Systemic waste: Russians began to change laptops to tablets
Tablet sales in Russia have set a record — 2.2 million units were sold in the first three quarters, electronics sellers told Izvestia. Russians are swapping laptops that are constantly getting more expensive for them. Their prices increased by 5-6% in September alone, and their value may increase by another 10% by the end of the year. In addition, the demand for laptop repairs increased by 18-30%. According to experts, tablets have already become so technologically advanced that in many cases they can replace a laptop.
How much has the demand for tablets increased in Russia
In the first three quarters, a record 2.2 million tablet PCs were sold in Russia. This follows from the materials of M.Video-Eldorado, which were reviewed by Izvestia. Revenue from their sales amounted to 41.5 billion rubles, at the level of last year, with a 6% decrease in the average price, to 19 thousand rubles.
According to the results of the third quarter of 2025, the market also maintained positive dynamics: sales amounted to 720 thousand devices against 690 thousand in the same period of 2024.
At the same time, sales growth by January–September 2024 in units is relatively small — 6%. But the tablet market has become one of the few electronics segments that continues to grow, added Alexey Lomov, senior manager of the Computers and Tablets category at the united retailer.
— Firstly, tablets have finally become entrenched in everyday life: they are used for study, video communication, work and entertainment. Secondly, manufacturers are offering more and more functional models in the middle price segment — with powerful processors, a large screen and autonomy comparable to laptops," he added.
Wildberries also records record sales growth rates for these gadgets — in physical terms, the growth in the first three quarters of this year was 55%, in terms of turnover by 43%, Alexey Zaitsev, head of Electronics at Wildberries & Rus, told Izvestia.
— We attribute this to the general increase in content consumption, which is very convenient to do with tablets: lightweight, not bulky, you can take on a trip, watch a movie even in bed. In addition, the convenience of their use has also increased: the screen diagonals, their quality and brightness have increased," he said.
The growth in tablet sales is largely due to the fact that they are becoming more functional and in demand as universal devices for work, study and entertainment, according to the MTS press service.
Moreover, the supply is not decreasing, but on the contrary, there are more different models, and, first of all, Chinese brands, the electronics manufacturing company Fplus added.
—For about 25 thousand rubles, you can get a tablet from even a major well-known manufacturer Xiaomi with the ability to edit documents, write letters, watch videos, and participate in conference calls almost like on a laptop, which will be noticeably weaker for the same money," the company said.
Laptop Replacement
Interest in tablets is also growing as a universal device for the family, including as an alternative to laptops, Alexey Lomov believes. It's no secret that laptops are now steadily becoming more expensive, the availability of consumer loans has decreased, and buying a gadget for 50-80 thousand rubles has become problematic for many, an employee of one of the retailers added. And modern tablets costing about 20 thousand, especially models with a keyboard, can already replace a significant part of their functionality: study, office work, entertainment, the Izvestia interlocutor listed.
The record for tablet sales can indeed be attributed to the fact that cheaper devices are being bought instead of laptops, said Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group. These gadgets already cope with everyday household and office tasks no worse, and for something, for example, they are even more convenient for watching videos. But everyone has different needs: for example, for some complex video processing applications, you still need a laptop, he added.
One of the reasons for the increase in demand could be the increasing use of tablets as a replacement for laptops, agrees Pavel Komarov, head of Avito's Electronics and Home Appliances business.
— Many users purchase keyboards and other accessories for them, which turns the device into a convenient workstation, especially for tasks that do not require high computing power. This versatility makes tablets attractive for both studying and mobile work," he says.
It is expected that in the fourth quarter of 2025, demand for these gadgets will continue to grow — traditionally, the end of the year is accompanied by increased consumer activity amid preparations for the autumn sales, Pavel Komarov added.
Vimpelcom also records an increase in demand for tablets in 2025 — the sales dynamics for nine months is comparable to market figures.
This trend is related not only to the fact that tablets are becoming an alternative to laptops for solving basic tasks, but also to the market situation.
— In 2025, we saw a shortage of some laptop models, which also influenced the choice of buyers. It is expected that demand will continue until the end of the year," the operator's press service noted.
At the same time, Russians increasingly prefer to repair old laptops instead of buying new ones. According to Avito, in September 2025, compared to the same period last year, the demand for laptop repairs increased by 18%. At the same time, interest in repairing gadgets of some brands has jumped by more than 30%.
— Troubleshooting has become one of the most popular tasks for laptop users, so the device diagnostics service was searched for 60% more actively, and the offer increased by 9%. The demand for laptop repairs after being flooded with liquid increased by 29% over the year,"Avito noted.
Market participants have repeatedly told Izvestia about the rise in laptop prices. So, back in 2024, they increased by 10-25%, depending on the configuration: laptops entered the top 3 electronics in terms of cost growth. This year, the price increase continued. For example, by the beginning of September, there was a shortage of premium laptops in Russia — as a result, prices for them rose by 5-6% in less than a month, sources in the home appliance and electronics market told Izvestia.
According to Eldar Murtazin's forecast, laptop prices may rise by another 10% by the end of this year. At the same time, there are no prerequisites for reducing the demand for tablets yet, he concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
