Crowdsourced Consulting: Global tablet shipments in 2024 are expected to reach approximately 141 million units, a year-on-year increase of 9%.

According to the data from Qunzhi Consulting, global tablet shipments are expected to reach approximately 141 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 9%, indicating a significant recovery from the low point in 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2024, global tablet shipments reached around 38.6 million units, a 10% increase year-on-year. Looking ahead to 2025, with further economic recovery globally, it is expected to have a positive impact on consumer market growth. In addition, the replacement demand accumulated during the epidemic is expected to enter a new cycle in 2025. Despite the uncertainty in the international situation, subsidy policies in the domestic market are expected to stimulate consumption, leading to expectations that the domestic market will surpass its performance in 2024 and achieve a higher growth rate. However, in the US market, the growth of tablet shipments may be hindered by tariff policies, and may even face stagnation. Overall, 2025 is expected to be a year full of opportunities and challenges for the tablet industry. Apple Inc. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Apple Inc.'s iPad global shipments reached 14.7 million units, a 12% increase from 2023. The OLED version of the iPad Pro (M4 chip) released in Q2 2024 received a good response initially, but due to high pricing, market demand was not sustained, leading to a nearly 60% decrease in shipments in Q4. Consumer acceptance of high-end products is limited, with some users turning to more cost-effective iPad Air or older iPad Pro M2 models. However, benefiting from traditional sales seasons and diversified product strategies, overall performance remains strong. In particular, the iPad Air series with M2 chips and the newly released iPad Mini performed well, making significant contributions to the overall shipment growth. Looking ahead to 2025, the continued global economic recovery is expected to drive growth in Apple Inc.'s iPad series, but growth may be affected by US tariff policies. Whether it can receive tariff exemptions, as well as accelerated supply chain transfers, may impact market demand in the US. Meanwhile, the Chinese market will continue to face fierce competition from domestic brands, challenging Apple Inc.'s market share in terms of cost-effectiveness and localization, potentially causing a further decline in Apple Inc.'s shipments in China. Samsung In the fourth quarter of 2024, Samsung's global tablet shipments reached approximately 6.8 million units, a 2% increase from 2023. In this quarter, Samsung continued to promote the performance of its high-end Galaxy Tab S10 series, with an increased proportion of shipments from the S series. However, the A series, especially the A9 Plus model, still occupies the majority market share of Samsung tablets, continuing to be an important force driving overall shipment growth with its higher cost performance and stable user experience. Looking ahead to 2025, despite the global economic recovery and rising consumer demand, the continued impact of US tariff policies may prompt Samsung to accelerate the regionalization of its supply chains to reduce tariff costs. In addition, competition from brands such as Lenovo and Xiaomi in overseas markets is becoming more intense, especially in terms of cost-effectiveness and market coverage, which may put pressure on Samsung's mid-to-low-end product lines. Therefore, it is expected that Samsung will focus more on the layout of mid-to-high-end products in 2025 to improve profit margins and seek differentiation in competition, reducing reliance on price wars. Huawei According to Qunzhi Consulting's data, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Huawei's global tablet shipments were approximately 2.8 million units, a slight decrease of 1% year-on-year. Despite seasonal shipment fluctuations, Huawei tablets have maintained a relatively stable market performance. Looking at the performance for the whole year, Huawei has risen to the third position in the global tablet market, with impressive performance attributed to its strong brand influence, technological strength, innovative capabilities, and reliance on contributions from the Chinese market. Looking ahead to 2025, the PC business may be affected by factors such as chip shortages, and Huawei is expected to divert more resources and profit targets to the growing tablet market. With the promotion of national subsidy policies, it is expected that Huawei tablets will still be able to maintain a growth momentum in 2025. Lenovo According to Qunzhi Consulting's data, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Lenovo's global tablet shipments reached approximately 2.7 million units, a 3% increase from the same period last year, with its market share remaining stable at 7%, ranking fourth globally. Faced with increasingly fierce global competition in the tablet market, Lenovo has achieved steady growth through diversified product portfolios and carefully planned regional market strategies. Lenovo's main markets are concentrated overseas, and these overseas markets performed particularly well in 2024, contributing significantly to the company's total shipment volume; in the domestic market, despite strong challenges from numerous domestic brands, Lenovo has still solidified its market position. Looking ahead to 2025, although Lenovo is expected to face even more intense competition in both domestic and international markets, as an old player with deep roots, it is expected to continue to maintain a stable performance. Xiaomi In the fourth quarter of 2024, Xiaomi's global tablet shipments were nearly 2.5 million units, a 45% increase from 2023. In 2024, Xiaomi successfully increased its global tablet market share and rose to fifth place in global market share through its excellent product layout and active expansion into overseas markets, significantly narrowing the gap with Lenovo. Looking ahead to 2025, Xiaomi will continue its strong overseas strategy and leverage its brand influence in the global market to further drive market share growth. Meanwhile, thanks to Xiaomi's development in the smartphone and smart hardware ecosystem, smart interconnection and ecosystem layout will further become a major competitive advantage for its tablet products. With the promotion of national subsidy policies and the gradual rise of domestic brands, Xiaomi tablets are expected to continue to gain incremental growth in 2025.