HONOR Tablets Recorded the Strongest Growth Among Android Brands in EMEA in Q2
HonorSaturday, 19 September 2026 at 03:47
The tablet market had a rough second quarter of 2026, with rising memory costs pushing prices higher and shipments lower across several major markets. But HONOR moved in the opposite direction in EMEA, recording the strongest growth among Android tablet brands during the quarter.
According to IDC data, the company's tablet shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa grew 25.3% year over year in Q2 2026. The result stands out against the wider market, which saw total tablet shipments decline during the period.
IDC's broader data shows that worldwide tablet shipments reached 33.6 million units in Q2, down 12.3% from a year earlier. EMEA also faced pressure, with Android tablet shipments declining by 10.5%. That makes HONOR's growth particularly notable. The company was able to increase shipments even as the wider Android tablet market in the region contracted.
HONOR Benefits From Its Smartphone Business
IDC Senior Research Manager Daniel Gonçalves pointed to a factor that may help explain HONOR's expansion. According to Gonçalves, newer challengers to Samsung in the Android tablet market, including HONOR, have been using their established smartphone presence to expand into tablets.
This gives brands like HONOR an existing supply chain, distribution network, and customer base to work with. The company can also leverage its smartphone-scale operations when competing in a tablet market where component costs are becoming increasingly important.
The timing is significant. Memory prices have become a major issue for consumer electronics manufacturers in 2026, as demand from AI infrastructure puts pressure on DRAM and NAND supply.
Tablet Prices Are Going Up
IDC's Q2 analysis shows just how much pressure manufacturers are facing. Samsung reportedly increased list prices by between $40 and $280 across much of its Galaxy Tab range in April. Lenovo also raised prices on several models, while Apple increased prices across its iPad lineup in June.
The impact was more visible among consumers. Global consumer tablet shipments fell 13.5% year over year, while commercial shipments declined by 5.9%. The difference also highlights where tablet demand is holding up better. Commercial and education buyers are less exposed to short-term price changes because purchases are often tied to longer replacement cycles.
Key Points
- HONOR tablet shipments grew 25.3% YoY in EMEA in Q2 2026, according to IDC data shared by the company.
- HONOR recorded the strongest growth among Android tablet brands in the region.
- EMEA Android tablet shipments declined 10.5% during the quarter.
- Global tablet shipments fell 12.3% YoY to 33.6 million units.
- Rising DRAM and NAND costs have pushed several major brands to increase tablet prices.
- IDC says smartphone-scale operations are helping newer Android tablet challengers expand.
- Detachable tablets performed better than traditional slate models during the quarter.
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The Market Is Shifting
The latest figures also point to a change in what buyers expect from tablets. Slate tablet shipments fell 19.8% year over year, while detachable tablets declined by just 6.1%. Detachables are more closely associated with productivity and PC-style use, which could protect them as tablets face competition from laptops and AI PCs.
There were also major differences between vendors. Lenovo grew 26.2% globally in the quarter, while Huawei and OPPO recorded growth of 9.1% and 10.5%, respectively. For HONOR, however, the EMEA result gives the company a strong position within the Android tablet segment at a time when the overall market is under pressure.
The company still faces a difficult market ahead. Tablets are competing with increasingly capable smartphones, foldables, laptops, and inexpensive mini-PCs. At the same time, memory costs are likely to remain a concern in the near term.
HONOR's ability to grow during this downturn suggests that its existing smartphone business and tablet strategy are helping it gain ground in EMEA. Whether that momentum continues will depend on how the market develops as memory supply and pricing stabilize.
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