Apple's Q4 global tablet market share falls to 57%

Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire and other low-priced tablets cut into Apple Inc.'s media-tablet market share in the fourth quarter, but Apple's newly introduced iPhone 4S was the strongest competitor for the iPad, according to market researcher IHS Inc.

The firm said Apple's fourth-quarter iPad shipments were 15.4 million, up 39% from the third quarter, but the device's share of the global media-tablet market fell to 57% from 64% in the prior quarter.

"Shipments of the iPad line fell short of IHS estimates in the fourth quarter as many loyal Apple customers devoted their dollars to shiny new alternatives," said Rhoda Alexander, senior manager of tablet and monitor research for IHS."However, the primary alternative wasn't the Kindle Fire -- which debuted to solid sales in the fourth quarter -- but Apple's own iPhone 4S smartphone."

Amazon shipped 3.9 million Fire tablets in the fourth quarter, giving the company 14.3% of the market, and making Amazon the world's second-largest tablet shipper, surpassing Samsung Electronics Co.

IHS said the fourth-quarter introduction of value-priced tablets, most notably the Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nook, forced competitors to slash pricing in the Android tablet marketplace in order to clear inventory.

Samsung shipped 2.14 million tablets, a 16% rise from the third quarter, but its market share fell to 8% from 11% in the prior quarter.

Source: Total Telecom