Android Tablets Take the Lead

Tablets running Google's Android operating system have overtaken those running Apple's iOS in terms of shipped devices, according to new figures from ABI Research. ABI finds that, during the second quarter of 2013, Android-powered tablets also approached Apple's iPad in terms of total revenue. The Android platform's success in the tablet market is likely an outgrowth of the increasing popularity of devices manufactured by Apple's chief rival, Samsung.

ABI found that overall tablet shipments dropped 17 percent sequentially, but they grew 23 percent year-over-year. The study also found that 7-inch tablets now make up the majority of tablet shipments. ABI measured the iPad mini at 60 percent of Apple's total iPad shipments, and 49 percent of iPad-related device revenues for the quarter.
That latter figure represents a shift in the tablet market and in Apple's fortunes. The smaller iPad mini, while still sold at a premium price point, pulls in less revenue for Apple per unit. Apple's average selling price (ASP) for tablets, ABI found, is rapidly approaching the market average, dropping 17 percent, while the rest of the market's ASP rose 17 percent.
Apple has long dominated the tablet market, which was stagnant before the introduction of the iPad. The past year, though, has seen Apple's market share in the tablet segment continuing to decline, even though the company still makes the most money off of the segment.