While Apple's admission that iPad sales fell by 14 percent during the firm's most recent quarter came somewhat out of the blue, Strategy Analytics appears to have the answer.
The company's latest numbers suggest that - coupled with iPad's decline - shipments of Android tablets have soared, with devices running Google's OS accounting for 67 percent of shipments in Q2 2013.
Furthermore, Microsoft may have been forced to write down $900 million thanks to flagging sales of its low-end Surface RT tablet, but shipments pf Windows tablets have a whole are up 800 percent year on year.
Sailing ahead
Tablet shipments at a whole are now at more than 50 million a quarter, with Android accounting for 34.6 million of those up 87 percent year on year.
"Android is now making steady progress due to hardware partners like Samsung, Amazon, Google and white-box tablets which, despite the fact that branded OEMs are lowering price-points and putting pressure on the white-box manufacturers, are still performing well," said director of tablets Peter King.
"Apple iOS shipments were 14.6 million iPads in Q2 2013 which declined 14 percent annually. In the same quarter a year ago the first Retina display iPads were launched which could partly explain the decline as there were no new models in this quarter.
"However, to compensate that, iPad mini which was not available a year ago, now freely available was expected to take the figure higher than 14.6 million."
iPad mini is struggling to lift overall iPad salesRace for third place
Strategy Analytics figures suggest this is very much a two horse race between Android and iOS as things stand, with the company describing Microsoft's hand in the market as "niche".
However, Windows now boasts a share of 4.5 percent well ahead of BlackBerry's PlayBook on 0.1 percent and comfortably up on the 0.5 percent the range boasted just after launch in late 2012.
"Microsoft has reduced prices by $150 and other vendors even more; they are still not cheap, but are much more where they should be to compete," concluded Strategy Analytics.
"The shortage of apps continues to be a problem, with seemingly little incentive for developers to work on the platform."
[source: Strategy Analytics]
Data & Research
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
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