Why global tablet shipments barely grew in Q1 2026

What is holding tablet growth back?

Three pressures explain why the market is barely growing.

First, the shipment growth was inventory-led. Omdia’s central warning is that the 0.1% increase was mostly stock build-up rather than underlying demand ^[2]. That makes the quarter’s growth figure look more fragile than a normal demand-driven expansion.

Second, tablets are losing priority inside broader device portfolios. Omdia says tablets have become less important across margins, volume and overall value; PC vendors are prioritizing notebooks and desktops, while companies with both smartphones and tablets are focusing more on smartphones ^[2].

Third, the lower-cost volume segment has fewer levers left. Omdia says vendors’ 2026 focus is skewing toward premium tablets, where demand has held up better, while volume-tier tablets face pressure because vendors have limited room for promotions or further price increases ^[2]. Tablets also lack a major refresh catalyst comparable to the Windows 10 end-of-support cycle affecting PCs ^[2].

How the major tablet vendors performed

The flat market hid very different outcomes across the top vendors. Apple strengthened its lead, Huawei and Lenovo posted strong growth, and Samsung and Xiaomi declined ^[2].

The strategic response: premium, selective growth and adjacent priorities

The vendor response is becoming more selective. Omdia says tablet vendors are skewing their 2026 focus toward the premium segment, where demand has been more resilient than in the mass market ^[2]. That helps explain why Apple’s iPad business could grow in a nearly flat market, while pressure remained heavier in lower-cost volume segments ^[2].

At the same time, some vendors are putting more emphasis outside tablets. Omdia says PC vendors are prioritizing notebooks and desktops, while smartphone-and-tablet vendors are focusing more on smartphones ^[2]. For vendors that still find tablet opportunities, the growth pockets appear more targeted: Huawei’s Asia Pacific expansion and Lenovo’s education deployments stood out in Q1 2026 ^[2].

Outlook for the rest of 2026

Omdia expects the second half of 2026 to remain cautious, with volume segments facing the greatest pressure on both shipment volume and value ^[2]. Unless end-user demand improves, the tablet market’s near-term story is likely to be less about broad unit growth and more about where vendors can protect margin, target premium buyers or find regional and education-led pockets of demand.

The bottom line: Q1 2026’s 0.1% growth was not a sign of a strong tablet refresh cycle. It was mostly an inventory-driven pause in a market where premium tablets are holding up better than mass-market models, and where major vendors are increasingly choosing their battles carefully ^[2].