New data from IDC shows that worldwide tablet shipments grew to 47.6 million units in the third quarter of 2013.
Preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker confirms that, while slightly below the firm’s forecast, the number still represents 7.0% growth over the previous quarter and 36.7% growth compared to the third quarter of 2012.
Not surprisingly, Android products once again drove much of the shipment growth in the market as iOS growth stalled (that was expected in the absence of a new iPad) and Windows tablets continued to struggle to win over consumers.
With no new iPad product launches in the second or third quarter to drive volume, Apple experienced a quarter-over-quarter decline in shipments from 14.6 million in 2Q13 to 14.1 million in 3Q13.
“With two 7.9-inch models starting at $299 and $399, and two 9.7-inch models starting at $399 and $499, Apple is taking steps to appeal to multiple segments,” says Jitesh Ubrani, Research Analyst with IDC’s Tablet Tracker.
“While some undoubtedly hoped for more aggressive pricing from Apple, the current prices clearly reflect Apple’s ongoing strategy to maintain its premium status,” Ubrani adds. “It’s worth noting that Apple wasn’t the only one to increase the price of its small-sized tablet during this product cycle: Both Google and Amazon increased the price of their newest 7-inch tablets from $199 to $229 to cover the higher costs associated with high resolution screens and better processors.”
