Should This Concern Apple Inc. (AAPL)?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has not been shy about his plans to do big things in China in the future. In fact, he feels that it could become the company’s biggest market sooner rather than later. While Cupertino has yet to flex all its muscle in this market, the company is definitely moving in the right direction (as this study shows).

Despite the fact that Apple has a strong following throughout most parts of the world, this doesn’t mean the competition is rolling over and letting the company take home top honors in both the smartphone and tablet markets. Instead, there is a lot of competition with more to come.

For example, the China tablet market is going to be hotly contested over the next few years. If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) wants to move to the top, it will have to fight off competitors at every turn of the road.

Many are surprised to find that Lenovo is quickly making up ground in the China tablet market. While you may not think of this company as being a traditional competitor to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), it is moving in the right direction.

In a recent report by Digitimes, this is discussed in greater detail:

“Although China’s tablet market is currently dominated by Apple and white-box makers, Lenovo, after aggressively launching devices with competitive prices, is advancing quickly in the market, according to market watchers.

Lenovo had a share of about 8% in China’s tablet market in the first quarter and the percentage is expected at above 10% in the second. If the China-based vendor’s new 10.1-inch and 8-inch tablets are able to achieve strong sales in the second half, the company may become a top-5 tablet vendor in 2013.”

There is no denying the fact that Apple is currently dominating the tablet market in China as well as other parts of the world. Its iPad lineup is a huge hit and has yet to be knocked off its perch at the top.

However, Lenovo is doing its part in turning up the heat. The company expects tablet shipments of roughly 10 million in 2013. This is to go along with smartphone shipments of 50 million.

If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has plans to continue its rise up the charts in China, it will have to deal with companies such as Lenovo along the way.

How do you feel about this report? Do you think Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has reason to be concerned? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and don’t forget to learn more about the current development of the iPad (well documented here).