IDC: Global Tablet Shipments Fall 12.3% in Q2 2026 Amid Memory Crisis

According to an IDC report, global tablet shipments fell 12.3% year-over-year to 33.61 million units in Q2 2026. This decline was driven by a memory supercycle where AI infrastructure demand squeezed DRAM and NAND capacity, forcing major manufacturers like Samsung, Lenovo, and Apple to raise retail prices. This trend highlights how the enterprise AI boom is directly impacting the consumer electronics supply chain by driving up component costs. As memory prices rise, consumers face higher retail prices, which dampens demand and reshapes market dynamics in favor of larger vendors with stronger bargaining power. Apple raised prices across its tablet lineup by 20% or more in June 2026, explicitly attributing the hike to memory costs. While consumer tablet shipments dropped 13.5% YoY, Lenovo bucked the trend with a 26.2% YoY growth, and the top five manufacturers consolidated their market share to 79.8%.