IHS iSuppli predicts the 3rd generation iPad will lead to Apple retaking at least some of the global tablet market share the company lost to the Android-based competition during Q4 2011.
As a result the analyst says Apple 2012 WW tablet market share will total 61%-- up from 57% in Q4 2011, if slightly down from 62% in 2011. Apple should continue holding majority in the tablet market until 2014, when it will hold 52% share.
The total tablet market will also continue growing-- iSuppli says WW 2012 shipments are to total 124M units, growing by 90% Y-o-Y from 65M in 2011. The market should slow down in the coming years, but shipments will reach 311M by 2016.
However the market appears to be splitting into 2 halves, with the iPad on one side and the low-cost Android competition headed by the Amazon Kindle Fire. Apple has 74% of total Q4 2011 tablet market revenues, while Android tablets revenues are down by -41% Y-o-Y.
Further competition should come from Windows 8, although the OS will only appear on ARM processors sometime on 2013-- meaning Apple will continue holding on the majority of the market until 2014.
