Market Stats

A Tale of Two Tablet Tiers

  • PDF

Despite previous predictions of Apple gradually losing share in the tablet market, the iPad continues to dominate-- taking over 88% share of the Q4 2011 W. European tablet market according to CONTEXT.

ipad KindleIn comparison the iPad's Q3 2011 market share totals 76%.

As a result the analyst predicts such a trend is a "precursor to a two-tier industry" based on pricing-- with luxury brands (chiefly iPad) at one end and cheap-and-cheerful devices (such as the Amazon Kindle) on the other.

CONTEXT says customers want devices with "integrated and reliable" platforms-- something Windows 8 promises to deliver, resulting in some success for traditional PC vendors stepping into tablet territories. Vendors might also find success with hybrid tablet/laptop designs (like the Asus Eee Pad Transformer), particularly within the enterprise segment.

Go CONTEXT Sees Emergence of Two-Tier Tablet Market

Mobile "Magnet Platforms" To Lead in Mobile

  • PDF

Devices delivering multiple functions and internet connectivity-- or "magnet platforms"-- will lead the mobile market according to In-Stat, growing at a CAGR of 25.7% through 2015.

smartphone netbook tabletIn comparison, the overall mobile device market will growth at a CAGR of 8.7% for the same period.

"Magnet devices" cover 3 categories-- smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs. All make part of the larger "smart device" category together with smart TVs and STBs. Such devices increasingly share similar (if not identical) silicon components, operating systems and apps.

In-Stat says 4 key factors drive innovation within the mobile market-- richer content, network access, increased bandwidth (to enable access) and new technologies. The technology will improve further, with growing numbers of mobile devices carrying more than 1 GPU (and the number of GPU cores per SoC) during the forecast period.

The analyst also predicts smartphones will increse from under 20% of total handsets (from 2010) to 43% in 2015, while Intel and Imagination will lead in the GPU market after taking over 61.3% of the 2011 mobile GPU market.

Go Smartphones, Tablets, and Notebook PCs to Grow at 25.7% CAGR Through 2015 (In-Stat)

GfK: CE Spending to Surpass $1 Trillion in 2012

  • PDF

According to GfK and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), global CE spending will reach over $1 trillion for the first time in 2012, growing by 5% Y-o-Y.

CEIn comparison, CE spending for 2011 totals $993 billion.

"Despite slowing growth in developed markets, robust growth in emerging markets, particularly Emerging APAC (Asia Pacific) and Central & Eastern Europe (including Russia), has helped sustain global spending in 2011 at the relatively healthy level of 8%” GfK remarks.

The analyst says the smartphone sector will "remain the key growth driver in 2012." Tablets will also show strong growth, reaching $39BN in 2011. GfK also expects tablets to show "a strong double digit increase" for 2012.

So what will customers want in this year and beyond? Mobile connected devices, as consumers all over the world demand for the shiniest in technology.

Go Global Consumer Tech Device Spending to Surpass $1 Trillion in 2012 (GfK)

How Many Android Devices Out There?

  • PDF

AndroidsThe Google Q4 2011 earnings call not only contains the company's revenues, but also reveals how many Android devices are out there-- 250 million, according to the company, up 50M from Q3 2011.  

Google also says daily Android device activations total 70000. 

Android app store downloads are also up-- Google says app downloads hit 10 billion in early December, and current downloads total nearly 11BN. 

Go Google Q4 Earnings Call

IDC Improves 2011 Tablet Forecasts

  • PDF

Global tablet shipments grow by 264.5% Y-o-Y (and 23.9% Q-o-Q) to reach 18.1M units in Q3 2011 according to IDC-- slightly lower than earlier forecasts from the analyst of shipments reaching 19.2M units. 

iPadsHowever IDC still predicts "strong demand" for Q4 2011 and the holiday season, increasing  2011 WW shipment forecasts to 63.3M units (up from previous projections of 62.5M) due to new challengers shaking up the tablet battlefield. 

Apple still leads the tablet market, even if it loses market share-- Q3 2011 iPad shipments total 11.1M (up from 9.3M in Q2 2011) with 61.5% market share, down from 63.3% in Q2. The analyst predicts the iPad will "have its best-ever quarter in Q4 2011," thanks to a strong tablet-specific app portfolio and growing physical store presence in emerging markets. 

HP entered-- and exited-- the tablet market in Q3 2011, managing to grab 5% WW market share with the ill-fated TouchPad. Shipments total 903354 units, making HP 3rd in the global tablet vendor rankings, behind Samsung (who has 5.6% market share). IDC does not believe webOS will continue to appear in the tablet market, even after HP's "contribution" to the open source community. 

The analyst says Android lost tablet market share in Q3 (down to 32.4% from 33.2% in Q2), but forecasts the Google OS will "make dramatic share gains" in Q4 and reach 40.3% thanks to the new kids on the block, the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. 

"Amazon and Barnes & Noble are shaking up the media tablet market, and their success helps prove that there is an appetite for media tablets beyond Apple's iPad," IDC says. 

According to IDC eReaders also see strong growth in Q3 2011-- shipments total 6.5M units (up from 5.1M in Q2) with 165.9% Y-o-Y growth. IDC says Q4 2011 shipments in Europe will rise to the "highest volume levels" in the holiday season, but the lack of local language content and a still-uncertain eurozone climate will continue hampering growth. 

Go IDC WW Quarterly Tablet and eReader Tracker