According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments hit 40.6 million units in Q1 2013. Apple still dominates the market, but Android is gaining ground. In addition, the first Windows 8 tablets went on sale in Q1, but they haven’t been a runaway success, to say the least.
A total of 19.5 million iOS tablets were shipped, up from 11.8 a year ago. Android saw even more growth, 17.6 million Android tablets were shipped, up from 6.4 million in Q1 2012. A total of three million Windows tablets were shipped as well. Global tablet shipments grew 117 percent year-on-year.
“Global branded tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 40.6 million units in Q1 2013, surging 117 percent from 18.7 million in Q1 2012,” said Peter King, Director of Tablets at Strategy Analytics. “Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong.”
The big news should be Windows. Strategy Analytics concluded that Windows tablets probably won’t see much growth – just some of the factors holding back shipments include limited distribution, a shortage of top tier apps, and confusion in the market.
