IDC consulting: The shipment volume of China's tablet market will increase by 3.1% year-on-year in 2025.

In 2024, the Chinese tablet market is seeing a resurgence, driven by the emergence of consumer replacement demand, increased investment from manufacturers, and product feature iterations. These factors have contributed to market growth and will continue to drive market development. IDC predicts that in 2025, shipments of tablets in the Chinese market will increase by 3.1% year-on-year. In addition, the team also predicts that by 2025, 75% of tablets shipped in the Chinese market will be equipped with NPUs to support AI computing. Insight one: In 2025, the Chinese tablet market will continue to grow The Chinese tablet market is entering a replacement cycle, with users who purchased tablets at the beginning of the pandemic gradually starting to upgrade to new versions. The demand for replacements will continue to grow in 2025, creating effective market demand. Furthermore, upgrades in product performance, features, and intelligence will further stimulate market demand and drive market expansion. Insight two: Improving AI capabilities will accelerate the transformation of tablets from leisure and entertainment devices to professional productivity devices AI capabilities will gradually penetrate the tablet market, driving product upgrades. With enhanced device computing power, AI models, and intelligent interactions, efficiency in office work, art creation, and educational support will become the main directions for the implementation and development of AI tablets, helping tablets transition from entertainment devices to professional productivity devices. Insight three: Cross-system transmission will weaken hardware "ecosystem" barriers and expand user base IDC predicts that in the future, more and more manufacturers and products will support cross-system file transfers, optimizing the user experience across different devices and systems. As a breakthrough in ecosystem connectivity, cross-system transmission will weaken existing hardware "ecosystem" barriers, helping tablet manufacturers expand their target user base. The importance of product competitiveness in acquiring customers will also increase. Insight four: The interaction methods of tablet computers will accelerate towards multimodal development The interaction methods of tablet computers will become more diverse, enhancing the convenience, professionalism, and security of device usage. On one hand, compatibility with traditional interaction methods will be further improved, and the adaptation and user experience of accessories like keyboards and styluses will continue to be optimized. On the other hand, emerging interaction methods such as visual recognition, sensor technology, gestures, eye-tracking, and side fingerprint sensors will be widely applied to tablet computers. Insight five: From general-purpose to scene-specific applications The use of tablet computers spans across six major scenarios including education, mobile office, gaming and entertainment, sports and health, home control, and smart travel, but the layout is not deep enough. In the future, there will be more tablet products focusing on specific scenes, with a stronger emphasis on meeting the basic requirements of each scene while strengthening specialized layouts for specific scenarios to expand niche market demands. Insight six: More diverse and ultimate screen choices As the upgrade of screen resolution and refresh rates gradually peaks, the future upgrade of the Chinese tablet market in terms of screens will focus on more diverse screen choices and ultimate screen experiences. The participation of flexible screens and OLED in the market will continue to increase, with products gradually penetrating more price segments to meet the needs of users with different scenarios and budgets. Insight seven: The commercial market will experience a growth rebound With the improvement of local finances and corporate operations, the demand for commercial tablets is expected to gradually rebound. The education sector has a high level of compatibility with tablet computers, and the demand is clear, making it likely to recover first. IDC predicts that in 2025, shipments of commercial tablets in China will increase by 11.4% year-on-year, with shipments in the education market expected to increase by 15.7%. Insight eight: Demonstrating AI capabilities of devices in offline stores is the main direction of channel upgrade The expansion of AI capabilities in tablets will inject new vitality into offline channels. AI product demonstrations and experiences will attract more traffic to stores, while the explanation and demonstration of AI capabilities will become increasingly important for product promotion and brand image enhancement. Therefore, channels will rethink store layouts, employee training, and service models around AI as the core to keep up with the wave of AI upgrades and optimize operations. Insight nine: The distribution of tablet computer market price segments will show a K-shaped development trend The distribution of tablet computer market price segments will show a K-shaped development trend, with an increase in market share for the mid-to-high-end and entry-level price segments. The improvement of product performance, development and expansion of AI capabilities, and optimization of operating systems will further stimulate demand in the high-end market, driving the development of the mid-to-high-end price segment. Meanwhile, increasing market competition and potential policy incentives are expected to enrich products in the entry-level price segment, further stimulating demand from entry-level users. Insight ten: Chinese manufacturers deepen their overseas expansion while advancing product upgrades to tap into new demand In 2024, Chinese tablet manufacturers rapidly expanded overseas, and in 2025, they will deepen their overseas market presence. Cost-effective products will continue to be an important strategy for manufacturers to expand their presence in overseas markets, helping to tap into new demand in developing regions. At the same time, manufacturers will gradually upgrade their product structures, optimize operations, and establish strong brands and products. (Note: This is a machine translation, please be aware that there may be inaccuracies or errors in the translation.)