IDC Predicts Android Tablet Shipments Will Overtake iPad Shipments in 2013

According to a new report from research firm IDC, tablets running Google's Android operating system are poised to overtake the iPad during the course of 2013.

A surge of low cost Android-based tablets has prompted IDC to forecast worldwide tablet shipments of 190.9 million, an increase from its previous estimate of 172.4 million.

48.8% of those are expected to run Google's operating system, giving Android the plurality of the tablet marketshare by the end of the year. In comparison, Apple is expected to retain just 46% of the tablet market, while Windows and Windows RT will make up 4.7% of overall tablet shipments.

idcestimates
In 2012, Apple's share of the market was 51% while Android's was just 41.5%.

"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," said Jitesh Ubrani, Research Analyst for IDC's Tablet Tracker.

"Vendors are moving quickly to compete in this space as consumers realize that these small devices are often more ideal than larger tablets for their daily consumption habits."

By 2017, IDC forecasts that Android will have 46% of the market with Apple falling further behind with 43.5%. It is important to note that IDC's estimates are based on shipments rather than sales. Android's larger share of low cost tablet shipments may not translate into greater direct consumer sales.

IDC’s newest report corroborates its January findings, where Apple's share of the market slipped to 43.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012, a significant decrease from its 51.7% share in the fourth quarter of 2011 despite increased iPad shipments overall.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...

Top Rated Comments

Simmenfl Avatar
157 months ago
Yeah certainly able to predict the year 2017... thats just like 3 years and 9 months from now.

3 years and 9 months ago, the Tablet industry didnt even exist. Predicting what the tech market will be like in such a huge timeframe is ridiculous stupid.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the-oz-man Avatar
157 months ago
Shipments - maybe. Sales - no.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mackilroy Avatar
157 months ago
Given that Apple is the sole developer of iOS devices while there are multiple Android devs, isn't this article basically saying, "More companies will inevitably outproduce one."?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HockeyMike Avatar
157 months ago
Android Tablets collect dust

My son has an iPad Mini, 2 of his friends have Android tablets. Both of his friends tablets collect dust in their bedrooms and they barely use them. My son uses his iPad Mini hourly, sometimes 6-8 hours out of a day. He has said his friends wish they had an iPad instead of the Android tablets. Apple makes the best hardware and eco-system, they will continue to dominate until the competitors make a better eco-system to go with the cheap hardware.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notabadname Avatar
157 months ago
Again, they compare a hardware maker to generally, a software maker. No singe manufacturer of Tablets is anywhere close to overtaking Apple's market position in Tablet sales. Why they continue to compare and place such value on all manufacturers of Android tablets versus a single manufacturer of Apple iOS Tablets is beyond me.

To me, it is like comparing BMW's market share versus all other car manufacturers. We would only compare BMW to Lexus, or to Accura etc.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ballis Avatar
157 months ago
My son has an iPad Mini, 2 of his friends have Android tablets. Both of his friends tablets collect dust in their bedrooms and they barely use them. My son uses his iPad Mini hourly, sometimes 6-8 hours out of a day. He has said his friends wish they had an iPad instead of the Android tablets.

Granted, The Android tablets suck ass. But judging by the amount of time your son spends on his iPad, it sounds more like you are in need of parrenting advice, than his friends are in need of iPads. No offence intended.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)