 43 per cent year-on-year. Huawei continued to record growth in the Central and Eastern European markets and the Asia-Pacific region in the third quarter of 2026.
