Gartner: Android now the most popular tablet platform

[Bateluer]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/03/gartner-android-passes-ios-tablets/

Several years ago, technology research firm Gartner predicted Apple would maintain its hold on the tablet market until 2015. A new study from the company, however, shows Android taking a decisive lead: in 2013, it boasted 62-percent market share, compared to 36 percent for iOS. Google's mobile operating system climbed to the number one position thanks to more tablet sales overall, though Gartner also credits the proliferation of cheaper, smaller-screen slates (the Nexus 7 no doubt included) with establishing Android's newfound dominance.

The other winner, according to this study: Samsung, which grew by 336 percent in 2013 to a 19.1-percent share of the tablet market. That's still a much smaller piece of the pie than Apple's 36 percent, but among Android device makers the Korean company is still very much the king. Conversely, Microsoft has seen very modest growth; Windows 8 tablets accounted for just 2.1 percent of the market in 2013. Click through the source link for more stats.

Given how badly Android's first real tablet and OS release, the Moto Xoom and HoneyComb, flopped at launch, becoming the number 1 tablet OS so quickly is pretty impressive.

Here's the source URL.
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2674215

Apple is still the #1 individual manufacturer though, with 36%, while Samsung's 336% growth put them at 19%. Going from selling 8.5M units in 2012 to over 37M units in 2013 is impressive. With the newer TabPro lineup looking much impressive than the Tab2 and Tab3s, we could well see Samsung jump ahead of Apple by the end of 2014.

 

[Red Storm]

Not surprising, it's going to be a mirror of the phone market. Samsung's newest offerings are actually very compelling devices. It's no wonder their market share has skyrocketed. They've come a long way.

 

[luv2liv]

i wonder how tablets will do once phones get bigger though. with my htc one, i found tablets more bulky to take anywhere. when i need to do real work, a laptop/desktop is still a must!

 

[jpeyton]

Not surprising, it's going to be a mirror of the phone market.

Word.

 

[Zaap]

With the newer TabPro lineup looking much impressive than the Tab2 and Tab3s, we could well see Samsung jump ahead of Apple by the end of 2014.

Just a bit ambitious. I won't hold my breath but at the same time I hope my skepticism is proven wrong.

 

[Super56K]

And it's mostly well earned. Android based tablets have come a loooong way in a few short years. It wasn't that long ago that people suffered through using Froyo and Honeycomb based junkers. Now tablets are still mostly cheap, but have significantly improved OS's.

 

[PowerYoga]

i wonder how tablets will do once phones get bigger though. with my htc one, i found tablets more bulky to take anywhere. when i need to do real work, a laptop/desktop is still a must!

tablets have always been best as a media consumption device. Phones, no matter how big the phones get, they will always be inferior for watching movies, shows, reading, etc. They really cater to different markets.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Are Kindle devices counted in this list? Don't they use some sort of modified Android base?

 

[Bateluer]

Are Kindle devices counted in this list? Don't they use some sort of modified Android base?

Yes they are and yes they do.

Amazon 9,401,846(units) 4.8%

 

[zerogear]

i wonder how tablets will do once phones get bigger though. with my htc one, i found tablets more bulky to take anywhere. when i need to do real work, a laptop/desktop is still a must!

Sounds like you'd like a Windows hybrid tablet device

 

[BladeVenom]

i wonder how tablets will do once phones get bigger though.

I wonder how phones will do when they start adding phone functions to tablets.

 

[gorcorps]

Not surprising, it's going to be a mirror of the phone market. Samsung's newest offerings are actually very compelling devices. It's no wonder their market share has skyrocketed. They've come a long way.

I think it's pretty damn surprising. I didn't think the amount of sales would explode in a single year like that.

 

[Ns1]

To date, I still have not seen a single android tablet out in the wild. Not even a Nexus.

 

[TheStu]

To date, I still have not seen a single android tablet out in the wild. Not even a Nexus.

My friend has a compulsion and keeps buying things ($80 bargain tablet, Touchpad, Nexus 7), otherwise I would be in the same boat. He still hasn't bought a Surface, so I haven't seen one of those in the wild yet.

 

[Ns1]

My friend has a compulsion and keeps buying things ($80 bargain tablet, Touchpad, Nexus 7), otherwise I would be in the same boat. He still hasn't bought a Surface, so I haven't seen one of those in the wild yet.

The only Surface I've ever seen in the wild is the one I have. I know for a fact that a former co-worker bought one, otherwise Surface's are also unicorns.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Yes they are and yes they do.

I missed that...I was curious as to how popular the Kindle devices were compared to traditional android tablets.

 

[cmdrdredd]

To date, I still have not seen a single android tablet out in the wild. Not even a Nexus.

I think a lot of people use the tablet at home but when out and about just use their phone since it syncs everything between them.

 

[zerogear]

I think a lot of people use the tablet at home but when out and about just use their phone since it syncs everything between them.

I think that's the difference between Apple vs other OEMs. The users tend to see them as social/status symbols and take them out and about to show off their "bling". Where for other people the OEM devices are just tools to be used.

 

[Ns1]

I think that's the difference between Apple vs other OEMs. The users tend to see them as social/status symbols and take them out and about to show off their "bling". Where for other people the OEM devices are just tools to be used.

lol

AFAIC unless you're on a surface pro most tablet users are doing the same shit - going on facebook, playing angry birds, watching netflix.

 

[cmdrdredd]

lol

AFAIC unless you're on a surface pro most tablet users are doing the same shit - going on facebook, playing angry birds, watching netflix.

Exactly, that is unless you're a pilot and use any of the flight apps that plot your course etc.

 

[s44]

Sounds like you'd like a Windows hybrid tablet device

I guess these aren't selling, though, because I see the Miix 8 2 (Bay Trail 8" 12*8) on sale for $200 already.

 

[zerogear]

I guess these aren't selling, though, because I see the Miix 8 2 (Bay Trail 8" 12*8) on sale for $200 already.

http://liliputing.com/2014/01/bay-trail-tablets-cheap-intels-footing-bill.html

lol

AFAIC unless you're on a surface pro most tablet users are doing the same shit - going on facebook, playing angry birds, watching netflix.

I'm on a Surface Pro

 

[QueBert]

not shocking at all, when I go to Best Buy they have an entire section with Android tablets, there must be 20 different ones on display. And this is just a fraction of what's out there.

Power in numbers.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'd like to see the US vs. international numbers. I see a plethora of cheap tablets in Asia and people actually use them. Here in the US, I've NEVER seen another Nexus tablet out in the wild.

 

[Rdmkr]

saw a business insider article earlier about web traffic from ipads still being overwhelmingly greater, but its behind a paywall that only my RSS reader punctured.