Android Leads in Tablet Sales

Global tablet shipments in Q1 2014 reached 57.6 million units, up 19 percent from 48.3 million in Q1 2013. Breaking those numbers down, Android secured 65.8 percent global share, iOS grabbed 28.4 percent, and Windows secured 5.8 percent.

The latest figures are from Strategy Analytics, which says Google is making steady progress as it now commands two thirds of the tablet market share. Apple, meanwhile, has changed its product release cycle to the holiday timeframe, so iPad losing share is to be expected until the final months of the calendar year.

In short, the Android-iOS war is far from over, but ever since Google surpassed Apple, it doesn’t look likely to lose its lead. Yet much more interesting will be watching to see how Microsoft’s numbers change in the next few quarters.

Here’s what Strategy Analytics believes is likely:

There may be an uptick in Windows following Microsoft’s decision to offer Windows for free for sub 9-inch devices. We may see a new batch of 8-inch Windows based Tablets with reduced prices; they will still not be as inexpensive as Android, but it will enable them to be more competitive and appealing to a wider audience. The shortage of apps continues to be a problem, with seemingly little incentive for developers to work on the platform.

Frankly, we don’t think there will be much growth for Windows tablets in 2014. Microsoft is making another long-term play, and until the company’s Windows Phone and Windows RT strategy is solidified, most of the market won’t be considering anything aside from Android or iOS. Google’s and Apple’s duopoly is likely to continue for quite some time.