14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft investing in Windows 10 as a tablet platform is finally paying off, with a new research conducted by analyst firm Telstyle showing a major growth that brings Windows very close to Android.
The study was specifically made on the Australian market, but it reflects the growth of Windows at a global level, with Telstyle estimating that by the end of the year, Microsoft’s operating system could overtake Android in the tablet sector. This would position Windows as the runner-up in this particular industry, just after leader Apple.
At this point, Windows holds 22 percent of the Australian tablet market, the study shows, while Android is at 29 percent. Apple’s iOS is the leading choice with 49 percent.
If the same trend is maintained, with Android going down and Windows increasing, a switch of places should happen by the end of the year. Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Lenovo are currently the top tablet manufacturers in the first half of the year, accounting for 80 percent of all tablets sold in the country.
Apple still dominating the tablet biz
What’s more impressive, however, is that nearly 50 percent of all tablets sold in Australia are Apple iPads, which shows that Microsoft’s Windows will have a very difficult job in overtaking iOS.
But on the other hand, the research shows that Microsoft’s operating system is gaining ground mostly because of the improvements in touchscreens and more manufacturers joining the 2-in-1 effort, which essentially allows a Windows tablet to double as a laptop when a detachable keyboard is connected.
“Telsyte estimates tablet sales will pick up with around 1.7 million to be sold in the second half of 2017, an increase of 7 per cent over the same period last year. A return to growth is expected to be driven by consumers replacing aging, unsupported devices or by upgrading to 2-in-1s,” the analyst firm says in the research.
Furthermore, it appears that the majority of Australian customers are interested in LTE tablets. Microsoft itself is also building LTE-capable versions of its Surface, with such an SKU of the Surface Pro projected to launch by the end of the year.