Android media tablets have collectively taken 20 percent
market share away from the iPad in the last 12 months. However, no single
vendor using Android (or any other OS) has been able to mount a significant
challenge against it, according to ABI Research.
Worldwide annual media tablet shipments are expected to
top 120 million units in 2015. While not quite as strong as traditional PC or
smartphone annual sales, media tablets are emerging from the shadow of
non-handset mobile devices and rapidly coming into their own.
Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are
separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple. In fact,
most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads.
Apple, never a company to be waiting for others, has introduced its second-generation
iPad media tablet while keeping product pricing unchanged,” said Jeff Orr, mobile
devices group director, ABI Research.
Fragmentation within operating system software is
hindering growth of this device category. Application developers must choose an
initial software platform and may delay starting development if the market
potential is not significant.
Google’s Android OS has no less than three different
software builds deployed across media tablets at the same time. The benefits of
open software platform development have yet to be realized for media tablets.
De-featured, low-cost media tablets are being introduced
by more than fifty vendors in 2011. This will certainly help bolster
year-over-year growth for the category, but it also creates a negative
perception in the minds of the mass consumer audience about the readiness of
media tablets to be fully functional within the next several years. Good user
experiences and product response are needed to propel this market beyond the ‘early adopter’ stage.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
