The iPad made up 95 percent of the global tablet market during the third quarter of 2010, according to analysts at Strategy Analytics, though that will change as more players get into the market. The firm said that the tablet space grew to 4.4 million tablets between July and September, thanks in large part to Apple's 4.19 million iPads sold during the quarter.
Android tablets made up 2.3 percent of the remaining chunk of the market (down from 2.9 percent), though Strategy Analytics expects that to increase soon as more Android-based products enter the market. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, for example, will go on sale in the US later this month, which will give a serious boost Android's tablet numbers as would-be tablet buyers look for an alternative to the iPad. The numbers will likely shift again when the RIM PlayBook makes its debut in 2011, too.
It's likely that Android's growth in the tablet market will follow a similar pattern to its smartphone growth. The flood of Android phones into the market has given users a wide range of options when compared against Apple's and RIM's limited selection. This strategy has benefitted Android due to its sheer number of devices.
Apple definitely has the first-mover advantage when it comes to tablets, and that counts for something. "The tablet wars are up and running," Strategy Analytics analyst Niel Mawston said in a statement. "Apple has quickly leveraged its famous brand, an extensive retail presence and user-friendly design to develop the tablet segment into a multi-billion-dollar global business."
Source: ars technica
