

Android gains in tablets, Apple slows in third quarter, IDC says - option_greek
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57544922-94/android-gains-in-tablets-apple-slows-in-third-quarter-idc-says/

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smackfu
Some numbers...

In 2Q 2012, Apple sold 17M out of 25M total (68%).

In 3Q 2012, Apple sold 14M out of 27.8M total (50%).

To not lose market share and maintain that 68%, Apple would have had to sell
30MM out of 43.8MM, more than double what they did sell. If they had just
repeated the 2Q numbers, they would have had 55% share.

So the idea that the market share decrease was due to Apple buyers sitting out
in anticipation of the mini seems rather misguided. Non-Apple went from 8MM to
13.8MM in one quarter.

(Here's the 2Q2012 numbers:
<http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23632512>)

~~~
Anechoic
_So the idea that the market share decrease was due to Apple buyers sitting
out in anticipation of the mini seems rather misguided._

On the other hand, Apple just announced selling 3 million iPad minis this
weekend so it looks as though there was some pent-up demand:
[http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/11/apple-says-first-
weeken...](http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/11/apple-says-first-weekend-
of-4g-ipad-ipad-mini-sales-set-record/)

~~~
Tyrannosaurs
Some of it may be but coming into the holiday season that may be people
converting iPad sales to iPad mini sales and buying early in anticipation of
shortages.

Probably won't know until they publish their Q4 figures in a few months time.

~~~
allwein
Just a nit that you're looking for their Q1 figures. Apple's fiscal year runs
from October to September.

------
LVB
One thing is definitely true: a year ago the phrase, "...but it's not really a
tablet market, it's an iPad market" was so often used as to become annoying. I
haven't heard that phrase in a few months.

~~~
mtgx
Oh yeah, I remember all those articles from people who said that the iPad
market is exactly like the iPod market. But I knew then too that it was not
true. Two things are different which change the game entirely.

First, when the iPod appeared, the whole ecosystem wasn't really about the
"OS" of the device, and now iOS has a real competitor in Android, that a lot
of other manufacturers can use, while back then there was no such unification
from the other manufacturers. This matters because the iPod was a single-task
product, while tablets are not.

Second, they said that Apple has its own stores, while the others do not. But
we're living in a global market now, and Apple's stores are virtually non-
existent outside of US. Having 1 or 5 stores in a whole country doesn't make
much of a difference. So even if Android tablets completely fail in US,
there's a huge market out there for them, outside of US, which is bound to
become bigger than the whole "iPad market".

~~~
bengl3rt
Another important thing to consider is the content that drives the two
platforms. If you didn't buy any music from the iTunes store and just ripped
stuff from CDs/Napster/Limewire/Kazaa, all the music that worked on your iPod
worked on your non-Apple music player as well.

Such is not the case with apps. If you've spent a few hundred dollars on apps
over the course of a few years using iOS devices, the cost to switch (assuming
you care about continuing to use any of those apps once you're on Android) is
pretty high.

------
skc
Not sure I buy the "waiting for iPad Mini" reasoning. Is there any proof that
normal consumers even knew an iPad Mini was imminent?

~~~
metatronscube
Well, I consider myself a 'normal' consumer and I was waiting for an ipad mini
and I think you consider that a proof (of sorts). I don't think its much of a
leap in logic to work out that a lot (hundreds of thousands...millions even)
were waiting off for something like a smaller ipad. I mean it was in
practically every technology blog prior to announcement.

~~~
klearvue
Do 'normal' consumers even read technology blogs? And most certainly somebody
posting on HN does not qualify as a 'normal consumer' when it comes to
technology purchases.

~~~
metatronscube
It wasn't even technology blogs per say, they were talking about it in the
Guardian and BBC online. It was rumor for months and spreading by word of
mouth. My granny was talking about getting one before it was actually released
and she doesn't have a clue what a blog is, she found out from friends at the
bowls. True story :)

------
thedrbrian
But we'll never know because Amazon and google won't release sales figures.

~~~
smackfu
There are numbers from both of them in this data. Estimates, sure, but
estimates make the world go round.

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jusben1369
"Apple's tablet market share took a hit as consumers "sat out" the third
quarter in anticipation of the iPad Mini, analyst firm IDC said. Android
tablets made gains as a result."

I _think_ this means that because many Apple buyers sat on the sidelines the
overall pie was smaller. So this had a magnifying effect on Android's overall
share of the market. Otherwise it's kind of an illogical statement.

------
dannyr
Let's take a look back on what HNers said about the tablet market 500+ days
ago:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2675012>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2664474>

------
sergiotapia
This sure is a pretty boring post. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "So?"
This is hardly news worthy, just run of the mill update that comes at
delegated intervals in the business world.

------
neya
Surprising, but, not so surprising. Surprising because the iPad is supposedly
a a very good tablet. Not so surprised because Apple has lost its magic, which
is expected, since Steve is no longer with us. (Admit it - The iPhone 5 IS a
disappointment). I have never been a great fan of Apple nor the iPad. But I do
have to admit that the iPad is a really good tablet in all fairness. At the
same time, Android is evolving so fast that it's only a matter of time I
guess, till they overthrow Apple. So, in a way, it's not so surprising.

~~~
rimantas

      > Admit it - The iPhone 5 IS a disappointment
    

Why would I admit it? It is better than iPhone4s in every sense. And where I
am Google powered maps app never had transit data (and I have no need for it)
so getting turn-by-turn navigation was a big plus without any loses. iPhone 4S
was announced a day before Jobs' death. Which do you think is more plausible:
that they only started working on iPhone 5 on October 6, 2012; or what they
had all the basics of iPhone 5 already in place? Jobs probably gave his
blessings to iPhone 6 before passing away.

~~~
neya
The iPhone 5 was hyped by the media in every possible sense. It was projected
to be some kind of a super-phone. Some even speculated it to have a mini
projector, laser-keyboard and what not. But now, all it has is just a few
inches of extra screen size and a slightly upgraded dual-core processor, while
the rest of its competitors have had super-fast quad-core chips with higher
clock speed and larger screen sizes for a while already.

~~~
shinratdr
> The iPhone 5 was hyped by the media in every possible sense.

So was the iPhone, and the iPad, and the iPhone 4, and the 4S, and the iPad
mini, and basically every Apple product ever. This isn't new.

> It was projected to be some kind of a super-phone.

By who? Your local news station? Nobody with any sense made that prediction.

> Some even speculated it to have a mini projector, laser-keyboard and what
> not.

Random analysts and tech enthusiasts figured that Apple would randomly switch
gears to gimmicky half baked features that nobody else has shipped yet instead
of using the years of actual information at their disposal that shows Apple
iterates over constantly overhauling?

Yeah real surprising.

> while the rest of its competitors have had super-fast quad-core chips with
> higher clock speed

You know nothing about the topic you're talking about. The iPhone 5 A6
processor benches faster than most Android tablets and the GPU outstrips all
Mali GPUs and the Tegra 3. Meanwhile "super-fast quad core chip" has so little
meaning it might as well just be a marketing term.

~~~
neya
Disclosure: I am a male and not a female. So you can stop stalking every move
of mine. Thanks.

~~~
shinratdr
What in the hell are you talking about? Way to completely derail a discussion.

EDIT - Oh I see, you're also the guy who thinks open source wins everything
because Android is doing well right now. I honestly hadn't noticed. I just see
a dumb comment and pounce, I hadn't looked at the username for either comment
until just now.

However if I'm bothering you frequently, that's not a good sign. It means
you're spouting a bunch of ridiculous BS with little to no evidence or point.
Try to avoid that in the future, and trust me you'll never see my name again.

Continue to and you almost certainly will. I don't check usernames, I just
reply.

EDIT - I just have to add that I love that two comment replies to you four
days apart counts as sexualized stalking. Either you're the biggest prude in
history, extremely paranoid, or possibly just not as quick witted as you
thought.

~~~
neya
It's ok Ross, no worries. It was a very crude joke. How's Canada btw? :)

