Global Tablet Shipments Grew 9 Percent in 2024

According to the latest data from Canalys, worldwide tablet shipments grew 5.6% year on year in 4Q24, reaching 39.9 million units. This brought total shipments for full-year 2024 to 147.6 million units, up 9.2% compared with 2023. Growth was seen in all regions except North America, marking a healthy recovery from the lows of 2023.

“As the PC market pivots toward a commercial refresh cycle, there is also a recovery in demand for tablets,” said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Canalys. “A recent Canalys survey of channel partners found that 52% of those that sell commercial tablets expect their shipments to increase in 2025, with 32% expecting flat performance and just 16% anticipating a decline. Refresh opportunities will remain abundant across a variety of industries and verticals as IT investment is expected to strengthen following an extended period of budget restrictions.”

“Consumer tablets are set for a more constrained performance this year, but there will be pockets of opportunity for vendors to target,” said Mukka. “Even in China, where government subsidies have significantly bolstered electronics sales, tablet shipments saw only single-digit growth in the fourth quarter of 2024. However, the subsidy program is set to extend into 2025, providing vendors with additional scope to drive consumer interest. In Japan, government-led initiatives, such as ‘Society 5.0’, and the next wave of the education-focused GIGA project present digital transformation funding to help fuel tablet sales.”

“On the vendor side, Chinese brands are expanding their presence in their home market and beyond,” said Canalys Analyst Kieren Jessop. “HONOR is working to strengthen its foothold in Indonesia as incumbent brands face challenges in the region. The vendor has also introduced bundling offers in the UK following the launch of its HONOR Magic7 Pro smartphone last quarter. Meanwhile, Xiaomi launched its Pad 7 Pro in Q4 2024, capitalizing on its growing domestic popularity and targeting an ambitious 20,000 retail stores in China by 2025 as part of its aggressive expansion strategy. Additionally, Apple has recently reaffirmed its commitment to India by expanding its presence and opening new stores to strengthen its position in the region in the coming year. All these factors point toward a healthy tablet environment this year, but US tariffs will remain a risk that could dent demand, particularly for high-end devices.”

In 2024, Chinese vendors performed strongly in the tablet market. Xiaomi led the charge with a remarkable 73% annual growth, securing fifth place in the overall rankings, surpassing Amazon. Huawei also saw impressive growth, with a 29% increase in shipments, allowing it to rise to third place. Lenovo came fourth, shipping 10 million tablets and achieving 12% year-on-year growth. Apple expanded its leading position with 14% growth in 4Q24, and a modest 5.3% increase for the full year, shipping 16.9 million iPads in the quarter. This growth was fueled by the release of new iPad Mini and iPad Air models. Samsung claimed second place, shipping 7.1 million units and recording 3.9% annual growth.