Tablets Accounted for One Third of Worldwide PC Shipments in Q4 2012

Analyst firm Canalys has released data showing that worldwide PC shipments increased 12 per cent in Q4 2012, with tablets accounting for a third of those shipments. 

The number of tablet shipments grew 75 per cent in Q4 to 46.2m units. Total shipments for the year came in at 114.6m units. 

The primary leader in the tablet market is Apple; one in six PCs shipped in Q4 2012 was an iPad. Notwithstanding, its overall tablet market share dropped to 49 per cent; this is the first time Apple has not held more than half of the market share. 

Now controlling 46 per cent of the tablet market is the Android platform, due to the increase in sales from both Samsung and Amazon. Samsung came in strong with tablet sales in Q4, selling 7.6m units – an increase of 226 per cent. Amazon shipped 4.6m units in Q4, an increase of 18 per cent.

As the tablet market continues to grow, prices are being driven lower: “The sub-$200 price bands now feature products from established players that do not rely on low-quality components,” said Tom Evans, Canalys research analyst. “Those who control ecosystems, such as Amazon and Google, can obtain revenue from content sales, but pure hardware OEMs must accept decreasing margins or exit.”