Global media tablet shipments in the third quarter ballooned 280% over the same quarter last year to reach 17 million units. Boston-based research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics found that Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android OS combined to capture a combined 94% of the global market, leaving Microsoft, HP and RIM fighting for scraps. Apple shipped 11.1 million iPads to take 67% of the market according to Strategy Analytics, and Google’s Android platform accounted for 27% of the market. ”Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high,” Strategy Analytics director Peter King said in a statement. “Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.” Strategy Analytics’ full press release follows below.
Strategy Analytics: Apple & Android Capture 94 Percent Share of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2011
Boston, MA — October 21, 2011 — According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 17 million units in the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS and Android dominate the worldwide market with a combined 94 percent share.
Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached 16.7 million units in Q3 2011, surging 280 percent from 4.4 million in Q3 2010. Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high. Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.”
Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android captured 27 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2011, rising twelve-fold from 2 percent a year earlier. Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Samsung, Acer and others have been driving volumes. Industry eyes will next turn to the commercial launch of the Amazon Fire. Amazon’s strategy of minimizing its hardware price is set to ignite the entry-level tablet segment and attract more mass-market consumers.”
Other findings from the research include:
- Microsoft captured a niche 2 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The future release of Windows 8 cannot come quickly enough for Microsoft, so its hardware partners can start competing more effectively in the tablet space;
- RIM and its QNX platform captured 1 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The next-generation PlayBook 2.0 model will need to offer a much improved ecosystem for messaging and consumer apps if it wants to take off.
Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q3 2011 [1]
Global Tablet OS Shipments (Millions of Units) Q3 ’10
Q3 ’11
Apple iOS 4.2
11.1
Android 0.1
4.5
Microsoft 0.0
0.4
QNX 0.0
0.2
Others 0.1
0.5
Total 4.4
16.7
Global Tablet OS Marketshare % Q3 ’10
Q3 ’11
Apple iOS 95.5%
66.6%
Android 2.3%
26.9%
Microsoft 0.0%
2.4%
QNX 0.0%
1.2%
Others 2.3%
2.9%
Total 100.0%
100.0%
Growth Year-over-Year % N / A
280%
The full report, Global Tablet OS Market Share: Q3 2011, is published by the Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen (TTS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3gyw3hz.
[1] Shipments refer to sell-in. Numbers are rounded. The definition of tablet does not include e-book readers.
