Global tablet shipments surpassed 4 million units in the third quarter of 2010 and Apple was the clear market leader, capturing 95 percent global share and beating Android into second place, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics.

Global tablet shipments grew 26 percent sequentially to reach 4.4 million units in the third quarter of this year, per Strategy Analytics. Apple was the clear market leader during the quarter, capturing an impressive 95 percent share with the iPad, with Android tablets coming in a distant second.

?Tablet PCs are an emerging, high-growth, high-value market that is being swiftly dominated by Apple,? said Neil Mawston, Milton Keynes, England-based director of global wireless practice at Strategy Analytics. ?Apple is already generating well over US$1 billion of revenues per quarter from its nascent tablet business.

?It is surprising to see several giants of the software world already trailing behind Apple in the tablet segment, such as Microsoft and BlackBerry,? he said. ?Apple's main advantages are its best-in-class hardware design, its best-in-class usability and a best-in-class app store.

?As long as Apple continues to deliver attractive models with great software and services, it can stay ahead of the competition.?

Strategy Analytics is a global independent research and consulting firm.

Tablet wars
The tablet wars are up and running.

Mr. Mawston said that Apple has quickly leveraged its famous brand, an extensive retail presence and user-friendly design to develop the tablet segment into a multi-billion-dollar global business.

Android, Microsoft, MeeGo, webOS, BlackBerry and other platforms are trailing in Apple?s wake and they already have much ground to make up, per Mr. Mawston.

Other findings from the research include:

The Android operating system achieved just 2 percent global tablet market share in the third quarter of 2010.

Strategy Analytics expects Android?s share to rise in the fourth quarter as more models, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, enter the market.

The United States was by far the world?s largest tablet market during the quarter, but demand is also emerging in Western Europe and Asia.

Android stands the best chance of competing with Apple because it is receiving broad support from multiple major vendors, such as Samsung and LG, per Strategy Analytics.

?If Android can capture more ?shelfshare? with these top-tier hardware vendors, it will eventually gain market share,? Mr. Mawston said.

Final Take
Dan Butcher, associate editor, Mobile Marketer

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