Tablet buyers appear to be demanding more Windows-based devices, according to new market research from Strategy Analytics. Microsoft’s share of global tablet shipments rose to 6.6 percent, up 1.1 percentage points from a year ago as overall tablet shipments fell 9 percent to total 51.8 million in 2015’s first quarter, according to preliminary data from Strategy Analytics’ “Global Tablet OS Market Share: Q1 2015.”
Android tablet market share hit a 1Q record high 69 percent this year, while Apple tablet market share continued to slide. Apple tablets dropped to 24 percent in 1Q, according to Strategy Analytics. That’s 4.5 percent lower than it was in 1Q’14, the market research company highlights in a press release.
“Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 has performed better than its predecessor, its more affordable cousin Surface 3 launches late in Q2 2015, and traditional PC vendors and White Box vendors alike are testing the limits of lower cost license-free Windows Tablets under 9-inches. All of this adds up to a foundation for further growth as Windows 10 arrives in the second half of 2015,” Strategy Analytics’ Tablet & Touchscreen Service Director Peter King was quoted as saying.
Added Senior Analyst Eric Smith: “Apple, Google, and Microsoft are all eager to show enterprise customers that tablets can perform in key verticals and as PC replacements in the office. The Apple-IBM MobileFirst partnership, expanded access to Microsoft Office on Tablets, and better productivity and security functionality via Android for Work and Samsung’s Knox solution are all crucial ecosystem enhancements to making the Tablet more attractive.”
