iOS for iPad no longer the biggest tablet OS
Google’s Android operating system has overtaken Apple’s iOS as the top tablet OS, according to a recent report.
Research company Gartner claims that overall tablet sales grew by 68 percent in 2013, but the most interesting point to note is the rapid rise of Android in that tablet market.
Android has now captured 62 percent of the tablet market, claims the report, which means that it has finally overtaken the long-dominant iPad.
Apple’s iOS, by contrast, now sits on just 36 percent of all tablets. Microsoft accounts for just 2.1 percent of tablets with its Windows 8 OS.
This rapid turn-around in fortunes has been fuelled by the rise of low-cost Android tablets such as the Google Nexus 7 and the Tesco Hudl.
"In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications," says Roberta Cozza of Gartner.
The arrival of these affordable tablets has lead to an explosion of interest from developing countries, too. According to the report, emerging markets saw growth of 145 percent in 2013, compared to just 31 percent in established tablet markets.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Apple still remains the single biggest tablet vendor in the world with its 36 percent share, but that too is changing. Samsung has made up ground at a staggering rate, from just 7.4 percent in 2012 to 19.1 percent (and second place) last year.
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