While it’s safe to say the iPad isn’t about to drop off people’s wish lists any time soon, recent reports by various research firms continue to show that Apple’s tablet is gradually losing market share to rival devices powered by Google’s Android operating system.
The latest data comes from ABI Research, who on Tuesday said that although the Cupertino company continues to maintain its lead in the tablet market, its shipment share slipped by 14 percent in the third quarter.
That still leaves it with 55 percent of the market, putting it at the top of the tablet heap for the tenth straight quarter. However, due to the growing popularity of relatively new Android-powered tablets such as Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s range of Kindle Fire devices, Apple’s share is now at its lowest since it created the tablet market with the launch of the iPad in 2010.
If the current trend continues, it won’t be too long before Apple slips into second place behind Android, which currently powers 44 percent of shipped tablets.
Indeed, ABI’s Jeff Orr said that as Google’s mobile operating system is the most popular choice for tablet manufacturers, the Android ecosystem is certain to go on growing, with “new manufacturers, better device choices for reaching more markets, and more developers finding value from apps and content.”
While Apple may be hoping to steal back some of the market share from Android by challenging the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire devices with its recently launched 7.9-inch iPad Mini, its higher price is likely to deter many from opting for the smaller tablet.
“With the introduction of a smaller, lower-cost iPad Mini, Apple has acknowledged Android’s beachhead of 7-inch-class tablets, though at the same time, it has failed to deliver a knock-out punch through innovation, pricing, and availability during the most critical selling period of the year,” Orr said.
Separate data from IDC Research earlier this month also showed the iPad’s share of the market falling in the face of increased competition from Android-powered devices.
With Apple only offering two tablets, and Android powering countless rival devices, Tim Cook and his team won’t be too surprised to see the iPad’s market share slipping, though you can be sure they’ll be doing everything in their power to maintain consistent sales numbers.
“…though you can be sure they’ll be doing everything in their power to maintain consistent sales numbers.”
Yes, they will try to sue everyone around. Good luck :-)
Actually, they don’t need to sue, Apple’s iPad sales redoing g fine without that.
ABI’s figures are from before the launch of the iPad mini so represent the artificial dip before the huge amount of pent-up demand exploded with the launch of the iPad mini.
Apple sold more iPads in the first three days of the launch of the iPad mini than Google or Amazon sold in their entire first three months of sales (sorry I mean shipments). Google only managed 500,000 Nexus 7 tablets in their first month according to the manufacturer Asus. So much for these 7″ Android tablets finally being able to earn the title of “iPad killer”.
In China, at the heart of the Android tablet flood, Apple’s iPad captured an astounding 71% marketshare last quarter and that was also before the launch of the iPad mini.
IBM’s recent report that the iPad accounted for a massive 88% of all mobile e-commerce transactions over Black Friday combined with web browser marketshare of 91% and 98% according to Strategy Analytics and OnSwipe respectively confirms that actual sales of Android tablets are far lower than analysts would have you believe – either that or they are sitting unused in people’s drawers. or something.
Even in smartphones, iOS is going gangbusters. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reports that in the last three months the iPhone has surged to 48.1% Marketshare in the influential US market beating Android which plunged from 63.3% to 46.7% in the same timeframe. And this is on the back of only 1 month’s worth of iPhone 5 sales.