Android continues to dominate tablet market

Android accounted for the majority of the global tablet market share in the final quarter of 2013, according to research from Strategy Analytics.

Total tablet shipments were up 20% year on year to reach 76.8 million units in Q4 2013, with Android accounting for 62% of the market share, while iOS rebounded from two quarters of share loss to take 34%.

New products from Apple late in the year are said to have contributed to the company’s growth in market share, up 7% on the previous quarter.

Samsung also ended the year on a high with fourth quarter shipments almost double the volume shipped compared with the same period last year.

Global tablet shipments for 2013 reached 227 million units overall, up 33% year on year. On an annual basis, Apple finished in the top spot with 33%, however rival Samsung closed the gap by nearly doubling its share from 10% in 2012 to 18% in 2013.

Commenting on the results, Matt Wilkins, director of tablets and wearables at Strategy Analytics, said: “2013 was another extremely healthy year for the tablet market. While it may not be a three-figure growth rate like we have witnessed previously, it is still significant considering the market is now delivering in excess of 200 million units on an annual global basis.”