Android Tablets Gaining Marketshare

[MrWillie]

Once Honeycomb really gets moving, and onto whole range of big consumer name products that many love, Asus, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Creative, Motorola, etc etc, specs good, prices good, I expect things to really start moving big style.

You left out smooth operation.

Exactly. Nintendo and Apple are the only two companies that I closely follow that care more about Profit than Marketshare. Sure marketshare is nice because it means more revenue/profit, but they are both able to sustain their ideologies and business without being in first or even second place.

No, market share does NOT mean more revenue/profit. Apple proves that every quarter. Look at the page one report "Apple with 4% cell phone market share has 50% of the profits". When you race to the bottom...

Where are all these Android tablets? I've yet to see one in the wild.

Look on the store shelves, they are there.

 

[lokerd]

Where are all these Android tablets? I've yet to see one in the wild.

I am starting to see them roll into the classroom from Christmas where HS students tend to be pretty good barometers for gadgets like this. I am seeing more non Apple tablets.

 

[steve31]

Where are all these Android tablets? I've yet to see one in the wild.

I have a Galaxy Tab. I really like the size of it. But the iPad is the better device. I do think that when Honeycomb tablets are out, it will be a close race.

 

[fertilized-egg]

Where are all these Android tablets? I've yet to see one in the wild.

Ah ha, here's your answer:

Samsung says Galaxy Tab sales to consumers actually 'quite small'

In short: Samsung stuffed carrier warehouse and stores with their Galaxy Tabs but admitted only a small portion of them were actually sold to consumers and the sales fell short of the expectation.

The article of this thread counted all two million Samsung tablets as "sold" when they are mostly sitting on the shelves, waiting for buyers and not being used by anyone except as store demo. Without those two million Samsung tablets sold, the 20%+ marketshare for Android is bogus - unless you want to argue there are still many many Android tablets outthere, just not in users' hand.

 

[rmitchell248]

that is a pretty stupid article. If you are the only one doing something then somebody else starts doing it and they sell 10 items of course they are cutting into your market LOL.... Some people

 

[rdowns]

I am starting to see them roll into the classroom from Christmas where HS students tend to be pretty good barometers for gadgets like this. I am seeing more non Apple tablets.

Really? From who? Aside of the Galaxy, who is shipping a tablet? The $99-$149 ones don't count.

 

[maflynn]

Explain why Android 2.3 OS it out, but it is not out for other Android phones? Why? That's fragmentation. Talk about Gingerbread OS is very snappy, but why aren't these Galaxy S phones, Droid phones and other devices do not have 2.3? Why do they still have 2.1 or 2.2?

Easy, in fact you answered it yourself. Google releases the code and the phone manufacturers update it for their phones, adding in SenseUI or Motoblur depending on the phone maker. How is the lack of an upgrade in any way related to the fragmentation argument I was making? True, I would love to see a faster upgrade cycle, and that is one of the weak areas on the android platform.

The consumer should not have to root their devices to get the latest software. Google sucks.

I don't have my mine rooted and google just released 2.3. Its a completely different model then apple's business model, it has advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that the platform is quickly becoming the #1 platform.


Yet your response does not answer my question,. Where is the fragmentation. I hear how this is an awful thing, every apple fanboy quips about the android fragmentation, but does not explain his statement. They just move on. fragmentation is more FUD then containing any real substance.

 

[kdarling]

Samsung transcript mistake: "smooth sales" not "small"

Having been a Korean linguist for the NSA and US Army, I was suspicious of the whole "sales were quite small" quote from a Samsung official that was being passed around.

Others were too, and pointed out that it sounded differently in the audio recording.

Now the Wall Steet Journal has noted the correct transcript.

What she actually said, was that Tab "sales were quite smooth".

 

[bearcatrp]

Don't forget about Rim's tablet and HP with web OS. Am sure these will sell. Web OS is pretty good. Palm just screwed up putting it on a cheap plastic phone and wasn't ready for prime time. Hope HP does it right. I think it's February 11th is when it's announced. Between all these different tablets coming out, by christmas will tell who is leading who. Nice thing about competition, leads to lower pricing.

 

[fertilized-egg]

... I was suspicious of the whole "sales were quite small" quote from a Samsung official that was being passed around.
...
What she actually said, was that Tab "sales were quite smooth".

Indeed and I stand corrected now that I have heard the audio.

However it doesn't really change the story that much:
1) Samsung reported only the "shipment" numbers, not actual sales to the consumers
2) Despite using words like "smooth" and "we believe is OK" to describe the sales number, the Samsung executive a) admitted it's not selling to consumers as fast as they expected and b) still wouldn't say how much Galaxy Tabs have actually been sold to consumers even though it seems they have the data to know at least roughly how many have been sold.
3) The article in question for this thread was written based on the number from Samsung. Almost all of the Android tablet share gain was from the 2 million Samsung Galaxy Tabs that were shipped, not "sold."

And I was wondering why they keep slashing price on the Galaxy Tab

 

[vrDrew]

The Tech press - and a lot of commenters on tech blogs - have been falling all over themselves talking about the flood of "magical Android tablets" that (somehow) always seem to be just over the horizon. And these folks seem equally convinced that these mythical beasts were inevitably going to swamp Apple's iPad.

They are almost certainly wrong.

Without going into a detailed explanation, its worth remembering that Google only provides the operating system - a version of Android's mobile phone system. And, as Apple has shown, the software is only part of the problem. Google has had the best part of a year to copy Apple's tablet OS - and by now I'm pretty sure they've cobbled together something good enough to "wow" the simpletons who write for Gizmodo. But "software" is much less than half the battle.

There is also hardware: the screen size, resolution, color. How sensitive and responsive the touch screen is. How it responds to light. How tough the glass is. And how resistant to the oil on our fingertips. There is the build-quality of the case - the type of aluminum they use, and the anodizing or other finish they put on it. The battery size - how long it will power the device - and how long the battery lasts before it needs to be replaced. And lastly - there is the matter of how much it all costs.

In pretty much every instance of hardware - Apple has a clear advantage. There is - quite literally - no company in the world that does a better job of industrial design when it comes to consumer products of any description. Especially computer electronics. But what is equally important is that Apple has, by dint of excellent management and organization, managed to secure a manufacturing base of assemblers and suppliers that can deliver this sort of quality cheaper than most of their competitors.

From a hardware standpoint its as if Apple was in the car business, and was selling Mercedes-Benz automobiles - that were priced the same as Fiats or Fords. Which do you think consumers would buy?

Apple has another clear advantage - their retail stores. Tablets are a relatively new device in the mass market. Curious consumers want to put their hands on one, try them out, see what they can do with them - before plunking down ther hard earned cash. And Apple's retail stores, which are filled with both helpful, friendly staff - and a crowd of other enthusiastic consumers trying out iPads - are far more conducive to helping them buy than anything the competition has. Compare an Apple Store to your local Radio Shack; Best Buy; or those annoying jerks in the cellphone kiosks in the mall. That's Apple's "competition" on the retail end of things.

I haven't touched upon the "network effects" of Apple's software ecosystem. The fact that half a billion people around the world already have an iPod, and that a hundred million or so already have an iTunes account. The 20,000 plus iPad-specific Apps already available.

But on just about every score - Apple has a tremendous advantage over Android when it comes to Tablets.

The problem with Tech Nerds is that they see the whole world through their goofy glasses. And they lack the social skills to understand that the rest of the world doesn't see things quite the same way.

 

[MrWillie]

Easy, in fact you answered it yourself. Google releases the code and the phone manufacturers update it for their phones, adding in SenseUI or Motoblur depending on the phone maker. How is the lack of an upgrade in any way related to the fragmentation argument I was making? True, I would love to see a faster upgrade cycle, and that is one of the weak areas on the android platform.

I don't have my mine rooted and google just released 2.3. Its a completely different model then apple's business model, it has advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that the platform is quickly becoming the #1 platform.

You running Droid X on Verizon ? Did you just get the 2.3.340 update? If so, how is it running ?

 

[eye]

I'll be honest, I didn't really see this coming so soon. Apple's going to have to change their once-a-year release schedule if they plan to keep up (to a new Android tablet that's going to be popping up each month). It doesn't even seem like there are Android-based tablets on the market yet and yet they eroding Apple's dominance of the tablet market.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...ets-gain-on-apple-ipad-in-fourth-quarter.html

Yeah, Android tablets are killing!

 

[yodaxl7]

How so?

Please define what exactly is fragmented and how that impacts the consumer and developer?

As I see it, the consumer has apps that run, they are not impacted by this so called "fragmentation"

Developers don't seem to be terribly affected, especially if they write software for the latest and greatest version of the OS.

I mean you could also make the argument that iOS is quite fragmented with the iPhone 3 which is quite different then the 3GS which is different then 4. You also have various versions of iOS that the developer may need to worr
y about. All the same arguments that people use against android apply to iOS.

Some new phones don't come out with the latest os. Google is upset that no one is buying apps like the way we do on apple's AppStore. Besides hardware differences, not having same edition of the software make it harder for developers to write apps for them and to update. Plus android market is not great to discover apps.

Plus, iPad has sold more than 14.8 million so far! Android sold less than 2 million. Apple still have about 95%

 

[Mitchrapp]

I'm not talking about the high-end popular phones. Take for example, Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, it just got 2.1, when will it get 2.3? I doubt they'll even update.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Apple fanboy or Android hater, infact I like Android. Its a problem that manufacturers have to sort out and no problem from Google's side.

The only thing I don't like about Android is stock Android UI

I'm sure if Apple had as many phones as Android, the same would happen. Even the older iPhones aren't getting updated anymore.

 

[jmpnop]

I'm sure if Apple had as many phones as Android, the same would happen. Even the older iPhones aren't getting updated anymore.

That is if Apple has so many phones. Reasons don't count and in the end you don't get the latest features. It pisses off many when they pay a huge price for the phone and don't get the latest features. They simply don't give a damn about the reason.

 

[Mitchrapp]

That is if Apple has so many phones. Reasons don't count and in the end you don't get the latest features. It pisses off many when they pay a huge price for the phone and don't get the latest features. They simply don't give a damn about the reason.

Just like the older iPhones and older iPods? Don't kid yourself, it's like that all over.

 

[neko girl]

Haters gonna hate...

Android is good stuff.

I don't really think that YOU think the Samsung Galaxy Tab was "good stuff". Samsung's a hardware manufacturer that thought that software isn't the binding experience for a consumer device like a tablet. They were wrong. Android and iOS is what a consumer experiences and buys, not the hardware. Next time these hardware manufacturers should pay close attention to what their software provider is telling them.

The Tab is a slow, laggy, frustrating experience. You don't have to dislike Android to dislike the Tab.

I may agree with you for Honeycomb tablets, and the Google IO demo today certainly had more than a few elements I'm interested in, but I think real demos and reports from gadget blogs will tell.

I also think it's interesting how the NEXT version of Android is always the answer.

 

[Tarzanman]

The Tab is no worse than the iPad. They are both overgrown versions of their respective phones.

The 'next' (as you put it) version of Android isn't the answer... the current version is. Android as an ecosystem already offers more features and more devices than iOS. That is what has allowed Android's growth to explode in the past year.

As an side (in response to an earlier post) few people I know hate Apple. Its Apple's fanboys and acolytes (and the accompanying detachment from objective/rational thought) that they actually dislike. Criticizing Uncle Steve just happens to be the easiest way to annoy them back.

 

[iPadThai]

That demonstration was not even impressive - nothing absolutely nothing that stood out. "Widgets?" come on - big f'ng deal here.

There's alot more to prove on the hemorroid platform because at the end of the fiscal quarter, the $ proves which device is more well accepted. Put your money where your bragging mouth is (regarding honeycomb cereal) and buy what you like.

I'm waiting for the iPad2 to unveil. If it's the same thing, I still would put the money out to buy it if it does improve more than just the cpu. I need for the browser to be as fast as my desktop - if they can pull that off, then for sure it's a definitely buy (for the ipad2).

I have zero interest in craptastic android devices - there's just way too many android and basically the same lame sh__t, just a different toilet.

 

[Restinbeast]

Obviously this is a mac site but sometimes it is surprising how close-minded apple fanboys can be. I love all my apple products but isnt it time to admit there is a legit competitor on the very near horizon?

Read this article and tell me that android 3.0 isn't going to have some very awesome features...

http://lifehacker.com/5750114/five-ways-the-android+powered-google-tablet-is-better-than-the-ipad?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lifehacker%2Ffull+%28Lifehacker%29

 

[Piggie]

The Tab is no worse than the iPad. They are both overgrown versions of their respective phones.

The 'next' (as you put it) version of Android isn't the answer... the current version is. Android as an ecosystem already offers more features and more devices than iOS. That is what has allowed Android's growth to explode in the past year.

As an side (in response to an earlier post) few people I know hate Apple. Its Apple's fanboys and acolytes (and the accompanying detachment from objective/rational thought) that they actually dislike. Criticizing Uncle Steve just happens to be the easiest way to annoy them back.

What will you do if the web browser is faster on a high end Honeycomb device than say the iPad2 ?

I also agree the speed of web browsing, rendering a heavy page, is terribly slow on iPad1 compared to a desktop machine.

 

[vrDrew]

Read this article and tell me that android 3.0 isn't going to have some very awesome features...

Android has a slightly better Notification system?

Well, gee, I certainly can see millions of people ditching their iPads for that sort of functionality.

As for the rest of the "features" in the Lifehacker article (ie. multitasking, camera app, etc.) those struck me more as subjective opinion. One man's "better home screen" is my idea of a cluttered mess.

Sure - true multitasking sounds nice. But it plays hell with battery life. And Synching via your computer sounds old school - until you lose your portable device, and are glad as hell you've got a backup of your data somewhere.

 

[fertilized-egg]

The Tab is no worse than the iPad. They are both overgrown versions of their respective phones.
...
As an side (in response to an earlier post) few people I know hate Apple. Its Apple's fanboys and acolytes (and the accompanying detachment from objective/rational thought) that they actually dislike. ...

Your post is an excellent example of why some anti-Apple (or anti-Apple fans) people think they are being rational when in fact they are some of most irrational people you'll find. The iPad has plenty of apps that are custom made to take the full advantage of the larger display size, which is the whole point of a tablet. Sure it's largely based on the iPhone OS, but Apple made changes and support the OS for the tablet.

On the other hand, Galaxy Tab's Froyo is literally overgrown phone OS with a very few apps that are made to take advantage of the screen size, mainly because the the company who made the OS themselves said they don't want to support it for the tablet form factor. Yet here you're trying to make them look like peas out of the same pod.

When the first iPhone came out, I'm pretty sure something like this went down between friends:

Potential iPhone buyer: "Wow, the new iPhone feels really smooth and UI is very intuitive, I'll buy it."

anti-Apple(fan): "You're irrational and deluded. Let me tell you why. Check the list of features: Windows Mobile phone has an external memory slot and a rechargeable battery, Windows Mobile has copy&past, Windows Mobile allows you to use the stylus which is much more accurate."
anti-Apple(fan): "...See what I mean? Windows Mobile has so many more features than the iPhone. You're detached from objective rational thought if you buy the iPhone. It's all bling."

A potential iPhone buyer: "But the iPhone just looks and feels better and it's so much easier to use and smooth."

anti-Apple(fan): "Your sense of reality has been warped by Steve Jobs. Here I've written down the list of features not found on iPhone. See how many you're missing? Numbers don't lie. If you still buy the iPhone, you're irrational.

A potential iPhone buyer: "I still want to buy it. Man the mobile Safari is amazing and everything feels amazingly smooth and nicely sorted."

anti-Apple(fan): "Arg! I can't believe Steve Jobs has made another fan with his Reality Distortion Field! See here I'm copying and pasting on my Windows Mobile phone! An iPhone can't do it. Here I have my external memory card which gives so much more extra room for cheap, with the iPhone you're throwing away your money to Jobs. I know you're usually a rational guy, how can you buy the iPhone?"

A potential iPhone buyer: "But Windows Mobile phone feels clunky and hard to use. The iPhone feels much more intuitive."

anti-Apple(fan): "Jobs is deceiving you. He wants to dumb down everything and make your intelligence level go down. You want a phone with nothing but a big red button? That's intuitive! If you're a rational guy, you'll have no problem using Windows Mobile. Also look here, I'm using my finger nail to move things around with a GREAT accuracy. The iPhone can't do it. See how many features the iPhone is missing?"

A potential iPhone buyer: "But Windows Mobile just doesn't feel right. And the iPhone feels so much better made than Windows Mobile phones."

anti-Apple(fan): "Trust me. You've been brainwashed by Apple's marketing. The iPhone is a fad for people of lower intelligence. Who cares what the outer shell feels like on a phone. If you're smart and rational, you want and need more features. Windows Mobile is better. The iPhone is an expensive toy and will fail."

 

[MagnumOP]

Where are all these Android tablets? I've yet to see one in the wild.

i saw some one buy one at office depot the other day... so I went over to the display model to try it out.

All i can say is i hope he kept his receipt.