Counterpoint noted that tablet average selling prices (ASPs) rose 20 per cent year-on-year, driven by both premiumisation and higher component costs resulting from memory price inflation. Similar cost pressures have impacted the smartphone industry, where rising DRAM and NAND prices have pushed brands to increase launch prices and implement post-launch price revisions. A recent example is the OnePlus Pad Go 2, whose price increased from Rs 26,999 at launch to Rs 28,999. Despite such hikes, tablet shipments continued to grow, suggesting that consumers are less sensitive to price increases in this category than in smartphones.

Anshika Jain, Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said tablet ASPs registered double-digit growth in Q1 2026. While memory inflation contributed to higher prices, its full impact is expected to become more visible from the second quarter as brands raise prices further to offset increasing costs and protect margins.

Growth within the tablet market has been concentrated in larger-screen devices. Tablets with displays larger than 13 inches posted the strongest growth, surging 338 per cent year-on-year. The 12–12.9-inch category expanded 76 per cent, while the 11–11.9-inch segment grew 29 per cent.

eanwhile, smaller devices experienced significant declines. Shipments in the 10–10.9-inch category dropped 76 per cent, while tablets below 9.9 inches fell 52 per cent year-on-year.

The trend reflects growing consumer preference for larger screens that support entertainment, education and productivity use cases. Models such as Lenovo’s Idea Tab series and Samsung’s Ultra series have gained traction, while Apple and Xiaomi introduced new tablets with displays exceeding 12 inches during the quarter. According to Counterpoint, tablets are increasingly being positioned as cost-effective alternatives to both smartphones and laptops, offering greater versatility for content consumption, online learning and work-related tasks. Jain noted that consumers are increasingly viewing tablets as both media and productivity devices, driving demand for larger displays, premium features and higher-end configurations.

On the supply side, domestic tablet manufacturing grew by more than 61 per cent year-on-year. Counterpoint attributed this growth to brands expanding local production and increasing exports, which exceeded 200,000 units during the quarter. Companies such as Lenovo have accelerated local manufacturing efforts, while Xiaomi and OnePlus have also benefited from domestic production. Other brands, including Realme and OPPO, have expanded their manufacturing capabilities in India, strengthening the broader ecosystem.

However, increased localisation has not yet translated into lower prices. Similar to the smartphone market, manufacturers still depend heavily on imported components, particularly for key materials and memory. Sumit Singh, Senior Vice-President and Head of Product at Lava International, previously noted that while assembly operations and some components are now produced locally, many engineering bill-of-materials components continue to be sourced from markets such as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As a result, ongoing memory cost inflation is likely to continue influencing device pricing in the near term.

India’s tablet market is growing despite rising prices, driven by increasing demand for larger, premium devices and supported by expanding local manufacturing. In contrast, smartphone shipments continue to decline under similar cost pressures, particularly those linked to memory inflation. The differing performance of the two categories suggests that consumers are redistributing spending across devices rather than signalling a broader recovery in overall consumer electronics demand.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Magnific.