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Android tops as tablets go mainstream

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Tablet computer sales soared last year with Android-powered devices dethroning iPads atop a booming global market, according to figures released by Gartner.

Sales of tablet computers surged to 195.4 million last year in a 68 percent jump from what was seen in 2012, the industry tracker reported on Monday.

The raw number of iPads sold climbed more than nine million to a total of 70.4 million.

Chart showing the number of tablet computers sold in 2013
Chart showing the number of tablet computers sold in 2013
, AFP

Meanwhile, the portion of sales grabbed by tablets running on Google-back Android rose to 61.9 percent last year from 45.8 percent in 2012, according to Gartner.

"In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications," Gartner research director Roberta Cozza said in a release.

Apple continues to rule the high-end of the market with iPads, but low-cost Android tablets appeal to buyers with slim budgets in emerging markets, according to Gartner.

A woman looks at an Apple iPad at one of the company's stores in Paris  on December 20  2013
A woman looks at an Apple iPad at one of the company's stores in Paris, on December 20, 2013
Patrick Kovarik, AFP/File

California-based Apple's compelling "ecosystem" of music, games, films, and other digital content and services for mobile devices has rivals under pressure to provide similar experiences on tablets, Cozza said.

Apple remained the top tablet seller, but sales of Android devices by second-place Samsung more than quadrupled last year to 37.4 million, according to Gartner.

Microsoft sold slightly more than four million Windows-powered tablets in a jump from the prior year, but remained far behind the market leaders.

Tablet computer sales soared last year with Android-powered devices dethroning iPads atop a booming global market, according to figures released by Gartner.

Sales of tablet computers surged to 195.4 million last year in a 68 percent jump from what was seen in 2012, the industry tracker reported on Monday.

The raw number of iPads sold climbed more than nine million to a total of 70.4 million.

Chart showing the number of tablet computers sold in 2013

Chart showing the number of tablet computers sold in 2013
, AFP

Meanwhile, the portion of sales grabbed by tablets running on Google-back Android rose to 61.9 percent last year from 45.8 percent in 2012, according to Gartner.

“In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications,” Gartner research director Roberta Cozza said in a release.

Apple continues to rule the high-end of the market with iPads, but low-cost Android tablets appeal to buyers with slim budgets in emerging markets, according to Gartner.

A woman looks at an Apple iPad at one of the company's stores in Paris  on December 20  2013

A woman looks at an Apple iPad at one of the company's stores in Paris, on December 20, 2013
Patrick Kovarik, AFP/File

California-based Apple’s compelling “ecosystem” of music, games, films, and other digital content and services for mobile devices has rivals under pressure to provide similar experiences on tablets, Cozza said.

Apple remained the top tablet seller, but sales of Android devices by second-place Samsung more than quadrupled last year to 37.4 million, according to Gartner.

Microsoft sold slightly more than four million Windows-powered tablets in a jump from the prior year, but remained far behind the market leaders.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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