The iPad is a very popular tablet. Ever since the first one came out in 2010, Apple has continued to sell millions of units every quarter. Customers just can’t seem to get enough of it. New contenders in the market are always stacked up against the iPad. This used to be the case once with the iPhone as well, but then Samsung and its barrage of Android devices happened. A recent research showed that Samsung smartphone shipments have brutally smoked iPhone shipments. According to Glen Yeung, an analyst at Citi, this might happen with the iPad as well, due to the influx of cheap Android tablets in the market.
Recent reports have suggested that demand for tablets has actually increased as compared to conventional PCs, despite that Yeung believes that iPad shipments might register a 7 percent year over year decline in the coming quarter. The company’s upcoming tablets, the fifth generation iPad and possibly the Retina iPad mini, will surely push sales figures. The fact remains though that a variety of manufacturers are developing Android tablets that are far cheaper than Apple’s offering. While the iPad won’t exactly become irrelevant in the market, it is likely to lose some of its ground.