Apple iPad No Longer Dominate? Other Tablets Outship Flagship Device
While Apple is still managing to ship millions of iPad’s each quarter, the company is losing ground to tablets shipped from other manufacturers.
When the iPad first entered the open market there was no competition, but eventually a slew of cheap Android-based tablets began to surface. However, most of those devices lacked a solid tablet-based OS and ultimately failed.
Fast forward several years later and DigiTimes Research today reported that worldwide shipments of all other brands reached just over 20 million units for the third quarter of 2013. Based on those numbers, “other” tablets enjoyed a 22.9% rise quarter-over-quarter and now account for 56% of global tablet shipments. Apple in comparison shipped 15.6 million iPads during Q3 for a 44% share of the global marketplace.
Apple executives are not likely shaking in their boots. Android tablets from Asus and Samsung were highly touted in Q2 and Q3, while Apple waited until last week to debut the Apple iPad Air. Traditionally, the tech giant does very well over the holiday buying season leading up to Christmas. Apple also announced an iPad Mini with Retina display, which should assist in sales.
According to DigiTimes, iPad shipments grew by 6.8% during the third quarter. While Apple continues to show growth, its closest competitor, Samsung, grew by a far more impressive 30% over the same period. Samsung is followed by the Google Nexus 7 tablets and then by Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and Amazon.
Apple releases only a small number of iPad devices each year while other competitors are known for releasing various tablets in different sizes, shapes, and even colors. As the market for tablet-based devices continues to grow, we can expect Apple’s share to take a further nosedive.
In the meantime, even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is avoiding the Apple iPad Air because it doesn’t offer enough storage space.
Do you think the Apple iPad will still be the dominant tablet-based device 10 years from now?
