It's little wonder Android enthusiasts were so willing to big up Kindle Fire at its unveiling: the platform is still arguably without a serious challenger to iPad.

Apple's continued dominance in the tablet arena is signified by the release of ABI Research's latest stats, which suggest app downloads on iPad still dwarf those made on Android tablets.

Indeed, a total of three billion apps have been downloaded for iPad since the device's launch 20 months ago, meaning the platform is outpacing iPhone, which took two years to hit the same milestone.

Outgunning Android

ABI Research claims that's a total that accounts for 19 percent of all app downloads made on Apple platforms.

More relevant, however, is the fact that Android tablets have amassed 440 million downloads so far, equalling less than 15 percent of iPad's total to date.

"In terms of hardware, the iPad device still offers much more compared to the current crop of tablets in the market," said practice director of mobile services Dan Shey.

"Android is currently being used on many low end tablets that do not offer experiences anywhere near the iPad and this dampens the download momentum for users."

Android, it's argued, suffers because many devices still don't run either Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich – the versions of the OS specifically designed for tablets. As such, scores of apps are unavailable to large portions of the platform's userbase.

Melting the market with ICS

On the other side of the coin, developers are also unable to reach each and every consumer unless they produce multiple versions of the same app – a practice currently prohibited on Android Market.

"Discounting all those apps that were originally developed for Android smartphones, Android still trails greatly behind the iPad in terms of its tablet app offerings," added research associate Lim Shiyang.

"Many Android tablets in the market are still using older versions of Android, which disadvantages users from enjoying the better effects of apps produced from more advanced software development kits."

Nonetheless, ABI Research still believes Android tablets have a role to play, and iPad may find its download share being eroded when OEMs adopt Ice Cream Sandwich wholesale.

[source: ABI Research]