Worldwide media tablet shipments into sales channels rose by 56.1% on a sequential basis in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011 (4Q11) to 28.2 million units worldwide, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker. That represents an increase of 155% from the fourth quarter of 2010. The market experienced stronger-than-expected growth across many regions and at many price points, leading to a full-year 2011 total of 68.7 million units. Based upon the markets’ strong 2011 finish, and the clear demand expected in 2012, IDC has increased its 2012 forecast to 106.1 million units, up from its previous forecast of 87.7 million units.
Despite an impressive debut by Amazon, which shipped 4.7 million Kindle Fires into the market, Apple continued to see strong growth in the quarter, shipping 15.4 million units in 4Q11, up from 11.1 million units in 3Q11. That represents a 54.7% worldwide market share (down from 61.5% in 3Q11). Amazon’s shipment total put the company in second place with 16.8% of the worldwide market. Third-place Samsung grew its share from 5.5% in 3Q11 to 5.8% in 4Q11. Despite shipping more units, including its new Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble saw its worldwide market share slip to 3.5% (down from 4.5%). Pandigital rounded out the top five, grabbing 2.5% of the market, down from 2.9% the previous quarter.
MacDailyNews Take: How do they know that 4.7 million Kindle Fires were shipped when Amazon never gives Kindle Fire unit shipment figures? It’s a guess. For example, IHS iSupply estimates 3.9 million. B.S. made-up numbers vs. real sales, not shipping (channel stuffing), numbers from Apple. IDC’s house of cards lacks a foundation.
“Amazon’s widely-reported entry into the media tablet market with a $199, 7-inch product seemed to raise consumers’ awareness of the category worldwide despite the fact that the Fire shipped almost exclusively in the U.S. in the fourth quarter,” said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices, in the press release. “As a result, products across the pricing spectrum sold well, including everything from Apple’s premium-priced iPads (which start at $499) to Pandigital’s line of Android-based, entry-level tablets (which start at $120). The success of market leader Apple was particularly noteworthy, as the company’s shipment total for the quarter represents an increase of 110.5% from 4Q10.”
MacDailyNews Take: “Premium-priced iPads?” Puleeze. iPads start at US$399, not $499, Mr. Research Director. Instead of directing research, how about doing some? Now, name another 9.7-inch tablet with 1/10th of the ecosystem of Apple iPad that goes for less than $399. Hello? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
As predicted, Android made some strong gains in 4Q11, thanks in large part to the Amazon Kindle Fire’s success (the Fire runs a custom version of Google’s Android OS). Android grew its market share from 32.3% in 3Q11 to 44.6% in 4Q11. As a result, iOS slipped from 61.6% market share to 54.7%; Blackberry slipped from 1.1% to 0.7%. WebOS, which owned 5% of the worldwide market in 3Q11, dropped to zero in 4Q11. Looking ahead, IDC expects Android to continue to grow its share of the market at the expense of iOS.
“As the sole vendor shipping iOS products, Apple will remain dominant in terms of worldwide vendor unit shipments,” Mainelli said. “However, the sheer number of vendors shipping low-priced, Android-based tablets means that Google’s OS will overtake Apple’s in terms of worldwide market share by 2015. We expect iOS to remain the revenue market share leader through the end of our 2016 forecast period and beyond.”
MacDailyNews Take: iCal’ed for future use.
Despite the strong growth of media tablet shipments, ePaper-based eReaders also experienced stronger-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter. That growth occurred thanks to sharp price cuts in established markets such as the U.S. and Canada, as well as increasing shipments in regions outside of North America. In 4Q11 the worldwide total increased to 10.7 million units, up from 6.5 million units in 3Q11. That represents a quarter-over-quarter improvement of 64.6% and a year-over-year improvement of 64.3%. IDC expects growth to continue in 2012 as major players such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo look to expand into new international markets.
“Publishers in markets outside of North America are only just beginning to warm up to the idea of eBooks,” Mainelli added. “Once Amazon and others persuade these content owners to embrace digital formats, we expect eBook reader shipments into these regions to increase more rapidly.”
Source: International Data Corporation
MacDailyNews Take: No mention of Windows 8 tablets and their effect on the market. The wrong iPad entry-level price. Seemingly no weight given to potential patent infringement litigation outcomes. Another random estimate of Kindle Fire unit shipments. No mention of fragmentation and a significant case of AppLack™ on Android tablets.
There are simply too many mistakes and errors of omission to take this IDC report seriously.
Related articles:
Why Apple’s new iPad will lead through 2015 — and beyond – March 9, 2012
Why the Google Android tablet market is even weaker than it seems – March 8, 2012
Pent Up Demand: InMobi study reveals nearly 30% of mobile web users intend to purchase iPad 3 – March 2, 2012
Why Amazon’s tiny screen Kindle Fire can’t pierce Apple’s iPad sales – February 6, 2012
If the Bulls continue at this feverish pace, this 12-2 run should have them not only overtake the Heat, but beat them handily 457-99.
Idiots still comparing Android OS across multiple vendors against iOS across one vendor.
Couldn’t find their collective ass with a map and a GPS equipped smartphone.
idc (“iDICK”) is not an independent analyst. an outside independent analyst would assess their obviously contrived summation and find that:
1) even if android overtakes iOS by 2015, what will the market be by then? how can the capital consumed stuffing the channels sustain itself without sales as the market quadruples?
2) it ignores the dynamic of falling prices as the volume increases and the affect on android manufacturers with less or no margin to play with.
3) it assumes iOS does not get an ereader in the next 3 years.
4) it assumes the untapped market can use an inferior interface better than the tapped market which is choosing iOS because it is easier to use.
5) it assumes that iOS does not get investment for improved functionality (native and custom apps) while the money losing android market does.
6) it assumes that there not be a native citrix client in 3 years.
when you make a prediction comparing 2 dots you are either stupid or using the 2 dots that support your agenda or your employer’s agenda best. any true analyst knows you need more than 2 dots to draw a curve.
“idc (“iDICK”) is not an independent analyst.”. hahaha
Agreed MDN take
Apple made a critical mistake before. Originally they targeted home consumers with the Mac. And it worked, by then everybody had to use Windblows in the office and eventually replaced their home Mac with PCrap.
Apple must not neglect the Pro market, which is kind of happening now.
I say let them. Apple has never been concerned about dominating market share. Why should we?
If Apple gives up any share it will be to low-margin Windows 8 tablets. There is no AT&T exclusive iPad in the tablet market to give Android breathing space.
That said the Asus Transformer Infinity will be a nice piece of kit. I suspect the Windows 8 version will sell much better than the ICS version.
If we’re discussing a garbage dump, this report is right-on.
Obviously, Apple has the best OS with the power of the command line and the most elegant UI, but I’m also a Linux (for servers) fan. Android disturbs me; it hurts the image of Linux with Google just ignoring licensing Java, etc.
Wow! We are receiving communication from the Bizarro Universe!
Remember when the Android OtherPads were supposed to overtake the iPad in 2012 ? ? ?
Darn, let’s scale back that overtake prediction by A FEW YEARS.
TechTardiness abounds.
same article, new date. 😉
I remember the claims of the next iPad killer every month. new name, same story.
and every time it’s the iPad killing the so called killer.
Right. I keep waiting for them to wake up and smell the napalm, from the Apple carpet bombing. But they seem to be transfixed by fear and bribe money.
Hmmm.
I may not be a marketing genius (or am I?!), but it seems to me that if Android tablets are selling very well, then they don’t need to be flogged at every opportunity, and to counter Android’s popularity, Apple would need to advertise as much as possible.
Right?
So why is that despite Rogers and Bell selling both Android tablets and Apple products, both Rogers and Bell ads feature only Android tablets (and Android phones,and RIM products) in their ads, to the complete exclusion of all Apple products?
It’s almost as if Apple products are selling at a much faster rate, and don’t even need to be advertised by Rogers and Bell, while all of the non-Apple products require as much advertising as possible.
Interesting.
And I’ve also noticed that many companies offer a free Samsung tablet with the purchase of one of their products or services.
Could this possibly be the result of a backlog of unsold Android products, with no way to decrease these stocks, but to give them away free?
And also, would Samsung, and Google, then count these Android give-aways as “sold”?
Well, if I were at all cynical about Google and Samsung …
Somebody has been smoking wacky weed again!
Anyone can play with statistics…..
Including the “tablets” from Amazon and B&N in with the iPad is ridiculous! When e-readers (glorified or otherwise) can handle as many tasks as an iPad then, and only then, can dorks like this guy legitimately proffer this kind of “fact”.
While I agree there is a huge gap in functions and features, don’t notebook users say the same thing about the iPad?
Lol. Kindle fire a success. This guy knows jack sh*t
Hey MDN… got anything in the Wayback machine to show when the iPod was going to be eclipsed by Plays for sure (or was it Windows Media?) devices??
“Looking ahead, IDC expects Android to continue to grow its share of the market at the expense of iOS.”
Market share and NO PROFIT. er… guess what company is doing better.
Plus. Android is a platform. How many different tablets that will NEVER be updated are out there.????
Just a thought.
To get a job as a pundit you must have to drink a lot of electric cool-aid, and continually smoke refer, to be so totally disconnected from reality; or they must ‘jones’ so bad that they would write anything for money for their next fix. 🙂
I can tell you from personal experience that not even massive consumption of electric kool-aid and reefer can addle a brain enough to come up with “predictions” like this. I gotta go with your 2nd guess – hopelessly addicted to heroin or methamphetamine.