Apple's share of tablet market increases, Android holds steady


by Geoff Gasior — 12:13 PM on July 25, 2012

Although Apple's latest quarterly fiscal results failed to meet Wall Street expectations, the company is still in a dominant position. Nowhere is that more evident than in the tablet market. According to Strategy Analytics, Apple commands 68% of the tablet pie, up from 62% one year ago. That gain hasn't come at the expense of Android tablets, which have the same 29% share they did a year ago. Instead, the percentage of Microsoft and "other" tablets has fallen.

Strategy Analytics' numbers show Microsoft with just 1% of the tablet market, a figure that's sure to increase once Windows 8 devices hit shelves this fall. It will be interesting to see whether the Metro-infused OS shifts market share away from Android, iOS, or both. The folks charged with tracking such things will have to figure out how many of the incoming Win8 notebook/tablet hybrids deserve to be counted with the more obvious tablet contenders.

Overall, the tablet market continues to experience rapid growth. iPad shipments went up by 83% year-over-year, and Android-based tablets enjoyed a 66% increase. Those Android shipments don't include Google's new Nexus 7, which seems likely to carve out a sizable chunk of the market due to its $199 starting price. The similarly inexpensive Kindle Fire made up over half of the Android tablet market earlier this year. Already, demand for the pricier 16GB version of the Nexus 7 has exceeded Google's expectations. Thanks to TechCrunch for the heads up on the Strategy Analyics numbers.

   
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