IDC: China's tablet shipments fell 4.4% year-on-year in Q2, with Huawei still firmly holding the top spot.

IDC's latest "China Tablet Market Quarterly Tracking Report (Q2 2026)" shows that tablet shipments in the Chinese market reached 7.96 million units in the quarter, down 4.4% year-on-year, with the decline narrowing slightly compared to the first quarter.

However, the actual pressure on the market has not eased; instead, it has been amplified by factors such as rising costs.

Looking at market segments, commercial market shipments saw significant growth, mainly driven by vendors stocking up in advance amid expectations of price increases, with a clear demand-pull-forward effect. The consumer market declined 9.8% year-on-year, impacted by rising costs and the early release of some demand.

In terms of leading vendor rankings, Huawei maintained the top position in China's tablet market shipments with steady overall performance. On the consumer side, Huawei refined its high-end product lineup through the MatePad Pro Max and deepened collaborations in the education segment. On the commercial side, it benefited from channel pre-stocking, achieving rapid shipment growth.

Apple ranked second. During most of the second quarter's sales period, Apple maintained original pricing, creating a certain price advantage before increases. However, as cost pressures gradually transmitted, Apple raised tablet prices at the end of June, and subsequent market challenges are expected to increase significantly.

Lenovo rose to third place, driven by new products in the Legion and Xiaoxin series that upgraded its consumer product mix, while the commercial segment maintained rapid growth through key account resources and demand pull-forward, collectively boosting overall shipments.

IDC expects the impact of rising costs on the tablet market to become more pronounced in the second half of 2026 and continue into next year. Price increases will extend consumers' replacement cycles, and vendors may adjust new product launch rhythms and product structures to cope with the pressure, with the interplay between supply and demand determining the market's future scale.