Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is no longer the dominant force in the tablet market. The latest numbers from IDC shows that now Android has asserted its dominance over Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). This stands in stark contrast from last year when the iPad was the only tablet dominating global tablet sales.
Apple shipped fewer tablets than Android vendors
During the second quarter of the year, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reported that it shipped 14.6 million iPads. That’s a 14 percent drop from the same quarter a year ago, and it’s the first time the company recorded an iPad decline in the June quarter.
Meanwhile Android tablets surged from 10.7 million tablets in the second quarter of last year to 28.2 million in the second quarter of this year, according to IDC. That’s a 163 percent increase year over year for Android. It also swaps Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Android in terms of tablet dominance.
Last year, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) held 60.3 percent of the tablet market, while Android held 38 percent of the market. This year though, Android holds 62.6 percent of the market while Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) holds just 32.5 percent of it.
Apple’s tablet results affected by the lack of a new model
IDC noted in its press release that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) failed to release a new iPad going into the second quarter. The result was strong iPad growth quarter over quarter in the past. However, this year there was no pre-second quarter iPad release. Instead, we’re expecting to see the new iPad just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Other tablet vendors also declined
Of course since there are multiple vendors selling Android tablets, those results are broken down further. Samsung is in second place in terms of overall shipments, coming in after Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) with 8.1 million units. That’s a decline from 8.6 million units sequentially. ASUS, which is in third place, also slipped, falling from 2.6 million units in the first quarter to 2 million units in the second quarter.
Some other tablet vendors saw increases. Lenovo Group Ltd. (PINK:LNVGY) (HKG:0992) and Acer Incorporated (TPE:2353) both rejoined the top five during the second quarter. Lenovo shipped 1.5 million tablets—a 313.9 percent increase from the same quarter a year ago. Acer’s shipments also grew to 1.4 million tablets, a 247.9 percent growth year over year.
Windows tablets growing
The Windows operating system is also showing signs of growth in the tablet market, in spite of signs that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is having to slash prices in order to move them. The system shipped 1.8 million units in the second quarter—a 527 percent growth year over year.
