Global Tablet Shipments Drop 10% To 36m Units As Supply Pressures Bite

The global tablet market recorded a sharp downturn in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments falling 10 per cent year-on-year to 36 million units as component supply constraints and rising prices weighed on demand, according to research firm Omdia.
The decline marks a significant reversal for the device category, which traditionally records sequential growth in the second quarter due to seasonal demand, particularly back-to-school purchases. Omdia said the market also broke with this pattern in Q2 2026 as supply-side pressures increasingly affected manufacturers and consumers.
According to the research, the downturn was among the steepest recorded in the tablet market in the past ...