The onslaught of cheap and compact Android tablets seems to be taking a toll on Apple’s market share.
Market research outfit IDC now predicts that Android tablets will overtake the iPad in terms of overall shipments this year. It will be the first time that Apple’s iPad will end up with less than 50 percent of the market since its inception in 2010. Apple is expected to account for 46 percent of all tablet shipments this year, down from 51 percent in 2012. On the other hand, the share of Android tablets is set to hit 49 percent, up from 42 percent last year.
Global tablet shipments grew to 128.3 million units last year, up from 72 million in 2011. This year though, tablet shipments could hit 190.9 million units. It is turning into a two horse race. IDC predicts the market share of Windows RT tablets will stay below 3 percent through 2017. Windows 8 will be used on up to 7.4 percent of tablets in 2017.