Android edges out Apple’s iPad in tablet revenue for the first time

Android and its plethora of tablet manufacturers regularly out ships Apple and its iPad. It’s a numbers game with one manufacturer, Apple, competing against a host of others like Samsung, Asus and more. Usually, Apple ships less, but generates more revenue, but for the first time ever in Q3 2013, Android also made more money on tablets in Q3 2013 than its Cupertino-based competition. Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty looked at IDC’s shipping estimates for Q3 2013 and calculated Apple’s estimated revenues. Apple not only lost market share, the company also took a big hit in revenues claims Huberty. She writes in a research note: “For the first time,” she wrote in a note to clients Friday, “Android devices accounted for a greater share of the market in revenue terms than iOS. Android revenue share reached 46.2% in 3Q13, for the first time exceeding iPad share of 45.6%. Android’s unit share grew to 66.7% from 58.5% a year ago, largely driven by Samsung and Lenovo, while iPad share declined to 29.7% from 40.2%.” Some may interpret this to mean Apple is slipping, but they may be jumping too quickly to the wrong conclusion. First, Q3 2013 was not expected to be strong for tablet sales as the iPad 4 was nearing the end of its shelf life. Apple may have drifted downward as people delayed their purchase until the new iPads came out late in the quarter. Also, there are few unknowns and assumptions in these figures. IDC doesn’t say how it calculates Samsung tablet shipments as the manufacturer never says how units it ships or sells. It’s also not clear how Huberty converted unit shipments to revenue. The iPad might be easier to calculate since there are only a few models, but Android is all over the place with models and price points. What do your think about these figures? Are they a sign that Apple is losing its tablet mojo or is it just an aberration due to a drop in consumer demand? [Via Apple 2.0] Continue reading →

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