JUST IN: As end of Q2 nears, IBM employees fret 'resource actions'

Topic: Hardware

Compare

How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

Summary: While no one questions if there are a lot of Android phones in users' hands, it is not quite as clear how many Android tablets are out there. A look at Google's numbers may indicate not very many.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

Google has activated 130 million Android devices, a staggering number for such a short platform life. That's because there are a whopping 550,000 Android devices activated every day, according to the latest figures from Google. While no one questions if there are a lot of Android phones in users' hands, it is not quite as clear how many Android tablets are out there. John Gruber of Daring Fireball took Google's own numbers and reckons there are just over a million Honeycomb tablets being used.

Google tracks Android usage by screen size, and defines a tablet screen (7 inches and larger) as Xlarge. That makes it possible to determine how many devices are accessing the Android Market by screen size, and thus how many accesses are done from a tablet. By Google's numbers as pointed out by Gruber, only 0.9 percent of recent accesses to the Market are by an Xlarge device. Based on Google's number of 130 million Android devices in use (and not 135 million as Gruber mistakenly used), that would indicate only 1.17 million tablets are in the mix.

The Google number only represents devices that accessed the Android Market over a 7-day period, so there is a lot of wiggle room using this number. But even if you take all of that wiggle room into Google's favor, there are a heck of lot less Android tablets in the wild than the 28 million iPads that have been sold through June 2011.

I would have guessed that a lot more Android tablets have been sold than just a million, but these numbers do indicate probably not much more than that; that is significant given the number of Android tablets now on the market. I must admit I don't ever see anyone using one in the real world.

Related:

Topics: Hardware, Android, Google, Laptops, Mobility, Tablets

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

52 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

    Hahaha... Somebody reported that Android has 33 percent 'tablet market' in the last quarter... Its all propaganda. The 550k devices per day is also propaganda.

    Come clean with the stats. Nobody is intersted if 'andorid' is activated on a $50 microwave oven or washing machine or satnav or tv or whatever. Windows CE runs on all sorts of consumer devices from ATM to satnav and nobody cares much about those numbers.
    owlnet
    Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @owlnet i have an ASUS EEE Pad, and I love it. Propaganda for what reason? this is not politics.
      tatiGmail
      Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @tatiGmail

        Stock price manipulation.
        LP212
        Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @tatiGmail <br>Propanga because Google is trying to dupe developers to release on their platform and trying to dupe consumers to buy Android tablets.<br>This is why Google, MS, Apple, BB, FB, Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, etc, etc all release figures of usage stating their marketshare...to generate interest and to hit that critical mass for their platform to take off. Apple has historically been the most accurate because of their fine tune inventory and supply chain. MS and Gogole...because they are licensed platforms have always struggled to release true figures and can only really release products to shelves, not products to consumers.
        global.philosopher
        Reply Vote

      • Propaganda to make it appear worth purchasing

        @tatiGmail
        to make it appear more sought after then it actually is?

        It could be an effort to get developers to create apps for Android as they may feel they will be rewarded significantly as they believe the number of users to be higher then it actually is?

        :|
        Tim Cook
        Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @owlnet
      It is unlikely that in 130 milion androids only 0.9 per cent are tablets anyway let's wait and see ...
      AdnanPirota
      Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @AdnanPirota

        Why not?

        Android tablets aren't subsidised and sold by phone carriers like Android phones are.

        The market is almost non existant.
        bannedagain
        Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @bannedagain

        They're not?! Funny because you can get a Galaxy tab right from Sprint for $119 after carrier rebate and 2-yr agreement.
        jmiller1978
        Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @AdnanPirota No, most likely it is more than 0.9% but the reality is most these devices are still sitting on shelves or haven't even made their way to the shelves yet (ie. in transit). I am yet to see an Android in the wild. I see quite a number of iPads (1 and 2).
        global.philosopher
        Reply Vote

      • Android is found on 49 dollar phones

        @AdnanPirota

        A price that tablets have yet to reach, so many more people can afford the phones, an inexspensive purchase.
        Tim Cook
        Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @jmiller1978 <i> "They're not?! Funny because you can get a Galaxy tab right from Sprint for $119 after carrier rebate and 2-yr agreement."</i><br><br>And who in their right mind would do that? Spend two years being locked into a carrier contract and paying separate data fee from their phone just to get an Android tablet now? A few months to a year into your 2 year contract you probably will lose manufacturer's support (no updates for you). <br><br>I would love to see the "geek" willingly getting locked into a tablet contract instead of just tethering a wifi version to their smart phone.
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @owlnet Apple publishes their numbers but Google and its croonies don't. If they have nothing to hid then why not publish the #'s unless their hiding something. Least me not forgot that Apple is worth more than Google.
      msdaniellec
      Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @owlnet "in the quarter" ... maybe ... but not in total.
      BrentRBrian
      Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @owlnet Google's activation count only covers devices using Google services. That leaves out millions of cheaper tablets sold around the world. It also doesn't include "microwave ovens and washing machines".
      kevindarling
      Reply Vote

  • Well at least that only a million tablets that have to be returned :)

    Hurry before your 30 day return window is up...
    Johnny Vegas
    Reply Vote

  • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

    They dont like the sales numbers so Apple fanboys have to try and find some conspiracy theories.. Go back and look at articles about smartphones and you will see they tried that with the phones as well claiming it was all just made up numbers.. propoganda... trying to claim they were shipments to wholesalers not the public.. They tried everthing to discredit Android smartphones ... but in the end even Apple admits it lost that race in record time.

    Apple iPhone is probably still the leading model of smartphone but Android is the clear winner in smartphone OS race.

    Similarly Apple iPad will probably always be one of if not the highest selling tablet model but iOS will not be the leading tablet OS very soon.

    It's like holding back the tide with your feet....
    comfort69
    Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @comfort69 Android is also the clear loser in the revenue race and always will be. :-)
      Tiggster79
      Reply Vote

      • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

        @LynxSteve <br>That is true. Apple make money on every handset. Some Android devices are losing money for thier manufacturers. The race to the bottom and razor margins and BOGO deals is killing the manufacturers. Google are sitting happily in their head office like Jabba The Hutt soaking up all the Ad revenue while the manufacturers are scurrying about bumping into walls trying to keep their head above water. It is funny to watch.
        global.philosopher
        Reply Vote

    • RE: How many Android tablets have been sold? Could just be a million

      @comfort69

      What "sales numbers" are people not liking? Google - or any of the licensees - haven't released any sales numbers for Android tablets that are split out from phones.
      Ian.Betteridge
      Reply Vote

      • Samsung has

        @Ian.Betteridge

        Claimed over 2,000,000 units. Turned out that was shipped.
        Bruizer
        Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close