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Apple's Share of Tablet Market Sinks on Lack of Product Launches in Early 2013

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Apr 12, 2001
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Research firm IDC today announced its preliminary estimates of worldwide tablet shipments for the second quarter of 2013, finding that Apple's share of the market has fallen to under a third. According to IDC's numbers, Apple held a 32.4% share of the market for quarter, compared to 39.6% in the previous quarter and a 60.3% share in the year-ago quarter.

While other top tablet manufacturers saw their shipments rise by 100-300% over the second quarter of 2012, the lack of a new iPad launch from Apple in the March-April timeframe resulted in a 14% drop in Apple's numbers. Still, other top vendors saw their shipments drop sequentially, with IDC attributing those drops to a lack of a general boost in tablet interest that accompanies iPad launches.

idc_2Q13_tablets.jpg
Worldwide Tablet Shipments in 2Q13 in Millions of Units (Source: IDC)​
In years past, Apple has launched a new tablet heading into the second quarter, which resulted in strong quarter-over-quarter growth. Now, Apple is expected to launch new tablet products in the second half of the year, a move that better positions it to compete during the holiday season. Meanwhile, the other two vendors in the top 3 also saw a decline in their unit shipments during the quarter. Second-place Samsung shipped 8.1 million units, down from 8.6 million in the first quarter of 2013, although up significantly from the 2.1 million units shipped in 2Q12. And third-place ASUS shipped a total of 2.0 million units in 2Q13, down from 2.6 million in 1Q13.

"A new iPad launch always piques consumer interest in the tablet category and traditionally that has helped both Apple and its competitors," said Tom Mainelli, Research Director, Tablets at IDC. "With no new iPads, the market slowed for many vendors, and that's likely to continue into the third quarter. However, by the fourth quarter we expect new products from Apple, Amazon, and others to drive impressive growth in the market."
Click to expand...
Second-place Samsung continues to close on Apple in the tablet market, garnering 18% of the market as all of the other major tablet makers continue struggling to hit the 5% mark.

idc_2Q13_tablets_trend.jpg
As always, it is important to note that IDC's numbers track shipments instead of sales, and thus how many shipped devices are making their way into consumers' hands remains unclear. IDC's figures are also estimates, as most companies do not release their exact tablet shipment data and thus research firms must rely on supply chain data and calculations from information that is made public by manufacturers to build their estimates.

Article Link: Apple's Share of Tablet Market Sinks on Lack of Product Launches in Early 2013
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/05/apples-share-of-tablet-market-sinks-on-lack-of-product-launches-in-early-2013/
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
Ah the shipped metric...

Sorry but these firms have no real value in their #s...especially when Strategy Analytics Strategy inflated its earlier estimates of Android tablet sales by more than 11 million units last week until being debunked by Horrace Deidu and others.

The footnote might as well read:

As always, it is important to note that IDC's and other analysts are just pulling #s out of their collective you know what's and thus shouldn't even be taken with a grain of salt.
 
jrswizzle

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
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How many new tablets has Samsung released this year?

How many new tablets has Apple released this year?

Statistics can be made to say whatever the writer wants them to say. But let's look at the contributing factors:

-Apple hasn't released a new iPad in 2013.
-Apple released a new iPad last March and 2 new iPads last fall (so reading into year-over-year numbers is ludicrous).
-Samsung has released 3 new tablets this year (the 7, 8 and 10 inch versions of their tab line).

Knee-jerk reactions based on year-over-year market share numbers are far too prevalent here.
 
R

Razeus

macrumors 603
Jul 11, 2008
5,348
2,030
That's what happens you release everything in the fall.

Apple, listen:

iPad mini in the fall (October), iPad in the Spring (March).

iPhones in July

Macbook Pro/Macbook Air in August


iMacs/Mac Mini between 2x a year April and Novemeber perhaps.
 
Popeye206

Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
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NE PA USA
I was in Office Depot this weekend... tons and tons of tablets being shown. It really seems like you either go iPad or choose one of our 40 other choices. Differentiation of Apple seems to still be an advantage... not to say there's finally some worthy competition. I just don't see how some of these tablet makers are going to differentiate themselves from the other Android based tablets out there? For them, it's really a game of marketing. The store clerks don't seem to have a clue from what I've seen.

It's too bad there is not actual sales data to show the real story. But, my guess is Apple will see a very healthy Q4 when the new iPads are launched.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
Razeus said:
That's what happens you release everything in the fall.

Apple, listen:

iPad mini in the fall (October), iPad in the Spring (March).

iPhones in July

Macbook Pro/Macbook Air in August


iMacs/Mac Mini between 2x a year April and Novemeber perhaps.
Click to expand...

iPad mini will most likely be in the Spring. iPad makes more profit for them therefore it's going to be new for Xmas/Holiday presents.
 
Consultant

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Still, the questionable "shipped" data doesn't match real world actual usage data.
 
R

Razeus

macrumors 603
Jul 11, 2008
5,348
2,030
jrswizzle said:
How many new tablets has Samsung released this year?

How many new tablets has Apple released this year?

Statistics can be made to say whatever the writer wants them to say. But let's look at the contributing factors:

-Apple hasn't released a new iPad in 2013.
-Apple released a new iPad last March and 2 new iPads last fall (so reading into year-over-year numbers is ludicrous).
-Samsung has released 3 new tablets this year (the 7, 8 and 10 inch versions of their tab line).

Knee-jerk reactions based on year-over-year market share numbers are far too prevalent here.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

That would make sense if their competitors marketshare didn't double or triple for the same time period. Apple is throwing dollars away with their slow production and release schedule.
 
snowmoon

snowmoon

macrumors 6502a
Oct 6, 2005
900
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Albany, NY
Android makes it up on volume... how many of those are replacing a poorly designed or defective device? Don't answer that. :mad:
 
T

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
Totally agree Apple's lower sales are due to not releasing an upgraded iPad so far this year.

I don't think it's a surprise to see Android tablets shipments far outpacing Apple's though.
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
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Market share is a meaningless statistic and is over-quoted for reasons that completely escape me. What matters is the total number of units shipped, as this is where earnings are represented.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
Popeye206 said:
I was in Office Depot this weekend... tons and tons of tablets being shown. It really seems like you either go iPad or choose one of our 40 other choices. Differentiation of Apple seems to still be an advantage... not to say there's finally some worthy competition. I just don't see how some of these tablet makers are going to differentiate themselves from the other Android based tablets out there? For them, it's really a game of marketing. The store clerks don't seem to have a clue from what I've seen.

It's too bad there is not actual sales data to show the real story. But, my guess is Apple will see a very healthy Q4 when the new iPads are launched.
Click to expand...

My friend bought an Asus 7" tablet for their kid to have at XMas. Told him he wasted his $$ and should have just bought an iPad Mini. 3 months later they bought an iPad Mini because the Asus just sucked, battery life was bad and the apps crashed for the kid. So that Asus is dead and they don't use it, but it still counted as a sale and someone will count it as a tablet being used when in reality it's in a drawer.
 
H

herbapou

macrumors member
Dec 20, 2011
99
0
Ryth said:
Ah the shipped metric...

Sorry but these firms have no real value in their #s...especially when Strategy Analytics Strategy inflated its earlier estimates of Android tablet sales by more than 11 million units last week until being debunked by Horrace Deidu and others.

The footnote might as well read:

As always, it is important to note that IDC's and other analysts are just pulling #s out of their collective you know what's and thus shouldn't even be taken with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...

Funny how fanboy's were not doubting the numbers when Apple market share was good. IDC's numbers have always been reliable.

That being said, this specific 2Q13 number is deceiving because Apple didnt had a product launches this year while it had one a year ago. Also this is a time specific snapshot of the market shares, Apple market share of all tablets being used today is still much higher than this.

I am still disapointed in Apple ability to maintain its market shares, it looks like we are going toward a iphone market instead of an ipod market share. I dont like Apple doing all its refresh in the fall, it should spread out its cycles. Also I hope Apple will repackage the current mini into plastic shells when it launches the new mini in the fall, so it can compete at the $200 segment and have a product for the emerging markets.
 
Last edited:
R

Razeus

macrumors 603
Jul 11, 2008
5,348
2,030
Ryth said:
iPad mini will most likely be in the Spring. iPad makes more profit for them therefore it's going to be new for Xmas/Holiday presents.
Click to expand...

I'm saying they should switch it up. iPad mini is easier, financially, to put under Christmas trees. Then they can bring the big gun in the spring. iPad may be more profitable, but iPad mini can move in volumes, which means more app store says per device.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
IJ Reilly said:
Market share is a meaningless statistic and is over-quoted for reasons that completely escape me. What matters is the total number of units shipped, as this is where earnings are represented.
Click to expand...

Shipped doesn't matter either. They can be returned to the vendor. HP Touchpad shipped 1 million units. They sold something like 25k before the firesale.

END SALES is what matters and PROFIT.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
tann said:
Totally agree Apple's lower sales are due to not releasing an upgraded iPad so far this year.

I don't think it's a surprise to see Android tablets shipments far outpacing Apple's though.
Click to expand...

But come on. You can't really cry that Apple is in trouble because their sales have dipped. Of course sales dip when there is nothing new to buy. I'd rather them release a new device once a year then have the market saturated with various devices that are updated every few months. I feel it is confusing to know which Android tablet to buy.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
herbapou said:
Funny how fanbois were not doubting the numbers when Apple market share was good.
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with a fanboy. It's called factual data.

Shipped means nothing. Units can be returned to the vendor for a refund from stores. See HP Touchpad firesale and how the shipped metric fell on it's face and was no longer considered a valid metric after that. Also the Samsung/Apple trial showed that shipped was again a deceptive metric because Samsung even tried to say that their sales were pitiful and that their shipped #s weren't accurate with end sales.
 
Liquorpuki

Liquorpuki

macrumors 68020
Jun 18, 2009
2,286
8
City of Angels
Ryth said:
Ah the shipped metric...

Sorry but these firms have no real value in their #s...especially when Strategy Analytics Strategy inflated its earlier estimates of Android tablet sales by more than 11 million units last week until being debunked by Horrace Deidu and others.

The footnote might as well read:

As always, it is important to note that IDC's and other analysts are just pulling #s out of their collective you know what's and thus shouldn't even be taken with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...

Do you have the link to this?
 
Amazing Iceman

Amazing Iceman

macrumors 603
Nov 8, 2008
5,304
4,054
Florida, U.S.A.
Well, only someone in real need or an idiot would buy an iPad now, when a new model is almost here.

Also, all these reports are so conflicting; some show Samsung at #1, others show Apple at #1. I'm not sure what the basis for these analysis are, but not all seem to be realistic.
 
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