While the Android tablets continue to roll in , Apple can still lay claim to the lion’s share of the tablet market based on IDC’s latest report. Its research means that the iPad holds onto 61.5 percent of the global market share, down from 63.3 percent last quarter. Android devices in total also saw a slight contraction, down from 33.2 percent to 32.4 percent. Here’s partly explained by the HP TouchPad’s final hurrah , which rocketed the ill-fated webOS tablet as much as third place with a 5 percent of share of tablet sales and an estimated 903,354 devices sold. Samsung maintained its Honeycomb tablet crown, nabbing 5.6 percent of all tablet sales. The Korean manufacturer was closely tailed by Barnes and Noble’s Nook Color with 4.5 percent and Asus, arriving at fifth place with a four percent share. Tablets in total sold lower than the analysts had predicted, although E-readers outperformed estimates, with 6.5 million E-readers sold within the third quarter, up 165.9 percent from last year. IDC expects some disruptive new tablets will boost the fourth quarter results and you’ll look at its findings and predictions on the full press release below.
Media Tablet Shipments Miss Third Quarter Targets, But New Entrants and Holiday Demand Will Spark Fourth Quarter Growth, In keeping with IDC
15 Dec 2011
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., December 15, 2011 – Worldwide media tablet shipments into sales channels rose by 23.9% on a sequential basis within the third calendar quarter of 2011 (3Q11) to 18.1 million units, based on the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker. That represents a rise of 264.5% from the identical quarter last year, but 5.8% below the unique forecast of nineteen.2 million units. Despite these slightly lower-than-expected shipments in 3Q11, IDC sees strong demand in 4Q11 and has increased its worldwide shipment forecast for 2011 to 63.3 million units, up from a prior projection of 62.5 million units.
Apple continued to drive worldwide media tablet shipments in 3Q11. The corporate shipped 11.1 million units in 3Q11, up from 9.3 million units in 2Q11. That represents a 61.5% worldwide market share (down from 63.3% in 2Q11). HP entered and left the market in 3Q11 with its TouchPad product. The corporate shipped 903,354 units to snatch a 5% share of the global market, number three behind Samsung’s 5.6% market share. After IDC updated its taxonomy to maneuver LCD-based devices reminiscent of Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color into the media tablet category, Barnes & Noble shipped 805,458 units to reach the number four spot with a 4.5% market share. ASUS rounded out the head five with a 4% share.
After ceding share in 3Q11 (right down to 32.4% from 33.2% the former quarter), IDC expects Android to make dramatic share gains in 4Q11 growing to 40.3%. That increase is due mostly to the doorway of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, and to a lesser extent the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, into the market. The proportion increase comes on the expense of Blackberry (slipping from 1.1% to 0.7%), iOS (slipping from 61.5% to 59.0%), and webOS (slipping from 5% to 0%). Despite HP’s announcement last week that it is going to contribute webOS to the Open Source community, IDC doesn’t believe the operating system will reappear within the media tablet market in any meaningful way going forward.
“Amazon and Barnes & Noble are shaking up the media tablet market, and their success helps prove that there’s an appetite for media tablets beyond Apple’s iPad,” said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices. “That said, I fully expect Apple to have its best-ever quarter in 4Q11, and in 2012 i feel we’ll see Apple’s product start to gain more traction outside of the patron market, specifically with enterprise and education markets.”
“Apple’s larger portfolio of tablet-specific apps, upcoming iPad versions, and growing physical store presence in key emerging markets like Asia/Pacific should help maintain its global leadership. However, an improving Android OS experience and lower competitor pricing in an atmosphere with worldwide economic concerns will help Android to extend its market share,” said Jennifer Song, research analyst, Worldwide Trackers.
Despite the lack of LCD-based products (relocated into the media tablet category), ePaper-based eReaders continued to peer strong shipment growth. In 3Q11 the global total improved to six.5 million units, up from 5.1 million units in 2Q11, representing quarter-over-quarter growth of 27% and year-over-year growth of 165.9%. IDC expects growth to continue within the fourth quarter due to new products introductions and worth cuts from the main vendors.
“Amazon’s introduction of the $79 entry-level Kindle and $99 touch-based Kindle (both with ads) caused a round of price cuts from competitors,” Mainelli said. “That drops these products well into the variety of impulse and gift buys for most, and we think a completely strong 4Q11 consequently.”
“From a world perspective, eReader volumes within the U.S. are expected to stay a massive majority at 80% share. Europe, the second one largest market, should rise to its highest volume levels in 4Q11 because of holiday shopping, but is not very growing on the expected rate as a result of loss of local language content and the uncertain euro zone climate,” added Song.
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