In The latest report from Strategy Analytics, the research firm based in Boston, USA, the global tablet shipments reached 15 million units in the second quarter of 2011. Apple maintained first position with 61 percent share, drifting downwards due to heightened competition from 94 percent only a year earlier. The big winners is the Android based tablets, which zoomed to 30 percent of the market share from only 3 percent in the year-ago second quarter.
The report also indicates that Microsoft has captured a niche 5 percent global tablet share in Q2 2011, mostly by leveraging Windows 7 through partners such as Fujitsu. RIM with its QNX platform captured 3 percent global tablet share in Q2 2011. The issues related to product design and other factors have led to the first-generation PlayBook model having a rather tepid response from the market. The tablets running on Microsofts OS are more popular than those running on RIM.
On its part, Microsoft has refrained from touting the Windows 7 as a potential challenger to iPad and Android based tablets. Windows 8, which is expected to arrive in the middle of 2012, is going to be the first tablet friendly OS from Microsoft.
The director at Strategy Analytics, Peter King said, Global tablet shipments reached 15.1 million units in Q2 2011, surging 331 percent from 3.5 million in Q2 2010. Consumer and business demand for touchscreen computers remains high. Apple shipped a record 9.3 million iPads and registered a healthy 61 percent global tablet market share during the second quarter of 2011. However, Apple has drifted down from 94 percent share in Q2 2010 due to a rising number of competing software platforms.
Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, Android captured 30 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q2 2011. Multiple Android models distributed across multiple countries by multiple brands such as Samsung, Acer, Asus, Motorola and others are driving volumes. However, no Android vendor yet offers a blockbuster model to rival the iPad, and demand for many Android vendors products remains patchy. If Amazon decides to enter the Android tablet category later this year, that will bring fresh excitement and buzz to the Android community, but Amazon will need to deliver a truly standout offering if it really wants to make headway against the popular iPad.
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