Smartphones might be more popular than tablets, but that doesn"t mean there aren"t enough lovers for the big-screen devices. Fresh data from the analytics firm Canalys reveals that global tablet shipments have continued their growth streak for the sixth quarter.
The firm said that the worldwide tablet shipments reached 39 million units in Q2 2025, with an annual growth rate of 9%. Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and China are among the top regions that have contributed significantly to the increased numbers. For comparison, the total number of tablet shipments in the second quarter of 2024 was 35.7 million units.
Apple kept its leading position in the tablet market by shipping 14.1 million iPads in the second quarter. The Cupertino giant was followed by Samsung (6.7 million), Huawei (3.2 million), Lenovo (3.1 million), and Xiaomi (3 million).
While it"s been more than a year since new iPad Pro models arrived, Apple refreshed its cheapest tablet and iPad Air earlier this year, right before the start of the second quarter.
The tablet market was supported by consumer subsidies in China and a ramp-up in commercial tenders globally, according to the firm. It notes that gaming tablets have become a popular niche category for buyers, especially in Asia.
The tablet market benefited from new product launches in the gaming segment, like Vivo Pad5, Xiaomi Redmi K Pad (8.8-inch), and shipments for Lenovo"s Legion Tab have more than doubled in consecutive quarters.
Tablets are also being marketed as a key element of the connected ecosystems that many device makers have adopted in recent years. Most of them are trailing Apple, which has been leveraging the stickiness of its ecosystem for years.
The firm also shed some light on the performance of Chromebooks and said that they are "experiencing a period of revitalization." Lenovo secured the top spot in the Chromebook shipments market share by shipping over 3.5 million units in the first half of 2025.
It notes that Japan"s government-led GIGA School Program played a significant role in pushing Chromebook shipments to 11 million units, where Lenovo was one of the big partners.