The global tablet market weakened in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments falling 10 per cent year-on-year to around 36 million units, according to research firm Omdia. The decline came as manufacturers faced continued component shortages while consumers became more cautious about spending because of higher device prices.
The drop was particularly notable because the April-June quarter typically benefits from seasonal demand linked to back-to-school purchases. However, tablet shipments failed to grow sequentially, suggesting that both supply constraints and weaker purchasing sentiment are weighing on the market. Omdia expects these challenges to persist through the rest of 2026, with affordable tablets likely to face the greatest pressure as manufacturers struggle to secure components.
Despite the slowdown, the research firm does not believe consumer interest in tablets has disappeared. Tablets continue to be widely used in households, schools and some business environments. Larger-screen devices remain useful for entertainment and everyday computing, while detachable tablets are increasingly being considered as alternatives to conventional laptops for certain tasks.
Omdia believes the current decline is largely the result of market conditions rather than a fundamental change in consumer behaviour. Limited component availability has reduced supplies of lower-cost devices, while rising prices have encouraged some buyers to delay purchases or hold on to existing tablets for longer. The supply situation could also influence the types of tablets manufacturers choose to produce. With components in short supply, vendors are expected to give greater priority to premium and flagship models, which generally provide better margins. This could make entry-level tablets less widely available and potentially push average selling prices higher.
Apple continued to lead the global tablet market during the quarter despite seeing its shipments fall by around 8 per cent year-on-year. The company shipped approximately 13.5 million iPads worldwide, giving it a 38 per cent share of the market. The standard iPad accounted for most of Apple's shipments, while the iPad Air and iPad mini contributed smaller volumes. Samsung remained in second place, shipping close to 6 million tablets during the quarter. Its shipments declined 13 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier. Omdia expects Samsung to adjust its product mix as component shortages continue, with greater emphasis likely to be placed on higher-margin models.
Lenovo was the standout performer among the major tablet manufacturers. Its shipments increased 27 per cent year-on-year, making it the only leading vendor to record growth during the quarter. Omdia said the increase was supported by actual consumer demand, while additional shipments to distribution channels ahead of expected price increases and major promotional events also helped boost the company's numbers. Xiaomi ranked fourth among the leading tablet vendors after shipping around 2.8 million units, representing a 7 per cent annual decline. The company continued to benefit from strong demand in China and steady growth in parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Huawei completed the top five, with shipments of approximately 2.7 million units, down 16 per cent from the previous year. Its tablet business remains largely concentrated in China, with limited availability in overseas markets.
The weakness in the wider personal computing market was also visible in the Chromebook segment. Omdia reported declining shipments as budget and education-focused devices faced increasing cost pressures. Memory has become a particularly significant part of the bill of materials for inexpensive Chromebooks, making the segment more vulnerable to supply and pricing challenges. Lenovo remained the largest Chromebook supplier, although its shipments slipped 3 per cent year-on-year to about 1.76 million units. The decline was largely linked to the completion of the first phase of Japan's GIGA 2.0 School Program, where Lenovo had been a major supplier.
Acer followed with 1.18 million units, down 4 per cent from a year earlier. Demand in North America and some market-share gains from HP helped support its performance. HP ranked third, with shipments falling 13 per cent to approximately 1.15 million units amid relatively weaker institutional demand in the education sector. Asus was the strongest performer in the Chromebook market. Its shipments jumped 66 per cent year-on-year to around 749,000 units, lifting its market share from 8 per cent to 16 per cent. Omdia attributed the increase to Asus's involvement in Japan's GIGA 2.0 programme, the US K–12 education replacement cycle and retailers building stock ahead of the back-to-school season.
Dell, meanwhile, recorded a sharp 47 per cent decline in Chromebook shipments, which fell to around 465,000 units. Omdia said weaker education demand has been an important factor behind the Chromebook slowdown. Some vendors are also placing less emphasis on the category because of its comparatively low profitability. The year-on-year comparison has been made more difficult by the unusually strong education-related shipments recorded during the same period in 2025.
Some previously planned education deployments have also been delayed in 2026, further reducing Chromebook volumes. Omdia expects the global tablet market to remain under pressure for the rest of the year. Component shortages, higher prices and delayed purchases are likely to continue affecting shipments, particularly in the budget segment. Manufacturers may increasingly concentrate their limited supplies on premium devices while exploring services, artificial intelligence features and new use cases to create additional sources of growth. The latest figures suggest that the tablet market is not necessarily losing its relevance. Instead, the industry is navigating a difficult period in which supply limitations and rising costs are influencing both what manufacturers produce and when consumers choose to buy.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Magnific.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, proposes major changes to the way mineral resources and mineral-bearing land are regulated in India. The proposed legislation seeks to expand the role of the central government in regulating land containing minerals while placing restrictions on the ability of states to impose certain taxes, cesses and other mining-related levies. The proposed changes could have a significant impact on state revenues, mining companies and India's efforts to increase domestic production of strategically important minerals.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, is the country's primary legal framework for regulating the development, conservation and extraction of minerals. Under the existing system, the Union government has regulatory authority over mines and mineral development, while state governments retain important responsibilities, including the grant of mining leases and the collection of certain taxes and levies associated with mining.
The 2026 amendment Bill proposes to alter part of this existing arrangement by bringing mineral-bearing land more directly under the regulatory control of the Centre. The proposed legislation states that the Union government would assume control over the regulation of land containing minerals based on parameters that would be prescribed by the central government under the MMDR framework. This would be in addition to the existing provision under which the Union exercises control over the regulation of mines and mineral development.
The proposal is significant because the existing legal framework distinguishes between mines and the land in which minerals are found. The Bill seeks to define mineral-bearing land according to criteria to be specified by the central government and bring such land within the Union government's regulatory ambit. The issue has particular legal importance because of the Supreme Court proceedings in the long-running Mineral Area Development Authority versus Steel Authority of India case, which examined the constitutional powers of states to impose taxes connected with mineral rights. The proposed amendments could therefore influence the broader debate over the respective roles of the Centre and states in the taxation and regulation of mineral resources.
The changes could also become increasingly important as India focuses on securing supplies of critical minerals. Resources such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and rare earth elements are essential for industries including electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, renewable energy, electronics and semiconductor technology. Increasing domestic access to these minerals has become a strategic priority for the government.
Another important provision of the Bill concerns taxation by state governments. The proposed law seeks to prevent states from imposing taxes, cesses or other levies on mineral rights or mineral-bearing land based on factors such as the quantity or value of minerals, royalty payable or similar measures unless those levies comply with conditions and restrictions prescribed by the Union government.
The Bill does not establish a specific tax rate or impose a fixed nationwide limit on such charges. Instead, the central government would determine the applicable conditions and restrictions through rules. This means the precise impact on state taxation will depend partly on the rules that are framed after the legislation is enacted.
The government has argued that differences in tax rates between states, multiple levies on mineral production and charges introduced after mining projects have already started can make investments more expensive and difficult to plan. It has also raised concerns about retrospective taxation, saying uncertainty over future liabilities can discourage investment and increase the cost of minerals for industries that rely on them.
The Bill also proposes to address certain existing state levies. Under the proposed provision, a tax, cess or other levy imposed by a state that has not been collected or recovered before the amended law comes into force would be treated as invalid. However, amounts that states had already collected or received before the amendment takes effect would not be required to be refunded.
This provision could have financial consequences for both state governments and mining companies, particularly where disputes over mineral-related taxes or cesses are still pending. The retrospective nature of the proposal is likely to make this one of the more closely watched aspects of the legislation. The government says the proposed changes are intended to provide greater certainty and stability in the fiscal environment. The Bill argues that unpredictable taxation, multiple charges on mineral output or dispatch, varying rates between states and retrospective levies can create uncertainty for businesses planning large and long-term investments.
By seeking to establish clearer limits around such levies, the government believes the proposed framework could improve investor confidence and encourage greater investment in mining and mineral exploration. A more predictable fiscal system could be particularly relevant for projects involving critical minerals, where India is seeking to expand domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.
The Bill comes at a time when the government is attempting to strengthen India's mineral security. As demand grows for electric vehicles, energy-storage systems, renewable energy technologies and advanced manufacturing, access to critical minerals is becoming increasingly important for both economic growth and strategic interests.
The proposed changes could mean less freedom to impose mineral-related taxes and cesses as they currently do. Since mining is an important source of revenue for several mineral-producing states, any restrictions on their taxation powers could have implications for state finances. The proposed amendments could provide greater clarity over taxation and regulatory requirements. For the Centre, the legislation would strengthen its role in managing mineral-bearing land and creating a more uniform framework for mineral development. The ultimate impact of the MMDR Bill 2026 will depend on its passage, the final wording adopted by Parliament and the rules subsequently issued by the central government. If implemented as proposed, however, the legislation could mark a notable shift in the balance between the Centre and states over the regulation and taxation of India's mineral resources.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard.
Tobacco farmers in Pakistan’s Swabi district staged a protest outside the Swabi Press Club, with one grower burning around 500 kilograms of tobacco over what farmers described as unfairly low purchase prices. The protest was attended by tobacco growers, farmer union representatives, members of the Swabi Action Committee, political workers and local residents. Farmer Tamriaz Khan, a resident of Shahmansoor village, set fire to five bundles of fine-quality Flue-Cured Virginia tobacco during the demonstration. He said the government had fixed the tobacco price at Rs740 per kilogram, but farmers were being offered around Rs350 per kilogram by companies, small cigarette manufacturers and traders.
Khan said the price being offered to growers did not cover the cost of production. According to him, farmers were already facing financial difficulties after suffering losses during the previous season. He also accused the federal and provincial governments of failing to protect tobacco growers despite collecting taxes from the sector. Khan criticised the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB), alleging that its officials had not adequately monitored tobacco purchasing points in the crop-growing areas.
The farmer further claimed that smaller cigarette manufacturers and other tobacco-related businesses had shifted operations from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab and Kashmir because of what he described as a more favourable business environment there. During the protest, Swabi Action Committee spokesperson Salim Khan Advocate also raised questions about the impact of federal excise duties on tobacco growers. He alleged that a Rs390 federal excise duty was being recovered from farmers through different means by companies and cigarette manufacturers.
The protesters demanded that the government intervene and ensure that tobacco companies purchase the crop at the officially fixed rate. They also called on the Pakistan Tobacco Board and district administration to take action to protect growers from what they described as exploitation in the tobacco market.
The farmers warned that the protest could be expanded if their demands were not addressed. The allegations regarding purchase prices and the conduct of tobacco companies were made by the protesting farmers. No response from the companies or relevant government authorities was included in the reports on the protest.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Himachal Pradesh is likely to experience a stronger spell of monsoon activity from Monday evening, with heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast in several parts of the state until August 11, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at IMD Himachal Pradesh, said several areas had received light to moderate rainfall during the past 24 hours. Dharamshala recorded the highest rainfall at 61 mm, while Arki in Solan received 25 mm and Shimla city recorded nearly 40 mm of rain.
According to Sharma, rainfall activity is expected to increase from Monday evening and remain fairly strong through August 11. The mid- and high-altitude areas are likely to receive frequent light to moderate showers, with some locations witnessing intense spells of rain. The IMD has issued an orange alert for August 10 and 11 in Chamba, Kangra and Mandi districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected. A yellow alert has been issued for Una, Bilaspur and Shimla, while isolated heavy showers are also possible in other parts of the state.
Rainfall activity is expected to ease somewhat on August 12 and 13, although central and adjoining areas may continue to experience unsettled weather. Some locations could still receive heavy rain, prompting a yellow alert for parts of Chamba, Bilaspur, Kangra and Mandi. The weather department expects monsoon activity to strengthen again from August 14 and remain active until August 16. During this period, widespread moderate rainfall is likely across Himachal Pradesh, with isolated areas potentially receiving heavy showers. Despite the ongoing monsoon spells, Himachal Pradesh has recorded a rainfall deficit of around 9 per cent between June 1 and August 10. Mandi is the only district that has reported below-normal rainfall, while most other districts have received normal or above-normal precipitation.
The IMD has advised residents and tourists to exercise caution while travelling during the period of active monsoon weather. Heavy rainfall can cause sudden rises in the water levels of rivers, streams and other water bodies, while intense showers may also affect road conditions. People have been advised to check weather and road conditions before travelling and avoid unnecessary journeys during adverse weather.
The department has also warned of reduced visibility in Shimla, Solan and nearby areas because of low clouds and intermittent heavy rain. Temperatures across the state are expected to remain close to normal, with Shimla recording around 24°C. Solan temperatures remained between 27°C and 29°C, while Una and Bilaspur recorded temperatures of around 32°C to 34°C.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
UN Geneva has welcomed five young peacocks gifted by India, reviving a decades-old tradition at the Palace of Nations. The new arrivals—four blue peacocks and one white male—will initially stay in a temporary aviary at Ariana Park for around three months before being allowed to roam freely across the grounds. India's gift continues a tradition that dates back to 1981, when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi presented a breeding pair of peacocks to Geneva. The birds are being introduced to rebuild the estate's peafowl population, which had fallen to just one surviving bird. Officials say the UN grounds provide an ideal habitat, though the young birds will be monitored closely for predators such as foxes. The five males are expected to settle peacefully as a group. The peacock tradition itself dates to Gustave Revilliod, who donated the estate to Geneva in 1890 with a provision that peacocks should continue to roam its grounds. A public contest is also expected to be held to name the five new arrivals.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have rapidly emerged as one of the world’s most popular new tech products, with reports suggesting that more than seven million pairs were sold in 2025. Supporters praise the glasses for making photography and accessibility more convenient, but the technology has also sparked privacy concerns. Critics have dubbed them “pervert glasses,” while some UK pubs and restaurants, including Wetherspoons, have reportedly banned customers from using the devices on their premises.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
Every Wednesday and Friday throughout August, we’re revisiting some of the standout audio long reads from 2026, giving listeners another chance to experience stories they may have missed. Each feature is accompanied by a note from our editorial team explaining why it earned a place among this year’s highlights. This edition revisits a story first published in February, chronicling one writer’s decades-long search for answers to a mysterious illness before finally receiving a diagnosis. The piece also explores whether techniques aimed at retraining the brain could offer a path toward recovery.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
Myanmar's military government has released rare images of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi meeting a Red Cross official, marking her first known contact with the outside world since the 2021 coup. The photos were released just ahead of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's first official visit to Thailand, prompting speculation about their political significance.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
Two years after taking office as Australia's Governor-General and representative of King Charles, Sam Mostyn has expressed concern over what she describes as a widespread lack of understanding among adults about the foundations of the country's democracy, particularly its Constitution. In an interview with Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy at Admiralty House in Sydney, Mostyn said improving civic education has become one of her key priorities. She argued that strengthening public knowledge of Australia's democratic institutions is essential to tackling what she called a "growing catastrophe" that threatens informed civic participation and the health of the nation's democracy.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
