Apple has managed to keep its leading position in the tablet market having ended the first quarter of this year with 50% share of all tablet shipments. However, the Android ecosystem is poised to overtake iOS.
According to ABI Research, Android will keep growing not least thanks to the huge Chinese market, which may be passionate about Apple’s tablet(s), but the price is deterring many from grabbing the iPad (or iPad Mini). Instead, many Chinese (and other users throughout the world) are grabbing smaller, 7-inch Android tablets that doesn’t cost as much (as Apple’s products).
ABI’s senior practice director Jeff Orr thinks it’s “inevitable” that Android tablets will overtake iOS-powered slates, though no single vendor will be able challenge Apple’s dominance anytime soon.
The research firm is also pointing that during the last few years, average selling price (ASP) and size have been moving down-market since Android tablets started honing in on the opportunity in 2012. Rather than try to unseat Apple in the 10-inch class space, tablet vendors were launching smaller devices.
Finally, ABI Research looked at the iPad’s figures, estimating that iPad mini represented 49% of units in Q1, and 39% of total iPad revenues. Orr adds his expectation is that iPad Mini will become the predominant iPad model after the June quarter…