Independent analyst firm Canalys reported Wednesday that tablets are effectively taking over the world – or at least the global PC market share.
During the fourth and final quarter of 2012, Apple accomplished something the company never could before. Thanks to strong iPad sales, Apple secured a 20% share of global PC shipments for the quarter.
Apple continued to lead the PC market, shipping 27.0 million units. All told, worldwide PC shipments grew 12% year-on-year in Q4 2012 to reach 134.0 million units.
HP shipped 15.0 million PCs, which bumped Lenovo to third place and Samsung to fourth.
Despite record shipments, however, Q4 saw Apple’s tablet share dip to 49%.
“Apple timed the launch of the iPad mini well,” says Pin-Chen Tang, Canalys Research Analyst. “Its success proves there is a clear demand for tablets with smaller screens at a more affordable price. Without the launch, Apple would surely have lost more ground to its competitors.”
Canalys estimates that the iPad mini comprised more than half of Apple’s total tablet shipments in Q4 of 2012.
To read the full report, click here.
