Tablet Shipments on the Rise, Apple Inc. (AAPL) Continues to Lead Market

Most people realize that the tablet market is growing at fast rate. However, many don’t realize just how big things are getting. This is good news for consumers; especially those who want to compare many options before making a purchase. At the same time, it works out in the favor of companies such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Canalys recently took a closer look at what is going on in terms of growth, explaining what to expect in the future:

“Worldwide demand for tablets has gone from strength to strength, while that for desktops and notebooks has waned. In the first quarter of 2013, the desktop market fell 10.3% and the notebook market declined 13.1%. The size of the tablet market, however, more than doubled in Q1 2013, with a 106.1% increase in shipments to 41.9 million units. Shipments show no sign of slowing and Canalys forecasts that in 2013 tablet shipments will reach 182.5 million units, with global tablet shipments surpassing those of notebooks in the final quarter of the year.”

Although there is a lot of good information in there, the key for companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the fact that there is no sign of a slow down. In fact, it is safe to assume that the tablet market will continue to push forward in the years to come as fewer people rely on desktops and notebooks.

It wouldn’t be a report on the tablet market if Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was not mentioned in greater detail. After all, Cupertino and its iPad lineup is in the lead but trying to hold off stiff competition.

Here is more information from Canalys Research Analyst Pin-Chen Tang:

“This new influx of Android devices will provide a boost to the platform and Canalys therefore expects Android to take a 45% share this year, behind Apple at 49%. The iPad mini is expected to continue selling well, becoming more significant in terms of the product mix and spawning a further increase in consumer demand for smaller tablets.”

As you can see, Android devices are expected to close the gap on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). With its traditional iPad, as well as the mini, Cupertino has plenty of bullets in its holster.

If you want to take a closer look at the direction the tablet market is headed, visit the next page for a graph from Canalys: