New research shows that Microsoft fails to meet expectations in the tablet market

Aug 7, 2013 05:03 GMT  ·  By
Microsoft is reportedly getting ready to launch the second-generation Surface
   Microsoft is reportedly getting ready to launch the second-generation Surface

Microsoft still struggles to become a truly powerful player in the tablet industry, but a new research released by IDC shows that both Apple and Android continue to rule this part of the market.

While Apple shipped no less than 14.6 million tablets in the second quarter of 2013, Android remains the number one out there with 28.2 million units delivered to customers.

As far as Windows is concerned, figures are pretty disappointing. Only 1.8 million Windows tablets have been shipped in Q2 2013, while Windows RT comes next with only 200,000 sold devices.

"The tablet market is still evolving and vendors can rise and fall quickly as a result," said Ryan Reith, Program Manager for IDC's Mobility Tracker programs.

"Apple aside, the remaining vendors are still very much figuring out which platform strategy will be successful over the long run. To date, Android has been far more successful than the Windows 8 platform. However, Microsoft-fueled products are starting to make notable progress into the market."

Android continues to hold a market share of 62.6 percent for the second quarter of this year, while Windows is way behind with 4.0 percent. Windows RT doesn’t really count in this battle, as it reached a share of only 0.5 percent this quarter.

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Windows RT has barely reached a 0.5 percent market share the last quarter.Microsoft, on the other hand, has really high expectations from the tablet industry. The company is currently striving to clear out Surface RT inventories with lots of discounts across the globe, in an attempt to pave the way for the second-generation tablet.

Word is that the Softies have already completed development of this new model, with launch likely to take place before the end of the year. It appears that a smaller unit, possibly featuring an 8-inch screen, is also expected to go live in the next couple of months to compete with the iPad mini and Nexus 7.