Apple's iPad to slip behind Google Android tablets – research company

PanARMENIAN.Net - Apple's iPad is expected to slip behind tablets running Google Android this year for the first time, as Apple cedes more of its market share to the competition, Digital Spy said.

Research company IDC has said iPad shipments are expected to account for 46% of the tablet market in 2013, down from 51% last year.

By the end of this year, Android tablets are predicted to increase their market share from 42% last year to 49%, giving them a dominant position.

Apple's iPad, with its 9.7-inch screen, has led the tablet market since its launch in 2010, but that started to change in 2012.

The Android slate market was particularly boosted by the success of Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire devices, both of which have 7-inch screens, good technical specs, and the Android ecosystem, all for a cheaper price than the iPad.

Meanwhile, Apple's main iPad is being challenged by Microsoft's Surface and other Windows devices. IDC expects tablets running Windows 8 to grow their market share from 1% last year to 7.4% by 2017.