Android Tablets and Kindle Fire Sales Decline in Wake of "new" iPad?

[rockymtnhigh]

From IDC:

Apple Shines, But Slumping Android Shipments Lead to Disappointing First Quarter for Media Tablets, According to IDC - prUS23466712

Apple Shines, But Slumping Android Shipments Lead to Disappointing First Quarter for Media Tablets, According to IDC

03 May 2012
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 3, 2012 – A steep drop in shipments of Android-based tablets offset a strong quarter from Apple and caused the media tablet market to miss projections for the first quarter of 2012 (1Q12), according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker. Total worldwide media tablet shipments for the quarter reached 17.4 million units in 1Q12, 1.2 million units below IDC's projection for the quarter. While IDC predicted a sharp seasonal slowdown of -34% from the previous quarter’s record-breaking 28.2 million units, the actual decline was slightly steeper at -38.4%. The total still represents a robust year-over-year growth rate of 120%, up from 7.9 million units in the first quarter of 2011.

"Apple reasserted its dominance in the market this quarter, driving huge shipment totals at a time when all but a few Android vendors saw their numbers drop precipitously after posting big gains during the holiday buying season," said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices at IDC. "Apple's move to position the iPad as an all-purpose tablet, instead of just a content consumption device, is resonating with consumers as well as educational and commercial buyers. And its decision to keep a lower-priced iPad 2 in the market after it launched the new iPad in March seems to be paying off as well."

Apple shipped 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, down from 15.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, and grew its worldwide share from 54.7% in 4Q11 to 68% in 1Q12. Amazon, which stormed into the market in 4Q11 to grab second place with 16.8% of the market on shipment of 4.8 million units, saw its share decline significantly in the first quarter to just over 4%, falling to third place as a result. Samsung took advantage of Amazon's weakness to regain the number two position while Lenovo vaulted into the number four spot, followed by Barnes & Noble at number five.

 

[John Kotches]

A lot of the Kindle Fire sales in 4q were due to the holiday and the comparatively low price.

I am not surprised by the numbers in the least though.

Apple has a commanding lead in the Tablet space and will be difficult to catch.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I got a kindle fire but I only use it at my office to watch Sling. Makes a nice extra tv monitor.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I got a kindle fire but I only use it at my office to watch Sling. Makes a nice extra tv monitor.

Considering when my wife shows me something on her iPad 2 that my retinized-eyes actually think the screen looks fuzzy and I see pixels, do you notice that with the Kindle Fire? I haven't looked at one in the store in a while; since before I got the new iPad.

I was not surprised by the numbers either.