Huawei Technologies has reasserted its dominance in China's tablet market with a substantial 21% year-on-year shipment increase in the third quarter of 2025, while Apple Inc.'s iPad sales declined 14%, reflecting a shifting competitive landscape driven by aggressive pricing and AI integration from domestic manufacturers.

China's tablet market shipped 8.8 million units in the third quarter, marking a 9% year-on-year increase, according to research firm Omdia's latest data released December 2. Huawei captured the leading position with 2.7 million units shipped, securing a 31% market share and cementing its position as the market leader.

Apple's iPad shipments fell to 2 million units from 2.3 million in the same period last year, causing its market share to contract to 23%. The decline underscores growing challenges for the U.S. technology giant in maintaining its foothold against increasingly competitive domestic rivals.

Analysts attribute Huawei's gains to more aggressive discounting strategies and enhanced ecosystem integration, signaling a broader trend of Chinese brands leveraging price advantages and localized features to capture market share from established foreign competitors.

Domestic Brands Gain Momentum

Lenovo emerged as a standout performer, nearly matching Xiaomi third-place position with a 71% surge in shipments to 900,000 units from 500,000 units a year earlier. The dramatic increase positions Lenovo as a rising challenger in the segment.

Xiaomi maintained its third-place ranking with 900,000 units shipped, representing a 10% market share and 5% year-on-year growth. Honor rounded out the top five with 600,000 units and a 7% market share.

Competitive Advantages Drive Market Shift

Chinese manufacturers are differentiating through more diverse product portfolios, deeper promotional discounts, and enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities, according to Xu Ying, senior analyst at Omdia. The integration of AI features and improved ecosystem connectivity across devices has strengthened the appeal of domestic brands to Chinese consumers.

Apple's comparatively conservative approach to pricing strategy and functional innovation may be contributing to its shipment decline, Xu noted. The contrast highlights how aggressive feature development and competitive pricing from Chinese vendors are reshaping consumer preferences in the world's largest tablet market.