Aussie tablet sales 2.3m in H1 2013: Telsyte

Almost 2.3 million tablets were sold in Australia in the first half of 2013, coming close to equalling the number sold in the entirety of 2012, according to a study by Telsyte, a technology analyst firm.

Announced on Wednesday, the results showed the proliferation of tablets, with 7 million people using them in Australia as of the end of June 2013, and estimated revenues of over AU$2 billion for the year. According to the analyst firm, Apple is maintaining its dominance in the tablet market down under, with H1 2013 sales consisting of 52 percent iPads, 43 percent Android tablets, and only 5 percent Microsoft Windows-based tablets.

"Despite being slow to start, Windows is expected to grow its market share, driven by business users and increased OEM support," Telsyte senior analyst Alvin Lee said today.

The firm is estimating that Microsoft, which announced its $7.2 billion impending acquisition of Nokia yesterday, will grow its tablet market share to 20 percent by 2017.

Android tablets are forecast to overtake Apple sales by 2015, with Samsung tablets now close to taking up 40 percent of Android tablet sales.

Only 20 percent of tablets currently utilise 4G long-term evolution (LTE) within the Australian market.

Tablet sales in India have also been tipped to double in the 2013-14 financial year to 3.84 million units, according to a report from the Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT).

"Tablets are cannibalising the PC market and registering a phenomenal growth of 424 percent in the second consecutive year," MAIT president JV Ramamurthy said in the report.

Last week, research firm IDC estimated this year's worldwide tablet market to be 57.7 percent above 2012 shipments, at 227.4 million tablet shipments.