Apple Loses Tablet OS Share in Q2, Android Picks it Up

[AnimalMagnetism]

Apple Loses Tablet OS Share in Q2, Android Picks it Up

Apple nearly tripled the number of iOS tablets it shipped in the second quarter as compared with the same period in 2010, but the iPad-maker also saw its share of the global tablet OS market drop considerably from the near total dominance it enjoyed a year ago.

Apple's iOS mobile operating system, which runs its iPad and iPad 2 tablets, iPhones, and other mobile devices, owned 94.3 percent of global tablet OS market a year ago, according to Strategy Analytics. But that figure fell to just 61.3 percent of the worldwide market in the second quarter of 2011, the research firm reported this week.

Google's Android OS was, unsurprisingly, the biggest climber both in terms of global tablet OS units shipped worldwide and tablet OS market share. Android tablets went from 2.9 percent of the worldwide market in the second quarter of 2010 to 30.1 percent in the just-concluded quarter.

Some 4.6 million Android-based tablets shipped in this year's second quarter as compared with just around 100,000 in the year-ago quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. That's not exactly shocking, considering that there was scarcely an Android tablet on the market a year ago, while in late 2010 and 2011 several have been released by Motorola, Samsung, Asus, Acer, Toshiba, and others.

Apple probably isn't too concerned with the loss of tablet OS market share to Google, Microsoft (4.6 percent year-over-year gain), Research in Motion (3.3 percent year-over-year gain), and others.

After all the tablet OS market as a whole grew a whopping 331 percent in the last year and Apple grew right along with it in terms of unit shipments. Tablet makers shipped 3.5 million in the second quarter of 2010, with Apple easily leading the charge with 3.2 million iPads shipped. The number of units shipped exploded to 15.1 million in this past quarter— Apple was a bit behind the pace of that growth, but still managed to ship an impressive 9.3 million iOS-based tablets.

Microsoft, meanwhile, had the third largest share of the global tablet OS market at 4.6 percent, with about 700,000 Windows 7-based tablets shipped in the recent quarter. Research in Motion was fourth globally with a 3.3 percent share for its QNX operating system, which runs the 500,000 or so BlackBerry PlayBook tablets shipped in the quarter.

Other tablet OS makers saw flat unit shipments year-over-year. The emergence of Google, Microsoft, and Research in Motion as tablet OS players chipped away considerably at those OS makers' global market share, which fell from 2.9 percent to just 0.7 percent on an annual basis, according to the research firm.

chipping away, just like the phones. considering only Motorola and the 7 inch Samsung were available to start the second quarter, followed later in the quarter by by Asus, Samsung 10.1" and Acer.
and to think they have such rapid growth with so few tablet optimized apps available.

 

[danibbler]

The article later added that the study took into account Android tablets that were shipped but did not say how many were sold. Apple reports iPad sales as sold.

 

[onthebottom]

Where else would the market share go, what other direction from 94.3% could the iPad go... this is a man bites dog story.

OTB

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

Where else would the market share go, what other direction from 94.3% could the iPad go... this is a man bites dog story.

OTB

yea but it's dropping faster than expected down to 61.3%. I expect by the end of the year it will be under 50%, which is still a good share, but it can only go down from there right?

 

[danibbler]

Stop trying to confuse people; the article only talks about Android tablets shipped, not sold.

yea but it's dropping faster than expected down to 61.3%. I expect by the end of the year it will be under 50%, which is still a good share, but it can only go down from there right?

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

Stop trying to confuse people; the article only talks about Android tablets shipped, not sold.

So are you saying people are too stupid to notice in post #2 you already said that?

 

[danibbler]

That's your assumption when you post what you post.

So are you saying people are too stupid to notice in post #2 you already said that?

 

[WoodPeckr]

nibs....bet you could sell ice to penguins and hay to horses......

 

[Cobster]

lmao @ the penguin, such a 'net classic.

 

[onthebottom]

yea but it's dropping faster than expected down to 61.3%. I expect by the end of the year it will be under 50%, which is still a good share, but it can only go down from there right?

It can only go down (unless it's like the iPod but I doubt they can pull that off), it will be interesting to see if these are, as another poster points out, really sold or sitting on a shelf at Best Buy.... one quarter is just that, we'll see....

OTB

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

It can only go down (unless it's like the iPod but I doubt they can pull that off), it will be interesting to see if these are, as another poster points out, really sold or sitting on a shelf at Best Buy.... one quarter is just that, we'll see....

OTB

speaking of sitting on a shelf, I recently read that Apple iPads have caught up with demand and now have a surplus supply. Stores are now stocked for immediate sale.
I did confirm stock of iPads at Bestbuy

 

[onthebottom]

speaking of sitting on a shelf, I recently read that Apple iPads have caught up with demand and now have a surplus supply. Stores are now stocked for immediate sale.
I did confirm stock of iPads at Bestbuy

There were 3 in stock at Target today when I was there.... Should bode well for sales that 15 months after release they've caught up with demand.

OTB

 

[danibbler]

What a laugh about the iPod! All those Apple critics who kept pointing out that there are better MP3 players out there yet here we are, the iPod is still selling in the millions.

It can only go down (unless it's like the iPod but I doubt they can pull that off), it will be interesting to see if these are, as another poster points out, really sold or sitting on a shelf at Best Buy.... one quarter is just that, we'll see....

OTB

 

[onthebottom]

What a laugh about the iPod! All those Apple critics who kept pointing out that there are better MP3 players out there yet here we are, the iPod is still selling in the millions.

I'm not sure the tablet will be the same (a complete win for Apple) but I would expect them to stay out front for some time unless the market really explodes (down the price curve like the smart phone market has) then they will sell as many as they can build but won't keep dominant share.

OTB

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

I have used and recommended iPods as long as they have been around(Although i have never spent a penny on iTunes for music). There never was much competition for it, other than perhaps Sony, who still sell millions of their MP3 players. Before iPod i used Creative Labs MP3 players
The PMP market has clearly peaked as tablets and phones now function as MP3 players. Apple sold 7.5 million iPods last quarter which was about the 5th or more consecutive quarter of decline.