Strategy Analytics: Apple’s iPad maintains 48% tablet market share worldwide; Windows tablets capture 7.5% share

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 40.6 million units in the first quarter of 2013. Android secured a robust 43 percent global share, while Apple iOS maintained its strong leadership at 48 percent. Windows secured a 7.5 percent global share.

Peter King, Director of Tablets at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global branded tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 40.6 million units in Q1 2013, surging 117 percent from 18.7 million in Q1 2012. Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong. Apple produced a solid performance this quarter as the Mini had its first full term and shipped a robust 19.5 million mixed iPads worldwide maintaining market leadership with 48 percent share during the first quarter of 2013. Android captured a record 43 percent share of global branded tablet shipments in Q1 2013, rising from 34 percent a year earlier. Global Android tablet shipments increase 177 per cent annually to 17.6 million units.”

King added, “When we add White-Box* tablets into the mix, Android market share of the total tablet market increases significantly to 52% and iOS slips to 41%, as the bulk of the White-Box tablets are Android low budget models aimed at a different market to the branded tablets”

Other findings from the research include:
• Global branded tablet shipments grew 117 percent annually in Q1 2013, compared with 146 percent annually in Q1 2012. This was the highest CY Q1 shipment figure since the modern tablet industry began in Q2 2010;
• Microsoft captured a niche 7.4 percent global tablet share in Q1 2013. Very limited distribution, a shortage of top tier apps, and confusion in the market, are all holding back shipments.

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q1 2013 (Preliminary)**
Strategy Analytics: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q1 2013 (Preliminary)

*A white-box tablet is a product produced by one company (the manufacturer or ODM) that other companies (the vendors or OEMs) rebrand to make it appear as if they made it. White box tablets invariably use different components to branded tablet in order to keep costs to a minimum.
**Shipments refer to sell-in. Numbers are rounded. The definition of tablet does not include e-book readers or convertible PCs.

Source: Strategy Analytics

MacDailyNews Take: The tablet you buy is like an IQ test.

Never underestimate the propensity of the left side of the Bell Curve to blow their paychecks on half-assed shit.*

*Word has it that Microsoft and Samsung are currently fighting over that line for their internal company motto.

21 Comments

  1. As usual, Apple sold 19.5M iPads during the first calendar quarter while Android device manufacturers shipped a bunch. That iPads made up 48% of “shipped” does notequate to 48% market share.To determine market share at any given moment you have to do random surveys of households and businesses until your sample size is large enough to be relevant. And since that requires, you know, work, we’re left with lazy headlines that distort the reality.

  2. So Samsung and Windows reports on what they shipped.

    What if Samsung and MS allowed Costco, BestBuy and all the other retailers to return their tablets for a 10% restocking fee.

    Then they turn around and ship them somewhere else…the numbers shipped would look even better and both Samsung and MS at least make 10% on a product that isn’t selling.

  3. Macrumors reports IDC’s numbers a bit differently:

    “Research firm IDC yesterday released its estimates on worldwide mobile phone sales for the first quarter of 2013, showing Apple losing some ground in the smartphone market with only 6.6% year-over-year growth compared to 41.6% growth for the entire market. Still, Apple maintained a firm grasp on the number two spot behind Samsung, as challengers LG, Huawei, and ZTE were unable to reach the 5% mark during the quarter. ”

    If it is not abundantly clear by now, I have long been critical of Cook for being slow to respond to Samsung’s rapid growth (22.9% yoy). There is simply no excuse that Apple (6.9% yoy growth) should not have new iPhone models (plural) in order to grow as fast as Samsung is, or preferably apace with the market average.

    oh, and breeze: don’t bother accusing me of being a misspelled Samsung troll. I neither own any Samsung product nor endorse their business methods. The fact that you can’t understand my longstanding constructive criticism of Apple relates to your comprehension skills, not my position.

  4. MDN: “Never underestimate the propensity of the left side of the Bell Curve to blow their paychecks on half-assed shit.”

    I look at it differently.  Some people purchase limited-purpose tablets at a bargain price.  Others prefer tablets that integrate more closely with their PC desktop experience.  There’s nothing wrong with that … those are simply not markets that Apple serves.  (Those markets are not very profitable, either.)

    Among those who want a modern, full-service tablet that doesn’t mimic a PC desktop computer … iPad probably holds an 75-85% market share.  That’s its approximate share in surveys of online activity by tablets, online retail buying and other activity measures. 

    For sure, iPad is not being eclipsed by the competition.  iPad unit sales in the most recent quarter were 65% above the same quarter a year ago.  The fairly large market share of Android tablets means that Apple’s market-leading product has attracted great interest among customers who can’t yet afford to buy one.  Some day, most of them will be able to.

  5. I don’t understand who buys an Android tablet. It escapes me. I don’t believe they make a really conscious decision that this was the OS I wanted and this was the brand. I know mobile carriers are pushing these tablets like note and more. They do it because they want to sell data plans. On the other hand people that go with an iPad I believe are making a more calculated and conscious decision about what they are buying. And the price probably matter allot just like with the Goosung phones. People buy crap because its cheap… Sadly.

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