May 12, International Data Corporation (IDC) released the quarterly tracking report of the Chinese tablet market in the first quarter of 2025. The data shows that the shipment volume of the Chinese tablet market in the first quarter of 2025 was 8.52 million units, a year-on-year increase of 19.5%. Among them, the consumer market saw shipments grow by 21.5% year-on-year under the stimulation of the "national subsidy" policy, breaking through 8 million units; the commercial market demand still needs to recover, with shipments reaching 510,000 units in the first quarter of 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 5.3%.

The performance of the top five manufacturers in the Chinese tablet market in the first quarter of 2025 is as follows:

Market share change in the first quarter of 2025

Market share change in the fourth quarter of 2024

In terms of each manufacturer, Huawei remains at the top of the market, with a year-on-year growth of 13.6% in shipments in the first quarter. In the consumer market, the three products, MatePad 11.5S, MatePad Air 12, and MatePad Pro 12.2, precisely positioned in the key price range of 2000-3500 yuan under the "national subsidy" policy, effectively drove growth. Additionally, the upgrade and expansion of Huawei's offline retail channel stores also provided significant assistance for shipment growth. In the commercial sector, Huawei continued to lead in market share, with growth in the education industry and mid-to-high-end segments.

Apple ranks second in market share, with its product updates combined with "national subsidy" discounts driving a year-on-year growth of nearly 10% in shipments in the first quarter. This time, Apple placed more emphasis on price attractiveness in updating and iterating its iPad and iPad Air product lines. Among the newly released iPad 11, although it does not support Apple Smart, its starting price of 2999 yuan, combined with "national subsidy" discounts, accurately meets the demand preferences of "frugal conformity" consumers, becoming an important driver for the recovery of Apple's tablet sales.

Xiaomi ranks third in market share, with a year-on-year growth of 56.8% in shipments, the fastest growth rate among the top five manufacturers in the industry. Against the backdrop of the "national subsidy" in the first quarter of this year, Xiaomi achieved high-speed growth in tablet shipments thanks to advantages such as brand voice enhancement, diversified channel layout, and extensive ecological connections. Among these, the 7-series new products released in the fourth quarter of last year quickly increased sales under the stimulation of subsidies, becoming the main model. In terms of channels, both online and offline channels of Xiaomi showed growth, with particularly prominent growth in offline retail channels.

Honor ranks fourth in market share, with a year-on-year growth of 25.5% in shipments. In the consumer market, Honor capitalized on the东风of the "national subsidy" policy, focusing on the medium-to-low-price segment, which drove rapid growth in shipments in the first quarter. On one hand, Honor increased the output and投放of medium-to-low-price products, significantly increasing the proportion of products priced below 1500 yuan in its seasonal shipments. On the other hand, the release of the new X9 Pro further improved its layout in the thousand-yuan price segment, enhancing its appeal in the entry-level market. However, in the commercial sector, affected by macro-environmental pressure, Honor's shipments in the quarter declined.

Lenovo ranks fifth in market share, with a year-on-year growth of 45.7% in shipments. In the consumer tablet market, the "national subsidy" intensified competition in the thousand-yuan price segment, driving Lenovo's product structure to accelerate upgrading. The shipments of its two products, Y700 and Xiaoxin Tablet Pro, accounted for a significantly higher proportion, driving an increase in the average price of Lenovo tablets. In the commercial tablet market, Lenovo performed against the trend, achieving year-on-year growth in shipments and continuing to maintain a leading advantage among government, educational, and large enterprise clients.

Liu Yun, senior analyst of IDC China, said that the implementation of the "national subsidy" policy has been highly effective, injecting growth momentum into the Chinese tablet market and driving market performance far beyond expectations in the first quarter. Although the uncertainty in the macro environment in the second quarter has intensified, the successive launch of new products and e-commerce promotional activities are still expected to sustain market热度. The "national subsidy" policy not only promoted the growth in the scale of tablet shipments in the Chinese market but also provided space for market upgrades. Manufacturers should take advantage of the subsidies to expand sales while actively utilizing policy support to optimize their product structures, thereby accelerating their own development process and laying a solid foundation in fierce competition.

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