After three years of sluggish sales, the tablet market is finally making a comeback in 2024, with Apple firmly holding onto its position as the top brand of choice for consumers. The company has outpaced its competitors, maintaining its dominance in the high-end segment and continuing to set the standard for premium tablets.
But while Apple remains king, the biggest winner of the year is Xiaomi. The brand has seen explosive growth, posting a staggering 73.1% year-over-year increase in tablet sales. With a mix of affordable yet feature-packed devices, Xiaomi has successfully captured a growing audience looking for value without compromising performance.
Tablet Market Recovered Last 2024
Apple’s tablet dominance in 2024 has more to do with corporate customers upgrading their devices than everyday consumers rushing to buy new models. Unlike smartphones, which people tend to replace every two years or less, tablets—much like laptops and PCs—have a much longer upgrade cycle. Many users hold onto their slates for four to five years, sometimes even longer, before considering an upgrade.
Rounding out the top five in global tablet sales are Samsung in second place, followed by Huawei, Lenovo, and finally, Xiaomi.
2024 marks the first year of positive growth for the tablet market after three years of post-pandemic decline. Research firm Canalys, which compiled the data, expects demand to continue strengthening throughout the year.
As the PC market shifts toward a commercial refresh cycle, we’re also seeing a recovery in tablet demand,” said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Canalys. According to a recent Canalys survey, 52% of channel partners selling commercial tablets expect shipments to grow in 2025, while 32% anticipate flat performance and only 16% foresee a decline. Mukka added that with IT investments expected to pick up after years of budget constraints, there will be plenty of opportunities for upgrades across various industries.
Xiaomi’s unexpected surge in tablet sales was largely driven by strong demand in its home market, thanks to the success of the Pad 7 Pro, which launched in the last quarter of 2024. This momentum helped Xiaomi sell an impressive 9.2 million tablets worldwide last year.
