Canalys: global tablet market is up 8.5% in Q1 as people replace pandemic-era slates

The global tablet market grew 8.5% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, reports Canalys. However, different markets had different reasons for the growth in shipments.

There was a sharp uptick in tablet sales during the pandemic as people moved to work/study from home. However, those slates are now 4-5 years old and in need of replacement – that’s what pushed shipments in the US up in Q1.

The Trump administration announced blanket tariffs but quickly made smartphones, tablets and chips exempt, so that didn’t move the needle much. However, tariffs will still have an effect – as other things become more expensive, Canalys predicts that tablet upgrade cycles will become longer as they are a lower priority item to upgrade compared to other things.

In China, the government offered consumer subsidies, which coincided with the traditional Lunar New Year discounts and the market saw a double-digit growth in shipments. Unlike in the smartphone market, Apple maintains the top position in China, but Huawei and Xiaomi are growing (boosted by their smart device ecosystems), while Honor is seeing success in the value-oriented segment.

Globally, Apple is the leading tablet brand by a wide margin and it shipped 13.7 million units, a 14% year-on-year growth. Samsung slipped 5.2% but retains second place. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is growing fast, but is still well behind Apple and Samsung with 3 million units shipped for the quarter (+56.1% YoY). Xiaomi overtook Lenovo, which is now in fourth place. Huawei is still in the Top 5, but despite doing well in China, its popularity on the global market is slipping (down 12.5%).

Tablets are bought not just by consumers, but by businesses and organizations too (e.g. schools). This market was stagnant in Q1, however. Government-led programs could buy large quantities of tablets for schools through the year – probably not in the US, where the Department of Education is under pressure from the Trump administration. Thailand announced multi-year funding for a big procurement program, though.

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