The iPad does not rule the tablet market. It's the Android. Per the latest "Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker" report of the International Data Corporation (IDC), Android tablets dominate the tablet market, followed by iPad and Windows tablet.
According to the report, Android tablets accounted for 52 percent market share in 2012 while the iPad was a few notches behind at 45.6 percent. The IDC forecast shows Android garnering a bigger share of 60.8 percent while Apple's slice of the market will be dropping to 35 percent in 2013 with total shipments of 221.3 million tablets.
By 2017, the scenario will still be the same with Android seen to account for 58.8 percent market share and iOS tablets possibly garnering a 30.6 share, with shipments peaking at around 386.3 million units.
"In some markets consumers are already making the choice to buy a large smartphone rather than buying a small tablet, and as a result we've lowered our long-term forecast. Meanwhile, in mature markets like the U.S. where tablets have been shipping in large volumes since 2010 and are already well established, we're less concerned about big phones cannibalizing shipments and more worried about market saturation," said Tom Mainelli, IDC research director for tablets, in a press statement.
The researchers noted that the iPad was being bullied in the market by more affordable, smaller tablets from competitors that come with Google's Android OS pre-installed. However, the rise of smartphones with more generous screen real estate (aka phablets) could push consumers back to larger tablets.
IDC also pointed out that the reverse shift to larger tablets will benefit Microsoft. The research firm predicted that Windows tablet will enjoy some growth but it will not be big enough to steal the spotlight away from Android and iOS tablets. By the end of 2013, Windows tablets will account for 3.4 percent market share and is expected to shoot up to 10.2 percent by 2017.
