Well maybe it’s not a surprise, but according to RBC Capital Markets General Manager Mike Abramsky, the tablet market is poised to explode, something we’ve been expecting all along. However, Not only does the firm believe that 185 million tablets will be sold at the end of 2014, but that Android will be the dominant force behind these sales.
The iPad 2, which is now officially up to par with the competition will certainly lead us into the massive adoption of tablets, as the price and application selection hit the sweet spots. Android tablets, even if superior in feature sets and hardware specifications, have yet to get appeal to potential buyers looking for the more valuable price point and application availability bullet points. However, Android is known for coming in multiple shapes and sizes, and we expect tablets with great specs and low prices to hit the market in the near future.
Just as Android started off small, only to be the top OS in smartphones, the firm believes the same will happen with tablets. Apple will pave the way, only to have Android steal the show,
“While Apple’s iPad may continue to set the bar high for experience, we expect Android to dominate (40% share Tablets by 2014), given its broader support from OEMs and carriers and expected budget-priced Android Tablets from Asia,
However, this isn’t to say Apple will be going anywhere. Let’s make that clear. The company is one of the most innovative companies in the world, and is about 21% of the stock market’s NASDAQ. The iPad 3 is sure to be a hit, along with anything else Apple comes out with, but the selection of Android tablets, varying in price and size will be what makes Google’s OS eclipse iOS.
The firm also writes that some Android tablet vendors will eventually fall to the wayside, making way for the true challengers to shine through. Sorry Augen tablet, your time was never.
This is but one firm’s outlook on the tablet market, and although Android’s strategy pretty much guarantees dominance, it may not fall into place exactly this way. While the strategy for Android lends to its success, it doesn’t necessarily mean its a better product than it’s competition. Apple’s lead is rather large, and their head start could keep Android at bay for longer than expected. Then again, many believed that it would take Android until 2012 to become the dominate mobile platform, and we saw how that went down.
At the end of the day, the tablet market will be owned by Apple and Google, which should be no surprise to anyone.
[Via: BGR]