Tablet sales up 26%, Apple's iPad takes 95% of market
With little competition in the market thus far, Apple's iPad unsurprisingly has a dominating share of all tablet sales, and has also helped to drive the demand for tablets up by 26 percent last quarter.
A total of 4.4 million tablets in total were sold in the September quarter, according to a report from research firm Strategy Analytics issued on Tuesday. Apple announced it sold 4.19 million iPads in the last quarter, representing the lion's share of the market.
Last quarter's total tablet sales were up 26 percent from the previous three-month frame, when total sales amounted to 3.5 million. Those sales, too, were driven by the launch of the iPad in April.
"The tablet wars are up and running," Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston reportedly said. "Apple has quickly leveraged its famous brand, extensive retail presence and user-friendly design to develop the tablet segment into a multi-billion-dollar global business."
Tablet-style devices running Google's Android mobile operating system represented just 2.3 percent of the total market in the third quarter. That share is expected to rise as devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab come to market this fall.
Still, with its 2.3 percent, Android was the second-largest tablet platform on the market, beating Microsoft's Windows platform, which has been a part of stylus-based tablets for years.
In his company's most recent earnings report, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs highlighted the growth potential for the iPad in a market that is in its infancy. He and other executives noted they have been surprised, in particular, at how fast the iPad has been adopted in the corporate sector.
"We've got a tiger by the tail here, and this is a new model of computer which we've already got tens of millions of people trained on with the iPhone," Jobs said. "And that lends itself to lots of different aspects of life, both personal and business."
A total of 4.4 million tablets in total were sold in the September quarter, according to a report from research firm Strategy Analytics issued on Tuesday. Apple announced it sold 4.19 million iPads in the last quarter, representing the lion's share of the market.
Last quarter's total tablet sales were up 26 percent from the previous three-month frame, when total sales amounted to 3.5 million. Those sales, too, were driven by the launch of the iPad in April.
"The tablet wars are up and running," Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston reportedly said. "Apple has quickly leveraged its famous brand, extensive retail presence and user-friendly design to develop the tablet segment into a multi-billion-dollar global business."
Tablet-style devices running Google's Android mobile operating system represented just 2.3 percent of the total market in the third quarter. That share is expected to rise as devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab come to market this fall.
Still, with its 2.3 percent, Android was the second-largest tablet platform on the market, beating Microsoft's Windows platform, which has been a part of stylus-based tablets for years.
In his company's most recent earnings report, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs highlighted the growth potential for the iPad in a market that is in its infancy. He and other executives noted they have been surprised, in particular, at how fast the iPad has been adopted in the corporate sector.
"We've got a tiger by the tail here, and this is a new model of computer which we've already got tens of millions of people trained on with the iPhone," Jobs said. "And that lends itself to lots of different aspects of life, both personal and business."
Comments
I am actually surprised its not 99% of the market. Until or if we ever see a real Tablet with something like HTC hardware running Android 3.0 then Apple will continue to have the entire market.
Also I didn't mean real as if the iPad is not a real Tablet I meant real competition from Google. Which doesn't exist at this point.
Until or if we ever see a real Tablet with something like HTC hardware running Android 3.0 then Apple will continue to have the entire market.
A lot of the announced stuff looks promising. But as of now, nothing really interesting has hit the market.
A lot of the announced stuff looks promising. But as of now, nothing really interesting has hit the market.
In my opinion, the only other tablet worth mentioning is the HP Tablet running WebOS. I'm sure the software and hardware will integrate nicely as Apple has managed to do with its iPad.
The iPad will be incrementally improved?it will probably gain a camera and maybe an SD slot (50% chance), but it will never get USB or removable SIM cards. iPad competitors, anti-iPad pundits and trolls will talk about the lack of USB as a major shortcoming of the iPad. The question will be whether the market, that is consumers, agree. I think only time will tell.
I think Apple has fairly specific design guidelines for iOS devices; i.e. they will never have USB or any physical I/O interface other than the 30-pin dock connector. I'm still 50/50 on the SD slot. If you must have USB, then move up to Mac OS X hardware.
I'm not sure how this is even news worthy because there isn't any real competition. This was suppose to be the year of the tablet and Apple is the only one that put out a real Tablet.
I am actually surprised its not 99% of the market. .....
Huh? Then, what exactly are the 3.5 million 'tablets' that the article says were sold in the previous quarter?
(Ah, I get it: Those were iPads too.)
I'm not sure how this is even news worthy because there isn't any real competition. This was suppose to be the year of the tablet and Apple is the only one that put out a real Tablet.
I am actually surprised its not 99% of the market. Until or if we ever see a real Tablet with something like HTC hardware running Android 3.0 then Apple will continue to have the entire market.
Also I didn't mean real as if the iPad is not a real Tablet I meant real competition from Google. Which doesn't exist at this point.
Windows Tablets are real tablets and been around for years. They also have full desktop OS, which we've been told over and over are much better tablet than the iPad with its iPhone OS (iOS now)
Huh? Then, what exactly are the 3.5 million 'tablets' that the article says were sold in the previous quarter?
(Ah, I get it: Those were iPads too.)
I agree. I don't get these guys that rant about Apple being ahead due to no "real" competition. How many YEARS had the other players had but squandered their opportunity?
There is no "real" competition yet because the other makers (as usual) are playing catch-up. They waited to see what Apple came up with first before they dip their feet in the water. Now, they have the pressure of trying to come up with something with the polish of the iPad, and especially at a price-point that is competitive with the iPad as well and that is probably where they will have the most difficult time competing against.
Oh.. but wait until Android comes out... then <insert blah, blah Android comment here>
It is absolutely amazing how quickly Apple has stolen practically all of the market share for this computer category so quickly.
Windows Tablets are real tablets and been around for years. They also have full desktop OS, which we've been told over and over are much better tablet than the iPad with its iPhone OS (iOS now)
I know you are not saying this, but your post made me think of this:
It is a mistake to equate full desktop OS Windows tablet devices with mobile OS iPads. They are two very distinct products. The former are just regular laptops without hardware keyboards. They share all the advantages and disadvantages of full-on desktop Windows OS. The iPad and impending tablets with WebOS or Android are designed from the ground up to be something else--with their own advantages and disadvantages. One would never equate a laptop to a desktop, yet the distinction between mobile OSes and desktop OSes is even greater.
It is a mistake to equate full desktop OS Windows tablet devices with mobile OS iPads. They are two very distinct products. The former are just regular laptops without hardware keyboards. They share all the advantages and disadvantages of full-on desktop Windows OS. The iPad and impending tablets with WebOS or Android are designed from the ground up to be something else--with their own advantages and disadvantages. One would never equate a laptop to a desktop, yet the distinction between mobile OSes and desktop OSes is even greater.
Right, but MS had "Pocket PC" a mobile OS that was available in 2000, where is it now? What mobile device is using a modern version of that mobile OS?
It will be interesting to see the iPad's relative numbers a year from now. Competing tablets will have all sorts of crazy configurations: USB ports, SD slots, removable SIM cards, dual cameras, and they'll tout Flash compatibility!
Like with the iPhone, all devices combined outnumber it, but there isn't a single device that can come close to it's numbers.
You can bet your bottom dollar that before long the market will be saturated with 500 different tablets shipping with Android. Collectively they will outnumber the iPad, individually their units sold will pale in comparison to the iPad. While this is great for Google, manufacturers like HTC and Motorola will soon realize that in order to compete, they're gonna have to differentiate, which means creating their own OS. They're essentially competing with each other, rather than with Apple. In my opinion, this blurs the line for customers - in their minds, buying Motorola is no difference than buying HTC, since they both run the same OS.
This is just my opinion, though. What do I know?
Like with the iPhone, all devices combined outnumber it, but there isn't a single device that can come close to it's numbers.
You can bet your bottom dollar that before long the market will be saturated with 500 different tablets shipping with Android. Collectively they will outnumber the iPad, individually their units sold will pale in comparison to the iPad. While this is great for Google, manufacturers like HTC and Motorola will soon realize that in order to compete, they're gonna have to differentiate, which means creating their own OS. They're essentially competing with each other, rather than with Apple. In my opinion, this blurs the line for customers - in their minds, buying Motorola is no difference than buying HTC, since they both run the same OS.
This is just my opinion, though. What do I know?
I totally agree. While collectively Android devices will be competing against iOS devices, individually, they'll be competing against each other. What's more, they'll all be racing to the bottom, which will kill their margins, while Google will laugh all the way to the bank, because they will make money regardless. Meanwhile, the iPad will continue to turn in impressive numbers.
While people say they prefer choice, it's really not true. Too many choices is complicated and confusing. Yes, in the Android world will be able to "choose" between Motorola and Samsung and HTC and whatnot, but those choices are about as meaningful as closing your eyes and picking one at random.
Graphic designers and web designers know it's not good to show the client 50 different design options. It's best to just give them a couple or three "choices" and let them pick their favourite from those. Apple understands this, and their sales numbers bear this out.
Right, but MS had "Pocket PC" a mobile OS that was available in 2000, where is it now? What mobile device is using a modern version of that mobile OS?
Like the Newton, the Pocket PC was a good idea whose time had not yet come. We had to have ubiquitous WiFi and 3G for such portable devices to have anything approaching the connectedness and usefulness of any smartphone. You could argue that developments related to the iPod and iTunes Music Store also had to be in place before any pocket computer would function well enough to be truly popular.
... . As a matter of fact, Steve Ballmer predicted that Portable Handheld devices would one day overtake PCs. That was back in 2000. ...
It's one of the very few predictions Ballmer has made that has actually come true. (Or did he say that simply because Bill Gates told him to?) They were both obviously hoping that WinCE (aka Windows Embedded Compact aka Pocket PC aka Windows Mobile aka SmartPhone aka Windows Phone 7 Series) would be that future popular "Portable Handheld."
Or maybe Ballmer was hoping that the round Windows peg could somehow be jammed into the square tablet hole. And let's not forget that Bill Gates himself took every opportunity to wave a UMPC around, stylus and all. (There's something about Bill Gates that causes him to make everything he announces extremely dull, but that's beside the point.)
I have seen precisely two Windows tablet devices in the wild. The first was in 2001 at a meeting (at Oracle, of all places) where some dope was scribbling as fast as humanly possible on it, with a stylus, trying to take notes. And the other sighting was at a bar in Monterey, CA, about 2 years ago. It was in its case, he wasn't using it, and I asked the guy what it was. He mumbled something about "portability" and I flashed him the "Mac geek" t-shirt I was wearing under my jacket. He shut right up, even before I mentioned rumors of an Apple tablet.
So yeah, good vision there, Ballmer. You managed to predict Apple's current dominance in mobile.
In my opinion, the only other tablet worth mentioning is the HP Tablet running WebOS. I'm sure the software and hardware will integrate nicely as Apple has managed to do with its iPad.
Do you mean the one that's not shipping, or announced, or mocked-up, and only lives in the dreams of those who doze under the shadow of unicorns? I couldn't agree more! But it gets owned by the third gen iPad, wouldn't you say?
While collectively Android devices will be competing against iOS devices, individually, they'll be competing against each other. What's more, they'll all be racing to the bottom, which will kill their margins, while Google will laugh all the way to the bank, because they will make money regardless. Meanwhile, the iPad will continue to turn in impressive numbers.
Agreed. I don't expect the Andro-tablets to take off like Android handsets have done. The iPhone only being available on AT&T so 2/3 of US customers had Andorid as the only choice. The iPad is now everywhere. It's not like you have to buy an android tablet because your phone company doesn't have the iPad...
Also don't forget: Not even Adroid 3.0 is made for tablets. According to Andy Rubin (Android's main man), it's a version after 3.0 (called Honeycomb) that's built for tablets. Coming out some time in 2011...
Like the Newton, the Pocket PC was a good idea whose time had not yet come. We had to have ubiquitous WiFi and 3G for such portable devices to have anything approaching the connectedness and usefulness of any smartphone. You could argue that developments related to the iPod and iTunes Music Store also had to be in place before any pocket computer would function well enough to be truly popular.
True. Now fast forward to 2010. Apple now has 95% of the tablet market, using a mobile os. MS has 0% of a tablet market using a mobile os, and less than 2.3% using a desktop os. (the largest os in the world) Kinda sad don't you think?
In my opinion, the only other tablet worth mentioning is the HP Tablet running WebOS. I'm sure the software and hardware will integrate nicely as Apple has managed to do with its iPad.
I agree, WebOS looks nice and HP will likely make a nice tablet. The big, big difference is content. Very few web os apps are available and will likely take a little time for current apps to upscale for a tablet. HP/WebOS does not have a media market like iTunes. People will buy apps from HP's Marketplace. Movies and music will come from Amazon. Books, newspapers will be from wherever. Apple has a huge upper-hand in media content. I can't wait to see what Apple has in store for us with their data center. I'm guessing Apple isn't spending $1Billion just to host apps, movies and music. Something big is going to happen and it will be just another added value that Apple will offer to differentiate it's tablet from the rest.
I am looking forward to the HP WebOS tablet, assuming it ever gets released. I think it will be another competitor that will keep Apple on their toes.
True. Now fast forward to 2010. Apple now has 95% of the tablet market, using a mobile os. MS has 0% of a tablet market using a mobile os, and less than 2.3% using a desktop os. (the largest os in the world) Kinda sad don't you think?
No argument there. But a more realistic sharing of the pie will evolve as Android tablets and Windows 7 tablets start to appear. In fact I expect iPad to eventually to lose its majority share just as the iPhone has when faced with an onslaught of copy cat almost as good devices at lower price points. The iPad and iPhone will quite simply be what the Mac has been for years, the best premium product in their respective classes, used by those who can afford and appreciate them.