Apple Q4 Tablet Market Share Down

Research firm IDC announced the release of data on tablet shipments for Q4 of 2010 worldwide; Apple's share of the market was at 73%, down from a 93% share in the third quarter. Overall tablet sales more than doubled quarter-to-quarter, moving from 4.5 million in the third quarter to 10.1 million in the fourth quarter

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, 10.1 million media tablets were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2010 (4Q10) – more than double the 4.5 million shipped in the third quarter. Apple's share came down from 93% in 3Q10 to 73% in 4Q10, but still reflected Apple's strong leadership position. Samsung's Galaxy Tab was the primary competitor in the holiday season, beating other players to market and capturing more than 17% share, while a number of smaller regional players also participated.

IDC suggest that the rumored launch of the iPad 2 as one reason that Apple will be able to maintain around 70%-80% of the table market. IDC also noted that demand for the Samsung Galaxy Tab “stifled” due to pricing and momentum Apple was able to achieve in the industry.

Overall, IDC is predicting shipments of roughly 50 million units for 2011.