Well, here’s a prediction that’s sure to get some people talking. Analyst Sameer Singh of consulting group Finvista Advisors thinks that Android will surpass Apple in the tablet market in the first half of 2013, and the numbers seem to support his claims.
Though Apple had an 87 percent share of the market in the third quarter of 2010, Apple had 50.4 percent of the market for the third quarter of 2012. In looking at recent shipping records, Singh found that Android’s growth rates have been outpacing Apple in six of the last eight quarters.
With rumors of the iPad Mini swirling about and a drop in shipment of new iPads, Apple’s sales dropped by 18 percent during the third quarter of 2012 (instead of increasing 10-15%, as trends would have suggested). Sales have been healthy since the iPad Mini launched, but will it be enough for Apple to hold its claim on the market?
Singh doesn’t think so.
“OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have learnt from Amazon’s model that diversified price points would help expand the market and take share from the iPad. This has resulted in far more broad-based growth, which is not only sustainable, but should result in an accelerated ramp up of sales over the next three to four quarters.”
Windows Tablets, Anyone?
Singh thinks that Windows 8 and RT tablets will have “negligible impact” on worldwide tablet sales. “Surface RT sales are off to a slow start and OEMs have already lost interest in the Windows RT platform. This only leaves high-priced x86 based Windows 8 tablets to compete with Apple and Android.”
Of course, all of this information is speculation, but it’s based on some pretty solid data. What do you think? Are Android tablets finally ready to claim the market?
Source: CNET
Image Source: PC Advisor