Despite Android tablets achieving an estimated 7.3 million sales in this quarter, the market is still wholly dominated by Apple at 17 million unit sold in the last quarter, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics. Apple now controls 68.3 percent of the tablet market, compared to 62 percent in the second quarter of 2011.
Other statistics from the report include Microsoft losing three percent of its already scant market share. Android’s sales gains resulted in a level market share of 29.3 percent, essentially the same as a year ago. Apple’s share of the tablet market is the highest it has been since the third quarter of 2010.
Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston said “Despite high expectations for companies like Amazon, Samsung, Acer and Asus, the Android community has yet to make a serious dent in Apple’s dominance of the tablet market. Unspectacular hardware designs, limited uptake of cellular models and a modest number of tablet-optimized services have been among some of the main reasons for Android’s mixed performance so far.”
Few serious contenders for the iPad have emerged since the initial release. The impending release of the Surface tablet may alter market dynamics somewhat, but with no firm specifications as of yet (including price), predictions are difficult to make with any accuracy.
