Samsung gains tablet market share as Apple’s dominance decreases

Samsung has doubled its share of the tablet market in the last three months of 2012 according to research from IDC.Samsung which makes the Galaxy range of tablets sold 7.9 million units- up from 2.2 million a year ago, taking its market share to 15.1%.

The market leader Apple with it’s iPad saw its share slide to 43.6% from 51.7%, despite also seeing a jump in sales.

The two have been competing to get a greater share of the tablet market, seen as key to their overall growth.

Global shipments of tablets surged 75% in the final quarter of 2012 to a record 52.5 million units.

“We expected a very strong fourth quarter, and the market didn’t disappoint,” said Tom Mainelli, research director of tablets at IDC.

“New product launches from the category’s top vendors, as well as new entrant Microsoft, led to a surge in consumer interest and very robust shipments totals during the holiday season.”

The numbers are in sharp contrast with the traditional personal computer market, which saw shipments decline during the quarter for the first time in more than five years.

The tablet market is expected to grow further in the coming years with a number of firms launching tablets in an attempt to cash in on the booming sector.

Among the latest entrants has been Microsoft, which launched its Surface tablets, powered by the Windows 8 system late last year.

However, IDC said that the response to the firm’s tablets was “muted at best”. Microsoft shipped nearly 900,000 unit in the three months to end of December.

IDC said that higher prices of its products had hurt Microsoft’s sales.

However, it added that the firm was likely be a key player in the sector in the long term.

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