The tablet market share of the Apple iPad lineup shrunk in the third quarter while Android market share grew, a research firm reveals.

According to Strategy Analytics, the iPad lineup’s tablet market share contracted to 57 percent for the July to September quarter, down 7 percentage point from its 64 percent market share showing for the same quarter a year ago.

Meanwhile, Android tablets continue to eat up market share as they now account for 41 percent of the whole tablet market.

While still quite far from the market share Apple holds with its iPad range, Android grew from a 29 percent market share for the same year-ago quarter.

Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Android’s surge isn’t because of a single Android tablet but rather because of strong performance for Android tablet makers which include Samsung and Asus, Strategy Analytics says.

For the whole tablet market, Strategy Analytics says that global tablet shipments has reached 24.7 million for the third quarter of the year, up 43 percent from 17.2 million in the third quarter of last year.

“Strategy Analytics: Android Captures Record 41 Percent Share of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2012

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 25 million units in the third quarter of 2012. Apple iOS slipped to 57 percent global market share, allowing Android to capture a record 41 percent share.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, ‘Global tablet shipments reached 24.7 million units in Q3 2012, rising a sluggish 43 percent from 17.2 million in Q3 2011. Demand for tablets slowed due to ongoing economic uncertainty and consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of multiple new models, like the iPad Mini, during the upcoming Q4 holiday season. Apple shipped a disappointing 14.0 million iPads worldwide and captured 57 percent share in the third quarter of 2012, dipping from 64 percent a year ago. Apple’s slowdown allowed the Android community to make gains and Android’s global share of the tablet market now stands at a record 41 percent.’

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, ‘Android captured a record 41 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2012, jumping from 29 percent a year earlier. Global Android tablet shipments doubled annually to 10.2 million units. No single Android vendor comes close to Apple in volume terms at the moment, but the collective weight of dozens of hardware partners, such as Asus, Samsung and Nook, is helping Google’s Android platform to register a growing presence in tablets.’

Other findings from the research include:

• Global tablet shipments grew just 43 percent annually in Q3 2012, compared with 289 percent annually in Q2 2011. This was the weakest growth rate since the modern tablet industry began in Q2 2010;
• Microsoft captured a niche 2 percent global tablet share in Q3 2012. The imminent release of the new Windows 8 operating system will likely drive Microsoft tablet volumes higher during the Q4 2012 holiday season.

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q3 2012 ¹

The full report, Global Tablet OS Market Share: Q3 2012, is published by the Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen (TTS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/bpqpnbs.”

Image from carnero.cc on Flickr (CC)

About Solon Harmony Dolor

A passion for technology and journalism makes this upcoming writer very interested in social media and technology news. Fresh from finishing an English and Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, he aims to bring interesting news to our readers .