IDC has publicized its Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker for the third quarter of the year 2011. According to this analysis, the iPad secured 61.5 percent market share by the end of the quarter, which is the highest as compared to counterparts. On the other hand, Android followed Apple as the most used OS for media slates.
Apple sold about 11.1 million units of the device in question, which marks a considerable growth in comparison to the 9.3 million shipments in 2Q11. However, its market share was 63.3 percent back then, approximately 2 percent more than the latest reading. It was followed by Samsung at 5.6 percent, and HP which sold almost 903,354 TouchPads, gaining 5 percent in the tablet arena. Hot on its heels were Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color and Asus with 4.5 percent and 4 percent shares, respectively.
“Amazon and Barnes & Noble are shaking up the media tablet market, and their success helps prove that there is an appetite for media tablets beyond Apple’s iPad,” commented Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices. “That said, I fully expect Apple to have its best-ever quarter in 4Q11, and in 2012 I think we’ll see Apple’s product begin to gain more traction outside of the consumer market, specifically with enterprise and education markets.”
The report also shed light on how various operating systems fared in the past quarter. iOS secured 59 percent, while Android slipped down to 32.4 percent from 33.2 percent in the previous quarter, which gained it the second position. Tagging along were the BlackBerry OS and HP webOS at 0.7 percent and 0 percent, respectively. According to IDC, the overall sales of media slates in 3Q11 were less than expected or predicted previously. However, with the holiday season marking the present quarter, the company forecasts a rise in this sector.
The factsheet of the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader survey can be accessed from company’s official website.
