Android to lose ground in tablets: IDC

New entrants into the tablet market aren’t expected to harm Apple’s dominance in the space, according to market analysts IDC.

In fact, the company is expecting the iPad to increase its market share in 2012, from 58.2% to 62.5%, while that of Android devices will slip from 38.7% to 36.5%.

Tom Mainelli, research director, mobile connected devices at IDC, says the strong performance of the third-generation iPad shows Apple isn’t likely to lose ground in tablets this year.

"The addition of Retina Display and 4G capabilities to the third-generation products clearly enticed many current owners to upgrade,” Mainelli says.

"And Apple’s decision to keep two iPad 2s in the market at lower prices... seems to be paying off as well.”

Rumoured products like a smaller iPad and tablets running Windows 8 and Windows RT could still have an impact on the market later this year, Mainelli adds.

"We don’t expect Windows-based tablets to necessarily take share from Apple and Android,” Mainelli says, "but will grow the overall tablet market.”