Apple widened its lead in the global tablet market in late 2025 as shipments recovered after a slow period. The rebound came during a strong holiday season, when buyers returned to tablets for work, study, and entertainment. As demand picked up, Apple stood out as the biggest driver of growth, reinforcing its position well ahead of rivals.
New research from Omdia shows that global tablet shipments reached 162 million units in 2025. This marked a 9.8 percent increase compared to the previous year. Growth accelerated toward the end of the year, with the holiday quarter alone accounting for 44 million shipments. That quarterly figure also rose 9.8 percent year over year. Omdia described the full-year total as the highest level seen since 2020, when demand surged during the pandemic. Expectations of future memory supply limits also played a role in boosting orders.
Apple played a central role in this late-year momentum. Omdia reported that Apple shipped 19.6 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2025. This represented a 16.5 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Strong interest in the 11th-generation iPad and the M5-powered iPad Pro helped drive this performance, especially during the holiday shopping season.
As a result, Apple’s market share climbed to 44.9 percent in the fourth quarter. This left a wide gap between Apple and other tablet makers. Samsung followed with 14.7 percent, while Lenovo, Huawei, and Xiaomi trailed further behind. All other brands combined made up just over 18 percent of shipments.
The report also pointed to changes in how tablets will be positioned in the years ahead. Vendors are expected to focus more on ecosystem integration and artificial intelligence features. Cross-platform experiences and smarter software are becoming key selling points as the market moves into a more controlled growth phase.
Regional trends varied across 2025. Central and Eastern Europe recorded the fastest growth, followed by Asia Pacific. Most regions saw double-digit gains, while North America relied more on discounts to support demand during the holiday season.
