Latest Android Tabets Underwhelm with Only 3.4 Million Sold
With estimates being made as the result of a series of guesses and suppositions made from reseller reports and supply chain rumors, we aren’t really sure how well Google’s HoneyComb Android OS is doing. How do these numbers translate? It’s looking like about 3.4 million Android tablets strong. (and that just counts the Android tablets that meet the criteria to become Google certified and have accessed the Android Marketplace)
While 3.4 million sounds impressive, it pales in comparison to the sales figures presented by Apple. The iPad sold 15 million units in the first year alone, proving that Apple is still king of the tablet market. Not to mention the 3.4 million Android tablets sales figure is cobbled together from a series of Android Marketplace statistics while the Apple sales figures are actual results reported by Apple directly.
This difference is likely due in large part to the many varied manufacturers that run Android as compared to Apple that distributes all of their own hardware in addition to their operating system software.
A few new entrants to the tablet market will bolster Google’s numbers, namely the Amazon Kindle Fire which runs a heavily modified version of Android. To date, Amazon has pre-sold over 250,000 units and that numbers only stands to grow if the device delivers as advertised –giving consumers a much needed and desired entry-level tablet device.
Even with those added sales, Apple will still dominate. Larry Page was heard boasting the Android has seen 190 million activations, which points to Android-powered smartphones leading the market –but when it comes down to to comparing profits, Google can’t compete with the dollars Apple is making. (which has to be troubling now that Google is left paying out money to all those ‘new’ patent holders, but I digress)
Don’t worry Google, it could always be worse… just ask RIM.
[via Slashgear]