Apple Dominates Tablet Market, But Lenovo Emerges as a Strong Contender for Q4 2025
As the year 2025 drew to a close, the tablet market saw significant growth, largely propelled by Apple's continued innovation and sales prowess. While Apple retained its market leadership over Samsung, Lenovo made headlines with impressive sales growth, positioning itself as a serious competitor in the tablet arena. This article delves into the sales figures, market shares, and emerging trends that defined the tablet landscape in Q4 2025.
The Tablet Market's Growth Surprise
Tablet sales surged by a remarkable 10 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, highlighting a strong demand in the final quarter of the year. While Apple was clearly the catalyst behind this growth, the competition was fierce, particularly against Samsung.
Apple's strong lineup, including the A16 Bionic-powered iPad 11 and the latest M5-equipped iPad Pros, contributed to its astonishing sales tally of 19.6 million units in Q4 2025.
Apple’s shipments increased from 16.8 million units in Q4 2024 to 19.6 million in Q4 2025. This increase resulted in a market share rise to 44.9 percent, marking a pivotal moment where nearly half of all tablets sold globally were iPads.
Other Competitors Struggle
In contrast, Samsung faced challenges, with its tablet shipments declining by 9.2 percent year-over-year in the last quarter of 2025. Despite this, Samsung managed to retain its second position in the market, but the gap between it and Apple only continued to widen.
Lenovo's Remarkable Rise
While Apple’s dominance is commendable, the real story in Q4 2025 was Lenovo’s dramatic performance. The company achieved a staggering 36.2 percent year-over-year increase in sales, allowing it to leapfrog into third place in the market rankings, overtaking Huawei.
Lenovo's sales growth reflects a changing landscape where budget-friendly devices are gaining traction, helping it to secure a stronger position against established rivals.
Despite the impressive leap, Lenovo is still nearly 6 percent behind Samsung. However, with projections of a general decline in tablet sales for 2026, Lenovo's ability to sustain its growth will be crucial moving forward.
The Future of the Tablet Market
As tech enthusiasts ponder the future, questions arise about the relevance of tablets, especially with the impending arrival of innovative foldable devices. Nonetheless, traditional tablets like the iPad and Lenovo’s lineup maintain widespread appeal due to their affordability and functionality.
While foldables may redefine user expectation, established players like Apple and Lenovo are likely to continue attracting customers in 2026 and beyond as they adapt to evolving market conditions.
