IPads Still Rule, But Chinese Tablets Are On The Rise

Canalys, a global technology market analyst firm, has released its latest report regarding the state of the global tablet market. The firm claims that sales of tablet devices in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 8.5%. As expected, Apple is the leading tablet manufacturer globally by a huge margin. However, the Chinese companies are also witnessing soaring sales of these devices.

According to Canalys, Greater China experienced a surge in tablet demand during the Lunar New Year. The government-backed retail subsidies significantly increased sales of tablets in the region. As for the US, uncertainty about Trump tariffs grew tablet imports in January. However, the sales dropped sharply in February after the US administration announced the exemptions.

The primary driver of US tablet shipments in Q1 2025 was demand from a customer refresh of pandemic-era slates that are now crossing four to five years in their life cycles. Also, the launch of the new devices from various brands boosted sales.

Apple maintained its leadership in the tablet market

Canalys reports that in Q1 2025, Apple retained its throne in the tablet market. The Cupertino tech giant posted a 14% year-on-year growth by shipping 13.7 million iPads. As for the other places, Samsung took the second spot and shipped 6.6 million units in the first quarter. However, the Korean tech giant’s total tablet sales decreased by 5.2% compared to the last quarter.

Xiaomi overtook Lenovo for the first time by shipping 3.1 million tablets in Q1 2025. The company witnessed a 56% jump compared to the same period in the previous year. Lenovo took the fourth spot by shipping 2.5 million units. Huawei rounded out the top five tablet sellers list with 2.4 million units and a 6.5% market share.

Chinese brands are closing in on Apple and Samsung

It appears that the Chinese tablet manufacturers are closing the gap on the market leaders by combining value pricing with robust IoT ecosystems. Brands like Honor, Huawei, and Xiaomi are selling more tablets in markets outside of China as well.

They are pushing competitive pricing and broad device portfolios to tap into rising customer demand, especially in entry and mid-tier segments, adds the report.