Apple’s Premium-Driven iPad Strategy Drives 4% YoY Shipment Growth in Q3 2025, Strong 2026 Outlook
- Apple’s iPad shipments grew 4% YoY in Q3 2025 on continued strength in premium models, with base and compact models providing consistent support to overall growth.
- For the full year 2025, total iPad revenue is expected to benefit from premium models gaining share in recent years.
- For 2026, iPad shipments are expected to see a slightly higher contribution from base models, with premium models maintaining a strong share and supporting overall iPad shipment growth of around 10% YoY.
Seoul, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Fort Collins, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, Taipei, Tokyo – December 5, 2025
Apple posted steady iPad shipment growth in Q3 2025, in line with a gradually recovering tablet market. According to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Tablet Market Tracker, iPad shipments increased by 4% YoY in Q3 2025, with premium models retaining a strong role and base and compact models providing consistent support to overall shipments.
Compared with last year, Apple’s iPad business in Q3 2025 showed more of a qualitative shift than a large change in volume. Revenues remained broadly stable as average selling prices (ASPs) edged down amid seasonal education discounts, aggressive online promotions, and intensified price competition across key markets. For the full year 2025, total iPad revenue is expected to benefit from premium models gaining share in recent years.
Global Tablet Shipment Share by Brand, Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024
Looking ahead, Apple’s iPad shipments are projected to grow around 10% YoY in 2026, supported by a balanced mix of premium and base models, with only a slightly higher contribution from base models. The growth is underpinned by pent-up replacement demand, with a significant portion of the installed base expected to return for upgrades following a typical five-year cycle.
Key technology transitions, including wider OLED adoption and the introduction of new premium form factors, are also expected to pull demand forward.
Apple’s market share is expected to rise temporarily to the high-30% range, marking one of the strongest periods of category outperformance in recent years. Combined with the company’s 50th anniversary, 2026 represents a big milestone, reinforcing Apple’s leadership in the global tablet market and its continued momentum across both premium and mainstream segments.
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Counterpoint Research is a global industry and market research firm providing market data, intelligence, thought leadership and consulting across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of global clients spanning the supply chain – from chipmakers, component suppliers, manufacturers and software and application developers to service providers, channel players and investors. Our veteran team of analysts serve these clients through our offices located across the key innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers globally. Our analysts consistently engage with C-suite through to strategy, market intelligence, supply chain, R&D, product management, marketing, sales and others across the organization. Counterpoint’s key coverage areas: AI, Automotive, Cloud, Connectivity, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks & Infra, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables.