Context shows iPad was dominating Q3 in Europe

Apple is likely to have no trouble holding on to the tablet market in Europe, according to newly uncovered data from Context. It estimates that Apple shipped 2.99 million of the 4.05 million tablets in the western European market during the summer, or 73.8 percent. While the iPad was down from 77.8 percent in the spring, much of that gain from rivals was attributed to the rush on the clearance HP TouchPad, which wouldn't be a factor in the fall.

Results from October so far showed that Apple was down slightly to 72 percent, although it wasn't clear what rivals if any were gaining. ASUS' Eee Pad line was second place through the summer, followed by Acer's Iconia Tab series.

Researchers also provided context that suggested seven-inch tablets had so far failed to get any hold of the market. In August, just two percent of tablets in western Europe carried the smaller screen size, suggesting that almost all of the market was dominated by 10-inch tablets like the iPad, the Eee Pad Transformer, and the Iconia Tab A500. The figures were somewhat skewed by the absence of updated seven-inch Samsung tablets like the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, but they still showed very little traction for the BlackBerry PlayBook, Iconia Tab A100, and other tablets on sale at the time.

The relatively stable share for Apple suggests the tablet market may behave more like that for MP3 players, where Apple remains in a settled but majority position, than the smartphone or PC markets where Apple eventually ceded a large stake. Most analyst firms have pointed to a gradual iPad decline, although none so far have suggested that Android would repeat the quick rise it had in smartphones. [via The Guardian]

By Electronista Staff

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industry, gadgets, ASUS, Acer, Android, BlackBerry, Samsung, RIM, Apple, Eee Pad, iPad, Galaxy Tab, PlayBook, Iconia Tab, Context