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We always hear about just how far behind Android lags when it comes to the tablet space. Apple has a mean deathgrip there, and why not? They were the first with a real mainstream, easy tablet that went easy on both the wallets and the eyes.
OEMs have had a tough time trying to crack the tablet space, with folks like HTC throwing in the towel to focus on the less risky smartphone business. Samsung, Amazon and ASUS have seen considerable success, though, thanks to the right combination of innovation and cost, and folks like Sony are starting to find their groove, as well.
Still, no one’s doing as good as Apple. IDC says all of that is about to change as it predicts Android will take a small lead over Apple this year in tablet market share. According to them, Android will take 48.8% of the market opposed to 46% for Apple. It’s not a terribly big lead, but considering the way things have gone since 2010 we’d say the significance is there.
Looking a lot further ahead, IDC says similar numbers will remain in 2017, with Android taking 46% of the market opposed to 43.5% for Apple. The bit of lost market share between the two will go to Microsoft, apparently, as the Redmond company will apparently control a combined 10.1% in 2017.
IDC, along the likes of Nielsen, Gartner, and more, have been quite accurate in predictions regarding the phone space, so it’s always worth listening whenever they crunch some numbers and come up with estimates like these. We’ll know before too long if these numbers end up being as accurate as their analysts are counting on them to be.
[via IDC]
Hooyah put Apple in its downward spiral.
Windows will skyrocket. LOL.
Android = Future.
Remember when everyone thought Android was going to fail? Just be patient. I’d like a Lumia 920 myself.
One company vs hundreds and they still maintain amazing marketshare :)
And then comes the inevitable downhill slide. Apple may retain huge market share for maybe up to 2 more years but that’s it. Having an exclusive OS and expensive product inherently limits market share. Android, led by Samsung, will eventually dominate and in a few years Samsung may ship more tablets than Apple.
By 2017 Android will shoot up to around 75% while Apple and Microsoft and Apple fight for the scraps.
Eventually, way down the road, it will be 80% Android, 19.999999% Microsoft and .000001% other.
Since they’re counting Kindle sales in with the Android tablets, that’s skewing the numbers. It’s probably more like 25% Kindles, 18% Android.
And no, Kindles are NOT Android tablets – they’re Amazon tablets running a bastardized Android hybrid. If you can’t hit Google Play and download/run apps out of the box, it really shouldn’t be counted.
Android + the hybrids are going to hurt the iPad…….and I’m happy about that.