14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re asking Microsoft, its tablets are selling so well that they can easily compete with devices running Android and iOS in several countries across the globe. How good they’re selling?
So good that they could help the company conquer almost half of the tablet industry in some key markets out there.
At least, that’s what a company official said in a recent interview, explaining that adoption of Microsoft’s tablets skyrocketed in the last few months, so the tech giant could now think about going even higher in market share trends with a 50 percent score on the long term.
Microsoft Japan Co. President Yasuyuki Higuchi told Japan Times Microsoft could easily win 50 percent of the tablet market in Japan, after posting an increase of no less than 10.1 percent from last year’s figures.
If you’re wondering, Microsoft currently owns 30.1 percent of the tablet market in Japan, and although 50 percent might seem to be easy to achieve, it might still take approximately one year to do it.
Higuchi says that the tablet sector is still expected to continue its growth, especially because of the decline of the PC industry, which pushed more buyers to mobile devices. Microsoft’s Japanese official says that the decline of the PC industry was more or less expected, especially because many prefer to stick to Windows XP instead of purchasing a new computer.
Statistics provided by market research StatCounter for the month of June 2014 show that in Japan the tablet industry is pretty different from what Microsoft says.
At this point, the figures reveal, iOS is the leading choice for tablet buyers in the country, holding a share of 73.78 percent, followed by Android with 24.11 percent. Windows RT is far behind with only 0.27 percent.
Microsoft, however, continues to invest in expanding its tablet industry with new models and recently launched the Surface Pro 3, a 12-inch device that’s marketed as a perfect laptop replacement. The Surface Pro 3 packs multiple CPU options, starting with an Intel Core i3 and ending with an i7, but also several storage versions that go all the way up to 512 GB.
At the same time, the company is also believed to be working on a smaller model called Surface Mini that could come with an 8-inch screen and be sold as a note-taking device. This particular model is still in doubt, sources say, as Microsoft’s CEO wants the device to pack several breakthrough technologies that would appeal to buyers of the small tablet segment.