While the iPad’s share in the tablet market has steadily declined, there’s been no one Android tablet to take the majority of the credit.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which was released during the 2011 holiday season, has ignited a lot of interest in the Android tablet environment.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t managed to break through to a level of sales that puts significant pressure on the iPad. A new research report from Forrester Research finds that Apple’s device now has a 73% stranglehold on the tablet market.
That’s pretty impressive, but keep in mind that the iPad invented the market so it effectively had a 100% market share just a couple years ago.
So where’s the other 27%? That’s a good question. Forrester found that Samsung was the leader in non-iPad tablet manufacturing, but even if you combine all of its Android tablets, it still only commands a 5% market share.
Below that, Motorola clocks in with 4% and Acer is clinging to 3%. According to estimates, the Kindle Fire sold fewer units than Samsung did in 2011, but of course the Kindle Fire was only around for the last month of the year.
These numbers are sure to change, especially as the Kindle Fire and other low-cost Android tablets make a real punch. But today is a vital day to measure the market, as Apple will be introducing the next iPad tomorrow.
With all the hype that has been built up surrounding the new Apple device, the market is sure to start leaning back in that company’s direction.
