Sales of Android tablets closing gap on iPad

Post by Richard Morris on 27th January 2012
 in Apple, Google, Retail

Tablet computer sales hit a new peak in the last quarter of 2011, and were two-and-a-half times higher than in the same period a year earlier.

Researchers from Strategy Analytics also noted that machines running on Google's Android operating system increased their market share by more than a third, a rise which came at the expense of market-leader Apple.

Thirty-nine per cent of tablets sold in the quarter were Android-powered, while Apple tablets accounted for 58 per cent of sales.

Analyst Neil Mawston said the rise of the Android system was down to "dozens of models distributed across multiple countries by brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others driving volumes."

Overall, said a Reuters report, the tablet computer market grew by 260 per cent in 2011, with 66.9 million devices sold.