More of the ever present end-of-the-year forecasts are out, and they are predicting that Apple will shed some of its tablet market share as Android tablets increase in popularity.
This time, the full-size iPad and iPad mini would end 2012 with just under 54 percent, while Android tablets are expected to increase market share to almost 42 percent.
All told, Apple is estimated to hold half the tablet shipments through the year 2016. The figures are interesting, as far as they go, and would appear to be dire news for Apple – until you actually look at the numbers and measure sales versus usage.
Reuters reports Wednesday that research firm IDC sees 2012 as wrapping up with an Apple share of the tablet market coming in at 53.8% worldwide, down from 56.3% a year ago, and Android’s numbers coming in at 42.7%, up from 39.8% last year.
Long term, IDC sees Windows-based tablets grabbing share from both iOS and Android, growing from 1% of the market in 2011 to 2.9% in 2012.
While Android tablets are shipping, they’re not doing much after they reach the consumer’s hands. Multiple surveys find iOS devices easily outnumbering Android devices online. Six out of ten mobile videos are viewed on iOS devices.
IDC also sees an increase in the potential market for tablets, increasing its forecast for 2012 shipments to 122.3 million devices, up from 117.1 million. They also foresee 172.4 million tablets shipping in 2013, up from the previous estimate of 165.9 million.
