Apple’s iPad Shipments Surge in Q4 2025 Amid Looming Memory Constraints
In the final quarter of 2025, Apple experienced a significant surge in iPad shipments, marking a 16.5% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. According to a recent report by research firm Omdia, Apple shipped 19.6 million iPads during this period, solidifying its position as the leading tablet vendor with a market share of 44.9%. This growth was primarily driven by strong demand for the 11th Generation iPad and the M5-powered iPad Pro lineup.
While Apple led the market, Lenovo also demonstrated impressive growth, shipping 3.9 million units and achieving a 36.2% year-over-year increase. Despite this, Lenovo’s market share stood at 8.8%, placing it behind Samsung at 14.7%, Huawei at 6.9%, and Xiaomi at 6.4%. Other tablet manufacturers collectively accounted for the remaining 18.3% of the market.
The overall tablet market saw a 10% year-over-year growth in Q4 2025, slightly surpassing the growth observed in 2024. This uptick suggests a stabilization following three consecutive years of decline that succeeded the pandemic-induced sales boom.
Himani Mukka, research manager at Omdia, highlighted the impact of memory constraints on the market dynamics:
In 2025, the tablet market delivered its highest annual shipment volume since the pandemic-driven demand boom of 2020. Seasonal holiday demand, combined with vendor pre-build activity ahead of anticipated memory constraints, provided a meaningful uplift to shipments in the final quarter. However, tablet demand will come under increasing pressure in 2026.
This statement underscores the challenges that the tablet market may face in the upcoming year due to anticipated memory shortages. Manufacturers, including Apple, may need to strategize effectively to navigate these constraints and sustain growth in a potentially volatile market environment.
