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iPad Sales Down, Android Up: Do Consumers Prefer Cheap Tablets?
Looking at the figures for tablet sales last year, everything changed, it’s now a different game
Sales figures for tablets around the world in 2013 have been unveiled by Gartner and it looks like the rise of cheaper Android slates is finally beginning to take its toll on Apple’s strangle hold of the market.
Over 195 million tablets were sold worldwide in 2013, an increase of 68%. That’s a massive jump in the amount of tablets in people’s homes. Gartner attributes this trend to a boom in first time buyers tempted into the space by cheaper options. Slates like the Tesco Hudl and Nexus 7 (2013) are both excellent choices, offering premium-grade performance without the big price tag.
In 2012 Android held 46% of the market. By 2013 that figure had grown to 62%. Android shipments, collectively, grew 127% and almost doubled Apple’s iPad sales figures. Apple’s iPad proved popular when tablets began to come onto the market but in the last year Apple’s market share has fallen behind. In 2012 it had over 52% of the overall tablet market; Android controlled just 42%.
Even though iPad sales increased by another 9 million in 2013, Apple still couldn’t compete with sheer number of smaller, more cost-effective Android tablets available to consumers. The end result: Apple closed 2013 with a 36% stake in the tablet space.
Microsoft made a small step in the right direction as well. In 2012 the company sold about a million tablets and held 1% of the overall market share. In 2013 the company raised its market share to 2.1% and sold four times in the amount of tablets, just over 4 million units in total.
“In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications,” said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner.
What Does 2014 Hold For The Tablet Space?
Over to you, Mr. Cozza: “As the Android tablet market becomes highly commoditized, in 2014, it will be critical for vendors to focus on device experience and meaningful technology and ecosystem value — beyond just hardware and cost — to ensure brand loyalty and improved margins.”