iPad rivals may finally be nearing the quality we demand, but according to data collected by Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley, Android fans still prefer the iPad when it comes to tablets. Oh no he didn’t…
“Our smartphone and handset checks indicate iPads are selling better to Android smartphone users than the current Android tablets,” he said. “As a result, we argue that consumers purchasing a tablet are more likely to remain in that ecosystem…”
Canaccord Genuity’s report argues that iPad popularity has reached the point that rivals must come in substantially cheaper to gain any real traction. The analysts believe that Apple’s biggest tablet threats will be Android models from Samsung, Asus and Amazon.
See Let’s look at that a little closer. We hear Samsung is working on Retina displays for tablets, we know Asus straight up has tablet fever (and may be planning some Tegra 3 action), and Amazon’s tablet feels like this year’s worst kept secret. More: What’s Next For Tablets: The Mega Rumour Roundup
Interesting that there’s no BlackBerry or WebOS/HP love in the report; no mention of Sony or Dell, either. Microsoft isn’t discounted, though. “We also believe a Windows tablet in [the second half of 2012]could sell well…” That timeframe would match previous Windows 8 tablet rumbings we’ve covered here at Giz.
And the current state of play? The research projects that Apple’s US tablet share will reach 56% in 2011, followed by Samsung (12%), and Asus (5%). RIM, Motorola and LG are expected to tie at around 3%, ahead of HTC on 2%. They also reckon Amazon’s tablet will steal 5% share by Christmas, even though it’s only rumoured to arrive in August. More on the report at eWeek.
So I’ll ask the question to those of you thinking about picking up a tablet soon. How do you feel about the iPad 2 versus the current crop of competition? Devices like the Galaxy Tab 10.v, Xoom and Iconia A500 — or others like the Playbook, Touchpad, AT100 and EeePad line? Things are getting interesting, that’s for sure.
Timoo
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:21 AMI have an iPhone 4, an iPad2 and a Xoom.
I prefer the iPad over the Xoom, but that primarily comes down the app store/marketplace.
It’s hard to find good apps that are made for Android tablets, compared to the sheer amount available for the iPad.
It’s also very hard to distinguish between phone and tab Android apps at quick glance, unlike the appstore.
Flash and the micro SD card are the only things I prefer on the Xoom. Hopefully the marketplace will improve for tabs soon.
Tim Mead
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 3:28 PMAm much the same; I have an iPhone 4 and a Xoom. The Xoom does things that an iPad 2 won’t (Flash access, micro SD card, file-system access etc.), but lacks the “polish” and overall quality of the Apple devices. Worse still, the tablet-specific app offering is horrendous on Honeycomb, compared to the iPad.
I’m a bit undecided; am thinking I’ll sell the Xoom when the iPad 3 is released and run a jailbroken device to get the closest of both worlds.
Barry
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:22 AMI am thinking of purchasing a tablet but it won’t be an iPad as I still think that the OS for these are very old (almost 5 years old OS) and when you compare that to Google’s, it’s being updated and changing almost yearly. Having said that, I’m waiting for Win8 and their tablets before making my final decision between Google and Microsoft.
Andrew
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:40 AMI’m sorry, but what? How is iOS ‘old’? It gets yearly updates, and in a much more orderly fashion than Android.
Sure, the iPhone OS has been around since iPhone 1, but if you look at that, and at what iOS 5 is bringing, you’ll see that the OS has evolved a tremendous amount.
Barry
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:50 PMthe iPhone and iPad haven’t changed since it’s release, new hardware and new functions, that’s it. At the moment, Android is the only one that is changing, trying to create a better way to navigate a tablet, WebOS looks ten times better than iOS, Android and WP7 look ten times better then the tired iOS. I hope Apple change the 5th version but something tells me that it will remain the same with new additions and fixes.
Richard
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:55 PMYou couldn’t be more wrong if you think that iOS hasn’t and won’t continue to change. iOS 4 and 5 even more so is leaps and bounds ahead of where iOS originally was.
Just because the grid off apps looks similar to the original release doe not mean there hasn’t been huge advancements.
lambomann007
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:47 AMYou’re forgetting that iOS has been constantly updated too. iOS5 is coming out this year. And a problem with Android is that often devices don’t get the newer version of android until quite some time later. At least with an iOS device you know you’ll be getting the updates for at least 2 years after you’ve bought it. But I do have to agree with you on Win8, it is looking quite interesting. I’ll probably end up buying a 32GB iPad 2 this year and getting a Win8 tablet next year.
aaron
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:36 AMI have a galaxy Tab 10.1. I love my Galaxy Tab 10.1. I use it more than my phone for casual surfing (the entire reason I bought it) and gaming. I would never consider an iPad, I just love widgets too much.
Danny Allen
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:06 PMAnd now that iOS 5 will have widgets?
Pacificstorm
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:53 AMIt’s Android Tablets all the way. The iSeries are old and had seen better days. It’s time for a new blood like Android to make the market vibrant and exciting again and to which it has been doing, thanks to crops of android devices that’s been flooding the market. We do indeed live in an Android World now. For how long? For as long as android keeps on innovating and not litigating like Apple’s been doing lately. It’s innovate and not litigate, for crying out loud!
Simon Reidy
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:55 AMFunnily enough as a fan of both iOS and Android (I have an HTC Desire and iPhone4)) I’ve been trying to decide on this question myself. I wrote a post about it yesterday on Google Plus if anyone is
interested:
https://plus.google.com/108001340101575414658/posts/SmBYScxdYxY
Danny Allen
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:08 PMLet me know what you end up deciding!
Sam
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:59 AMI have just ordered a Xoom and i have an Android HTC Aria. I love Android, i find it more interesting to use than iOS, with its customisable features and the fact you aren’t stuck with the same screen layout and you have options for pretty much everything, there are even different options for security, like pattern passwords instead of PINs like iOS. I chose the Xoom because it has some great specs that Apple couldn’t compete with yet, especially the bigger screen and the fact the camera on the front of the Xoom is the same quality as the camera on the back of the iPad. Ido agree about the Android market that was mentioned in a previous comment but if you read more into Gizmodo, you will find the Google has an updated market on the way and seem to be at a level on convenience similar to the iPhone. And i love widgets too…
Tim Mead
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 3:31 PMAs a Xoom owner, it’s worth pointing out that while the LCD is higher resolution than the iPad 2, it’s significantly lower quality. The viewing angles aren’t as great, but more significant are the visual artifacts.
The front-facing camera isn’t a huge plus, IMHO, as there aren’t a great number of applications that make use of it.
As for the Android Market – I don’t feel it’s the market itself holding things back, it’s the lack of decent applications. Android is leagues behind the App Store in terms of quality and quantity. My feeling with the Xoom is that if you’re happy with the stock applications it comes with, then it’ll be great for you (which is where I’m at, currently). If you want to be able to get a host of apps for it, then look elsewhere.
Steve
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:03 PMi’ve got an iP4, iPad1 and a rooted Nook Color. I only really use a tablet at work for twitter, so the iPad was overkill. My Mrs uses the ipad at home to watch tv and iTunes content.
The iPad1 is still a really slick and fast machine, and I can agree with this article and the amount of app’s for iOS is just crazy. If Google can fix its fragmentation of devices that will bring in more developers and it would be a serious fight then.
Danny Allen
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:05 PMHow’s the Nook Colour treating you?
Chumly
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:23 PMI own an Asus EEE Pad and it’s awesome. Would never personally get an iPad as it’s too inflexible. The ASUS is much closer to PC functionality, especially with the dock.
In contrast though I will heartily recommend the iPad to most people as for what they are looking for it tends to be the better device. People are just familiar with the ipod/iphone interface and are really only going to use it for fruit nija anyway.
Nithin K
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:49 PMSo much in agreement with that!
Scott
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:30 PMI imagine the majority of that research is based off ownership. And with a large majority of Android users being early adopters they simply bought a iPad when the only competition was the original 7″ Galaxy Tab…
With the release of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Aus I imagine quite a few Android fans will be purchasing that over the iPad 2, or they might wait until the end of the year for the rumoured onslaught of Android tablets or Icecream Sandwich!
Perry
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:32 PM“I own an Asus EEE Pad and it’s awesome.”
Me too. I looked at the iPad before buying the EEE. No contest.
Biderjum
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:58 PMI have been avoiding the tablet scene for as long as I can, but I think it is catching up with me (thanks to others around me having them). Being deeply entrenched in the Apple world, I will be getting an iPad, I think when iOS5 comes out it will alleviate my main concerns, which is app syncing between devices, I want my best score for angry birds to be on all my devices, hopefully the iCloud will answer my prayers…
Motorhead
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:21 PMI’m very tempted by the 10.1 but I think i’ll wait until Google do a Nexus tablet.
I like the look of the Playbook but how I’d use a 7 inch tablet I think a 3G connection would be more practical despite the cost advantage of using the bridge.
For a larger tablet I’d be happy to get a wifi one & just use my android phone as a hotspot
goblin
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:56 PMLove my Iconia.
While I’m still mostly in front of my PC. My Iconia often comes to bed with me so can watch ABC iview or livestreams (own3d, justin.tv). I also use wifi to copy videos off my network shares.
Could not do any of that from an ipad.
I have been playing a lot of battleheart (guess ipad users can join me in that activity)
Big Windows
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 2:28 PMAndroid on a tablet would seem to have similar issues to Linux on laptops or desktops. It is just too fragmented at this stage and is a dream OS for tinkerers… Like Gizmodans… Most people that want a tablet view it as a piece of consumer electronics (with a couple of additional extras, like social networking, email, video chat… etc). This is a device conspicuously designed for consumption. Android tablets have too much variability. Users don’t know what the hardware lifecycle is… Because of the way the tablet is viewed only early adopters are going to turn it over within 5(five) years… Unless it breaks… Can you guarantee Android hardware will be up to it for that long… I say… Not yet! You can see that now… I can’t even be guaranteed that say something like the Toshiba Thrive (AT100 here) will run Ice Cream sandwich or even the next version thereafter… Not a big Apple fan, but, they recognise that the tablet is a piece of consumer electronics… At this stage.
mattt
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 4:38 PMIf you buy a popular android device then community support will far outlive the support provided by google itself, giving the device a far greater lifecycle than a product with a closed OS. No android device can be ‘crippled’ like the iPhone 3G was when 4.0 was released.
Greg
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 4:11 PMHardly surprising – Android people demand the very best. At the moment, the ipad is the very best tablet. Nothing even comes close.
Tim
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 4:22 PMI own a Xoom and an Iphone. I prefer the android interface for the tablet, and there are lots of apps now available to handle everything I wish to do on my tablet.
I found the Ipad too simple and basic for what I wanted to do, and I love the ability to fill all that screen real estate with mail, photos, and any other widget that tickles my fancy! Also, i like to tinker, and I feel that the xoom fits my lifestyle better.
Also, i like that i’m not a part of the apple fan boy thing.
In saying that, the Ipad 2 is an impressive device, and people will be happy whichever way they go.
Iconia fan
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 4:52 PMThe iPad was a nice bit of kit but I refused to contemplate a tablet until I could get one with USB, SD and HDMI ports – just before Easter this year along came the 32GB Acer tab and I was hooked – had never used an Android product previously but is it both easy and fun – as for apps, I currently have over 70 apps on my tab, all free from the market, I only wish I had more time to be using/playing with them. There is plenty of help/guidance on android usage / apps available to people new to the system at the Whirlpool tablet forum. Can’t recommend the A500 enough and it has already been updated to 3.1.
alamfour
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 5:51 PMI have an Asus Eee Slate EP121 & I don’t regret my purchase. Windows on a 12 inch tablet works so well. I get the whole web. No compromises.
Steve
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 6:28 PMRocking the IP4 and a Galaxy Tab 10.1, but I also played around with Android before the iPhone. I don’t mind the iPad and see there are some definite advantages with IOS including a superior app store with much more tablet content.
What drove me away from the iPad 2
-Poor pixel density. Superficial, I know. But the iPad 1 and 2 screens irk me precisely because the pixels are so fat.
-Square-ish screen vs the wider screened Honeycomb tablets which are superior for video
-Locked-down IOS ecosystem. I don’t want to have to root/jailbreak my tablet to make it functional. Why can’t it do whatever I want it to do out of the box? Why do I have to stick with the same set of boring, static icons on my homescreen? With a larger tablet size, SURELY something as basic as widgets are bare essentials.
-Apple App Store. I’ve sunk in maybe a hundred bucks so far on iTunes apps and can tell that the longer I stay with it, the harder it’ll be to let go once you’re entrenched in that ecosystem and forced to play by draconian rules.
sam
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 6:42 PMTill the evolve III comes out I’m an iPad man (I have a DHD)
Franz
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 8:08 PMNo point buying a tablet till it can build and extract from .rar files.
ExplosionsHurt
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 3:06 PMThere’s an app for that on Android. Not sure what it was called though.
Danny Allen
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 10:11 PMWow guys. I’m seeing a lot of Xoom / iPhone combos here. Very surprising!
Richard
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:08 PMI owned a 3GS, went to Android which I currently have now and have owned both an iPad 1 and 2.
Personally I find iOS the better system and one I would use as a tablet OS. Its a bit more refined, not as customisable sure but then again I dont feel a great need to customose it. FOr those that want to I understand the desire.
That said I use my phone as a telecommunications device mainly…if it takes and receives calls and can load a web browser and email client I’m generally happy. My tablet is used far more for games and other tasks and TBH I find Android is completly lacking in this area. If I was going for productivity I’m sure I’d come to the same conclusion, the App store more than the OS is what makes iOS the winner IMHO.
It’ll probably see me dropping Android as my phone OS too for the time being although its not overly urgent since I don’t use as many apps on my phone anyway. None the less, I prefer having more variety of applications to having a more customisable OS.
Personal preference there.
Chumly
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 9:21 PMI too see the number of apps as the big downside of android on a tablet but as someone that hasn’t used many apps on an ipad im curious, what apps do you find indespensble on ios that you cant find on android?
Richard
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 5:43 PMTheres no single App, but as I eluded to I use the iPad for games and multimedia. To that end its more the vast number of quality games on the platform thats got me leaning towards the platform. Similar to why I keep a copy of Windows around even on Mac hardware.
For productivity I think the margins smaller, sure theres still more choice on the iPad but theres enough solid solutions and once you have a good productivity app you tend to keep it where games you are likely to move on after a few hours.
Richard
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 5:44 PMOhh and to add, typically if theres a good app on Android its also on iOS at the same time or was there earlier. Can’t really say the same thing for Android from experience.
sam
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:12 AMI think the iPhone/honeycomb combo could be quite compelling. Stability in your phone and the flexibility and customization in your tablet. As well as the whole web on what is a perfect consumption device
Greg
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 12:35 PMFalsely implying that Android is somehow unstable? Hmmm.