Android tablets hunting down the iPad market share without mercy, new research shows

It is still largely an iPad world with Apple's venerable slate occupying 58% of the tablet market, shows the new research from Strategy Analytics.

Its recap of 2011, however, displayed that the total pie has grown the astonishing 260% year-on-year in 2011, to 66.9 million units, yet Apple's share has shrunk from 68% to 58% globally, for the sake of Android tablets, which went from 29% to 39%. Microsoft is said to hold 1% of the market, so that leaves the rest 2% for RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook and the like.

Needless to say, the researchers are attributing this to the growing number of Android slate manufacturers, most of which are already on their second generation tablets with Google's mobile OS, and some, like Asus, even announced the third at CES.

Apple is also expected to start selling its third generation iPad with high-res screen around March, so its market share could very well shoot up again, but we are yet to see what will be Samsung's response, hopefully at the MWC next month.

via Reuters

19 Comments

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posted on 26 Jan 2012, 04:03 6

1. Stuntman (Posts: 836; Member since: 01 Aug 2011)

Of the Android tablets I have tried out last year, I was most impressed with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer (which I own) and the Sony Tablet S. The Eee Pad has the best keyboard dock/attachment of any tablet I have seen. The Tablet S is most comfortable to hold with one hand while keeping a fairly decent screen size.

I wasn't all that impressed with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1. It didn't really stand out in any way over any of the other Android tablets. Samsung is going to have to step up to impress me.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 05:15

4. anywherehome (Posts: 971; Member since: 13 Dec 2011)

but buy with Super Amoled Plus and you will have never any problems with reading on sunlight...

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 06:31 1

8. winsaki234 (Posts: 63; Member since: 30 Mar 2011)

I own it.The TouchWiz UI makes this cool Tegra2 tablet slow....

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 07:03

9. anywherehome (Posts: 971; Member since: 13 Dec 2011)

so dont use TW ;-) I use Launcher pro and my Super Amoled is very very fast...even with TW

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 07:04 3

10. remixfa (Posts: 14604; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

the touchwiz UI isnt the culprit, its honeycomb. i have the g-slate which is straight stock and it still has a bit of lag with a tegra2. when it gets the ICS update the thing will be like butter in a hot pan. :)

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 07:32 4

12. c.hack (Posts: 614; Member since: 09 Dec 2009)

I have an A500 Tegra 2 and its slow even without Touchwiz. And unstable too.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 12:21

16. anywherehome (Posts: 971; Member since: 13 Dec 2011)

yes, Android 3.2 is not open source....since 4.0 tablets begin :)

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 04:19 2

2. ivanko34 (Posts: 617; Member since: 04 Sep 2011)

1% for Microsoft ? So much ?

posted on 04 Mar 2014, 08:49

19. axbizz (Posts: 1; Member since: 04 Mar 2014)

your humor sense make me smile very much LOL

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 04:31 2

3. hotspot (Posts: 7; Member since: 25 Jan 2012)

1% share of microsoft would be 10% before 2013

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 05:23

5. protozeloz (Posts: 5396; Member since: 16 Sep 2010)

That's a huge change! O.o

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 05:33 4

6. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)

..YES!!!
that's the news I've been waiting for.
and the best thing about it is that it's only beginning.. the high end full HD ICS tablets haven't even set their foothold on the market yet!
and once they do , it will change the landscape a mark a turning point.
can't wait for first reviews of transformer prime 700 series, and then the new galaxy tab with full HD super amoled, s - pen and next generation exynos.
it will be a revolution.

iPad 3 better come out with major OS improvements or I bet it will just be killed in comparison reviews.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 05:41 1

7. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)

..to make my self clear, iPad 2 is still overall perhaps the best tablet experience on the market, it's maybe even better product than the transformer prime on honeycomb.
but the thing is, android is just shaping up, just as it's hardware.
the first true high end products with ICS will be leaps and bounds better than what's on the shelves right now. and they're just around the corner.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 07:05 7

11. remixfa (Posts: 14604; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

6 months and it will no longer be an "ipad market" as some of our locals love to try to say. just another "i told ya so" coming down the pipe.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 07:34 4

13. c.hack (Posts: 614; Member since: 09 Dec 2009)

They said the same thing when the Xoom came out a year ago.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 11:59 5

15. jldleo (Posts: 38; Member since: 09 Aug 2011)

My Xoom with ICS is as smooth as my wifes Ipad2..

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 13:11 3

17. anywherehome (Posts: 971; Member since: 13 Dec 2011)

you know that is why the world is going down....because of lazy people who don't want any choice....they want to be led, they want to have Apple...

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 18:44 2

18. remixfa (Posts: 14604; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

and apple has lost nearly 40% market share in a year. guess they were right.

posted on 26 Jan 2012, 11:06 4

14. chadrick0814 (Posts: 212; Member since: 23 Nov 2011)

Apple had 80% marketshare when the xoom came out. Now it's down to 58% in a year. Maybe they were right.