In Q2 2011 iPad held more than two thirds of the tablet market with a market share of 68.1%, but in Q3 it seems that things have changed radically. Today the people from IDC they published the sales estimates from Q3 2011 and it seems that the iPad tablet would have lost approximately 7% of the market share, reaching a value of 61.5%. Of course, the Android tablets "stole" the iPad's market share and I think that the Kindle Fire is the tablet to which a large part of the "victory" is attributed because it was sold in millions of copies all over the world.
"Apple's larger portfolio of tablet-specific apps, upcoming iPad versions, and growing physical store presence in key emerging markets like Asia/Pacific will help maintain its global leadership. However, an improving Android OS experience and lower competitor pricing in an environment with worldwide economic concerns should help Android to increase its market share," said Jennifer Song, research analyst, Worldwide Trackers.
On the tablet market, the iPad is compared to an amalgam of tablets launched by various manufacturers, but if we are to strictly compare the manufacturers, then Apple has a market share 10 times higher than Samsung, the largest tablet manufacturer in the world. In 2012, Apple will continue to lose its current market share because new tablets will be launched, they will become better and better and attract more and more users. I think that an iPad 3 tablet with quad-core would save the situation for Apple, but it remains to be seen if the company has the same thinking.
