iPad Market Share Drops 14% In Q3 2012

Apple iPad devices slipped in Q3 2012, losing 14 percent of their market share. Despite the market share loss, the Apple iPad line still accounted for 55 percent of all tablet sales for the quarter. Apple iPad tablets are now selling at their lowest levels since debuting two years ago.

Apple over the last year has experienced increasing competition from Google Android based tablets from Samsung, Amazon, Asus, and Amazon among others. The Google Android OS now accounts for 44 percent of tablet shipments.

When Android and iOS are combined, they now account for 99 pecent of all tablet shipments, according to an ABI Research report.

According to ABI senior practice director Jeff Orr:

“As the OS of choice for the majority of device OEMs, we expect the Android ecosystem to continue growing in numbers — new manufacturers, better device choices for reaching more markets, and more developers finding value from apps and content.”

The new iPad mini was not included in sales figures, which could help Apple earn back a good share of its market share. Before the iPad mini debuted, Apple did not offer a smaller 7-inch display for users to enjoy.

Orr continues:

“With the introduction of a smaller, lower-cost iPad mini, Apple has acknowledged Android’s beachhead of 7-inch-class tablets, though at the same time, it has failed to deliver a knock-out punch through innovation, pricing, and availability during the most critical selling period of the year.”

The study only examined shipments to retailers and did not focus on actual sales rates which may further favor Apple devices which rarely stay on store shelves.