Android Takes 20% of Tablet Market from iPad

Apple is still on top, but Android has been catching up quickly. Just last month, Q1 reports showed Android with a 34% market share. The latest report from ABI Research says Android-powered tablets have snagged 20% of the market in the last year. It’s worth noting that at the end of Q3 2010, Android really only had the Galaxy Tab for a mainstream tablet. This was followed by the XOOM which didn’t take off as expected.

Though Android is making its presence known in the tablet world, ABI says no tablet vendors have been able to “mount a significant challenge” against the iPad at this point. Could this be because iPad design is solid and everyone is still playing catch up? I’m sure the fragmentation of Android across its tablets isn’t helping either. Progress is being made and there are more Android tablets to show off their goods later this year. We will see how this continues to shake down.

Hit the break for ABI’s full press release.

Android Takes 20% Media Tablet Market Share from iPad in Last 12 Months,

  Says ABI Research



NEW YORK -- August 11, 2011



Worldwide annual media tablet shipments are expected to top 120 million units

in 2015. While not quite as strong as traditional PC or smartphone annual

sales, media tablets are emerging from the shadow of non-handset mobile

devices and rapidly coming into their own. Android media tablets have

collectively taken 20% market share away from the iPad in the last 12 months.

However, no single vendor using Android (or any other OS) has been able to

mount a significant challenge against it.



ABI Research mobile devices group director Jeff Orr comments, “Many vendors

have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the

pack to pose a serious threat to Apple. In fact, most have introduced products

at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads. Apple, never a company to be

waiting for others, has introduced its second-generation iPad media tablet

while keeping product pricing unchanged.”



Fragmentation within operating system software is hindering growth of this

device category. Application developers must choose an initial software

platform and may delay starting development if the market potential is not

significant. Google’s Android OS has no less than three different software

builds deployed across media tablets at the same time. The benefits of open

software platform development have yet to be realized for media tablets.



“De-featured, low-cost media tablets are being introduced by more than fifty

vendors in 2011,” Orr says. “This will certainly help bolster year-over-year

growth for the category, but it also creates a negative perception in the

minds of the mass consumer audience about the readiness of media tablets to be

fully functional within the next several years. Good user experiences and

product response are needed to propel this market beyond the ‘early adopter’

stage.”