by 
DigiTimes, the leader in supplier-related tablet and smartphone sales reporting just released new research information that shows Apple’s iPad is on the downswing in a major way. While the rest of the tablet-producing market is increasing year-over-year, Apple’s shipment was down by 2.7 percent from the same period last year.
According to the research, tablet shipments have slowed by 8.2 percent globally from last quarter. However, the numbers show that the market has increased by 46.6 from a year ago.
Apple’s quarterly shipments dropped by 25.1 percent from last quarter even as products like Samsung’s Nexus 7 and other non-Apple tablets have helped increase the overall market growth by 18.5 percent.
It is normal to see a slow down in sales for Apple leading up to a new product launch. However, this is the first time that Apple has seen a drop in unit shipments. As other tech companies launch new products it is getting harder for Apple to maintain its dominance in the market. When the iPad first launched in 2010, it was holding onto a solid 90 percent of the share of tablet sales. The most recent quarter in 2013 put Apple just under 50 percent, as iPad shipments totaled 14.6 million while non-Apple tablets totaled 14.7 million.
It looks like it is time for a refresh.
» Related posts:
iPad Expected to Represent the Lion’s Share of Tablet Shipments for at Least 4 Additional Years
Android Tablets May Finally Begin to Outsell iPads this Year
Report finds iPad Sales Could Drop to only 10 Million Units Next Quarter
