Take a little test by yourself: say the word “tablet”, and what is the first thing that pops into your mind? The iPad. While there are many other tablets out there, the iPad is the first one everyone thinks of. Even in Android-dominated Asia, the iPad still owns the Asian market in terms of sales. Analysys International reports that the US tech company still dominates after third quarter sales puts them at 71% of the market. Second place Lenovo only comes in at 10%.
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This is quite significant considering that in the region’s largest market China Android makes up about 90% of the preferred OS for smartphones, miles ahead of iOS. Even Samsung, the largest manufacturer of smartphones, is not in the top spot when it comes to tablet sales, beaten by local brand Ereneben.
This is a perfect display of the power and influence the iPad has had on the world. Even when reviewing new tablets, tech companies always inevitably compare it to the iPad. Is this one of the reasons for Apple’s war-like patent lawsuits? Does it actually have a valid reason in this aspect? The market share that Apple has is declining very slightly, but with that kind of dominance it won’t be to worried about loosing sales.
The mobile revolution is really building steam in the world, and Asia is leading that race. China’s smartphone and mobile market is gearing up to hit 500 million phones by next year, about twice that of the US. As reported by Reuters in August 2012, an IDC report states that the total shipment of smartphones to China topped 44 million, overtaking feature phones for the first time with a 51% market share.
