(http://i.imgur.com/A9fJue8.png)
Well it's happened. Leading research firm IDC is predicting that Android tablets like the Nexus 7 will overtake the iPad to garner a larger percentage of tablet sales in 2013. Granted the iPad isn't going to disappear but it is expected to get 46% of tablet sales this year, down from 51% last. Android tablets on the other hand have grown from 42% last year to a combined 49% this year.
Credited with this Android success are smaller tablets such as the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. In fact IDC says:
"One in every two tablets shipped this quarter was below 8 inches in screen size. And in terms of shipments, we expect smaller tablets to continue growing in 2013 and beyond," IDC said in a press release.
IDC also raised its total estimates of tablets to be shipped in 2013 to $190.9 million from a previous estimate of 172.4 million. This is a huge increase over last year's 128.3 million and 2011's 72 million.
This bodes well for the Nexus 7 as IDC sees smaller tablet sales gaining steam at the expense of larger 10 inch+ tablets. With the pending introduction of a 2nd generation Nexus 7 at Google I/O in a couple of month's time this should only further increase the Nexus 7's popularity. While the iPad Mini is certainly a success for Apple, it appears the open Android ecosystem is just too much competition for Cupertino to fend off. The Nexus 7 is slowly cementing itself as a mainstay of the tablet world and we're happy to be part of it at Nexus7Forum.com
Full Story at Yahoo/Reuters News (http://news.yahoo.com/apples-ipads-fall-behind-android-tablets-idc-144558851--sector.html;_ylt=AnpqKLu_XRXdtAaHQXW_LArEeOd_;_ylu=X3oDMTVxcHMyNzBqBGNjb2RlA2dtcHRvcDEwMDBwb29sd2lraXVwcmVzdARtaXQDQXJ0aWNsZSBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IE5ld3MgZm9yIFlvdSB3aXRoIE1vcmUgTGluawRwa2cDNmFjMTA5ZWQtZGQ2OS0zNWRkLWFmNWQtY2U0MjdiM2M2MGE4BHBvcwMxBHNlYwNuZXdzX2Zvcl95b3UEdmVyAzZmMTgzMmU1LThiNjktMTFlMi1iZWFlLTczMWUxNDcyZjI2Mw--;_ylg=X3oDMTM0aGo2YzY1BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDY2FjMDQ4YTMtMDIzNy0zMjEzLWE0ODMtODliYWYyN2Y2N2IxBHBzdGNhdANibG9nc3x0aGVzaWRlc2hvdwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=3)