Google Android tablets will play catch up to Apple iPad dominance in the tablet market in 2012, with Android taking 39 percent of tablet share, closely following 44 percent iPad share, according to research.Investment and securities firm, Piper Jaffray, has pegged the trend to follow Android’s growing presence in the smartphone market.
The estimated market share of Android for this year has been put at 11 percent, but Android-driven products are predicted to take off in 2011 when Android 3.0, coined ‘Honeycomb’, is released with optimised capabilities for tablets.
Honeycomb has been shown off on Motorola’s prototype tablet that has been leaking photos on the internet recently.
Researchers have put the current tablet offering at around 60 different models by at least 50 different companies, many of which could be Android models.
Samsung is also diving into the market with the release of its Bada 2 OS next year. Samsung are currently one of the biggest Android providers, but look set to ditch Google’s product for their own system.
Piper Jaffray expect Apple to hit 53 percent market share by 2011’s end, followed by Google’s 32.5 percent in similar fashion to the trend of Android smartphones catching up to iPhones.
Windows 7, RIM’s Playbook and HP’s webOS are predicted to comprise of the remaining 17 percent of the expansive tablet market of 2012.
