iPad Still Dominates Tablets, But Android Grabs Market Share

Apple’s iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, but Google’s Android appears to be taking a bite out of Apple’s market share.

The iPad lineup made up 55 percent of tablet shipments in the third quarter, according to data released today by ABI Research, a 14 percent decline from the second quarter and its lowest level since the iPad’s introduction in early 2010.

The benefactors of that lost market share were Samsung, Amazon, and Asus, as Google’s mobile operating system now powers more than 44 percent of tablets shipped, ABI Research said, adding that it expects that market share to increase.

“As the OS of choice for the majority of device OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], we expect the Android ecosystem to continue growing in numbers — new manufacturers, better device choices for reaching more markets, and more developers finding value from apps and content,” ABI Research’s Jeff Orr said in a statement.

That projection largely echoed predictions made by Sameer Singh, an analyst with mergers and acquisitions consulting group Finvista Advisors, who expects Android tablets shipments to surpass those of the iPad in the first half of next year.

via cnet.com