Apple’s own iPhone 4S affected iPad sales: his iSuppli
Many believe that the release of Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook tablets in the fourth quarter took a bite out of Apple's fourth quarter share of global tablet market, but IHS iSuppli said it was actually the Cupertino firm's own iPhone 4S that affected iPad sales.
Apple’s share of global tablet market slipped from 64 per cent in the third quarter to 57 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year.
However, a fresh report by IHS iSuppli says that the release of the iPhone 4S in October did more than rival products to limit the growth of iPad shipments.
Rhoda Alexander, senior manager of tablet & monitor research for HIS, said, "The rollout of the iPhone 4S in October generated intense competition for Apple purchasers' disposable income, doing more to limit iPad shipment growth than competition from the Kindle Fire and other media tablets.”
In the fourth quarter, Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads, up from 11.1 million in the third quarter. But its share slipped as rivals enjoyed a boost in their respective shares.
As per IHS iSuppli, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Samsung shipped around 3.9 million, 1.9 million and 2.1 million tablets, grabbing 14 per cent, 7 per cent and 8 per cent of the global tablet market.
Meanwhile, Internet is flooded with reports that Apple’s third-generation tablet, the iPad 3, will be in the first week of March.
