Apple’s iPad shipments surged in 2025, driven more by market correction and vendor behavior than product innovation.
In 2025, global tablet shipments increased by 9.8% compared to the previous year and reached approximately 162 million units. It was the best annual performance of the tablet market since the big jump in 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, Omdia warned that the recovery is not consistent and is already showing some cracks.
Momentum was concentrated at the end of the year, with the holiday quarter accounting for a disproportionate share of shipments, putting renewed pressure on the category in 2026.
Holiday demand and seller behavior led to growth in 2025
Omdia found that much of the growth in 2025 was driven by seasonal holiday demand and pre-build supplier activity ahead of expected memory constraints. Tablet shipments in the fourth quarter reached 44 million units, up 9.8% year-over-year and covering weaker demand at the start of the year.
Rather than signaling an across-the-board recovery, this increase reflected demand carried forward from future quarters. Replacement cycles remain long in mature markets where tablets continue to be durable devices for several years.
Omdia expects demand for tablets to come under increasing pressure in 2026 as disruptions in the memory market threaten supply availability and push prices up. Analysts also point to slower innovation cycles as a factor in lengthening replacement times across the category.
Holiday demand and seller behavior led to growth in 2025
Future growth opportunities are expected to narrow and focus on the renewal of premium and flagship models in developed markets and the demand for education supported by the public sector in emerging regions.
Apple increased its lead as rivals slowed
Apple continued to dominate the tablet market, shipping roughly 19.6 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2025. Compared to 2024, this was an increase of 16.5%.
Demand for the 11th generation iPad and the iPad Pro range with the M5 has really boosted the company’s numbers.
Samsung’s tablet shipments fell 9.2% year-on-year in the same period, while Lenovo posted strong growth that was largely linked to proactive recall of shipments ahead of expected price hikes. The seller rankings remained unchanged throughout the year, reinforcing Apple’s dominant position in a slowing market.
Tablets are moving towards an ecosystem location
As volume growth slows, Omdia thinks tablet makers will start promoting their devices as part of an ecosystem instead of just stand-alone gadgets. They mentioned that companies are focusing more on cross-OS features and AI-driven experiences to keep demand stable in a more predictable way.
The seller rankings remained unchanged throughout the year, reinforcing Apple’s dominant position in a slowing market
This change benefits companies like Apple that have tightly integrated hardware, software and services. It will handle slower unit growth while keeping users engaged across platforms.
The recovery of the tablet market in 2025 looks less like a sustained recovery and more like a late-cycle correction driven by timing and supply dynamics. Omdia’s own outlook suggests these pressures will play out again as the market moves into 2026.
It didn’t do Apple any good, as the tablet market suddenly became healthy again. Apple has benefited as growth slows and fewer companies are positioned to thrive as the category consolidates.