Apple Dominates Tablet Market As Low-Cost Android Tablet Sales Slow Dramatically

Preliminary data from the The Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies (TTS) service report indicate that total global tablet computer shipments reached 78.3 million units in Q4 2014, up 1 percent from 77.2 million in Q4 2013.

Apple further consolidated its global market share, due to anticipated seasonal shipments reaching a 27% share of the overall tablet market. Strategy Analytics forecasts 6.6% growth for CY 2014.

Strategy Analytics Tablet Service Director Peter King says Android market share slipped slightly at the expense of strong iPad seasonality and recorded a share of 66% of the Tablet market. Android branded vendors shipped 51.8 million units between them worldwide in Q4 2014, up 8% from 47.8 million a year earlier. Windows 8.1 Tablets showed an 89 percent growth rate annually, with improved sales at the high-end with products such as Microsoft Surface Pro 3, but also at the low end of the price spectrum as more Windows-based products emerge from the Chinese manufacturers.

However, Apple’s 21.4 million shipments in calendar Q4/2014 declined 18% annually and increased 74% sequentially due to seasonality, and Strategy Analytics notes that the company’s iPhone 6 products are putting the squeezer on the iPad Mini particularly, and suggests that continued strong Mac sales could be inhibiting some iPad Air 2 growth according to Strategy Analytics’ Senior Analyst in the Tablet Service Eric Smith.

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2014 (preliminary)

Shipments refer to sell-in. Numbers are rounded. The definition of Tablet does not include e-book readers or convertible PCs

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