Tablets with Android outweigh iPad - Yahoo

with Android Tablets outweigh iPad

By Nayara Fraga and Ligia Aguilhar

São Paulo, 08 (AE) – Tablets with Android – the operating system developed by Google – led worldwide sales in this category in the first quarter of this year, leaving behind iOS, Apple, and Microsoft’s Windows. IDC’s survey, which has units outputs of factories towards the shops, says that Android accounted for 56.5% of handsets shipped in that period.

This is not the first time Google’s platform outperforms competitors in the segment of electronic clipboards. The turn of the world market – once dominated by Apple, with its iPad – occurred in the third quarter of 2012, according to IDC. Since then, Android has maintained its leadership, and the forecast of analysts is that 2013 is the first year that this system will occupy the first place in sales during all trimesters.

There are two reasons for this. The first concerns the nature of the platform, which is open and can be used by any manufacturer. Thus, since 2011, many companies previously removed from the world of tablets decided to launch their own models, like Amazon, Asus, Lenovo and Samsung (now the leader among Android tablets).

The second reason is the range of prices. Mainly in Brazil, are the seven inch Android clipboards and cheaper to dominate sales. “The explosion of sales takes place is in the base band where are the tablets to $ 500,” says Bruno Freitas, research manager at IDC in Brazil.

In the country, the participation of the Google system in tablet market, according to analysts, is approaching the situation of smartphones. About 80% of all smartphones sold last year in Brazil were Androids. With the entry of new players, this proportion may decrease, but the expectation is that the platform remains leader. The IDC is forecasting that sales jump of 3.1 million units in 2012 to 5.8 million in 2013.

Apple. In total, worldwide sales of tablets totaled 49.2 million units in the first quarter, an increase of 142.4% compared to the same period last year.

Analyzing

brands alone, Apple remained in the lead in sales with 39.6% market share, followed by Samsung (17.9%), Asus (5.5%) and Amazon (3.7%) and Microsoft (1.8%), which appears first in the list.

Apple’s leadership to IDC, is linked to the strong demand for the iPad mini. “In addition, by changing the release of the iPad (mini and 4) for the fourth quarter of 2012, Apple seems to have avoided the typical drop in sales that occurs in January and February, when consumers prefer to wait for the release of March” said in a statement, the director of research at IDC, Tom Mainelli.

Although forecasts are positive for the mobile device market – while the PCs embitter the worst slump of all time – some believe that the electronic boards are fashion. The president of the BlackBerry, Thorsten Heins said this week that the tablets do not represent a good business model. “In five years, I do not think there will be more reason to take tablet.” The executive believes that people can carry only one device that gives access to all other screens used by it. Thus, the tablet completely lose its importance.