Apple iPad market share slips 20% as rivals creep in to grab a bite. The ubiquitous iPad is down from 94 percent market share in the previous quarter (Q3) but at 73 percent it still rules the tabs roost.
 Click to enlarge |
10.1 million media tablets were shipped globally in the fourth quarter of 2010 – more than double the 4.5 m the previous quarter, according to IDC’s Tablet Tracker.
However, this could have something to do with the fact that the iPad, first released here early last year, was one of the only such devices on the market, and sparked off the tabs war which is set to kick off in 2011.
These figures “reflected Apple’s strong leadership position”, which IDC expects the makers to maintain, predicting a strong 70-80% grip on the market this year, helped by the launch last week of its much hyped high-performance, thinner 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen iPad2.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab was “the primary competitor” to the iPad during the recent holiday season, grabbing 17% of the market share. A number of ‘regional players’ also participated, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent.
However, a lack of competitive pricing on the Galaxy hindered further market growth.
The electronic maker, set to launch their 10″ Galaxy Tab in Australia early next month, has already been tipped to cut the price from what they originally planned for the device say sources, in an effort to take on the iPad 2.
However, the Korean brand will have a tough time ahead if its wants to compete against Steve Jobs’ giant despite its forthcoming Honeycomb Tab release, say the analysts. “The refresh will have a tough time maintaining share as more competitors enter the market.”
And the makers are fighting it out, but with good reason. Tab devices appear to be where consumers will be at in 2011, with a whopping 50 million units set to be shifted.
New players on the block including Motorola Xoom was cited as a worthy competitor, although its high price is expected to be a barrier to making major headway, the analysts International Data Corporation said in a release yesterday.
“Strong holiday sales of media tablets were in line with IDC projections and strong consumer interest in the category while device vendors scrambled to offer products competitive with Apple’s iPad and now iPad 2,” said Loren Loverde, VP, Consumer Device Trackers.
