U.S. Non-iPad Tablet Market Led by TouchPad Fire Sales as iPad's Domination Continues

Research firm NPD today released a new study of non-iPad tablet sales in the United States, revealing that sell-through remains extremely small in the face of Apple's dominant market share. According to the report, only 1.2 million non-iPad tablets were sold in the United States during the first ten months of 2011, with HP leading the pack with 17% of that market, or about 200,000 units sold.

npd oct11 tablet sales
HP famously discontinued its TouchPad tablet just weeks after it launched, although the company has been periodically offering stocks of the device at bargain basement prices as low as $99 or as part of bundles with HP computers.

PC manufacturers are dominant in the tablet space, as four of the top five tablet brands already have a strong U.S. consumer PC presence. Only two of the top five brands play in the smartphone market.

“The market is filled with long-time PC and phone brands as well as low-cost entrants,” stated Baker. “With a limited amount of shelf space and challenges in overcoming the iPads first mover strength, not all brands will be successful.”

Apple's sales performance is not included in the study, but it is clear that the total of 1.2 million non-iPad tablets fails to come close to Apple's sales numbers. For the first three quarters of 2011, Apple reported total iPad sales of just over 25 million iPads on a worldwide basis, and while the company does not break out its U.S. iPad sales, that number is almost certainly well above 10 million units, putting Apple in the neighborhood of 90% sales share.

Recent studies have pegged Apple's share of iPad shipments at closer to 65-70%, but those studies measure shipments from manufacturers to distribution channels and not sales to end users. While Apple has repeatedly noted that it is selling every iPad it can make, competitors' devices still appear to be languishing on store shelves amid low interest from consumers.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: NPD
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

snebes Avatar
161 months ago
HP only has the #2 spot because of the fire sale. I wouldn't expect that number to stay anywhere near what it is in a few months.

Obviously. They have none to sell. The next report will have them at 0%.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M-O Avatar
161 months ago
I was shocked when i read HP was #2
this is more a testament to how terrible Android tablets are than to how great the touchpad was.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
*LTD* Avatar
161 months ago
HP only has the #2 spot because of the fire sale. I wouldn't expect that number to stay anywhere near what it is in a few months.

It's pretty sad . . . when people only started buying your tablet when you priced it cheap as dirt, for which you later dropped support entirely, and on which you took a massive loss.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
161 months ago
HP only has the #2 spot because of the fire sale. I wouldn't expect that number to stay anywhere near what it is in a few months.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Doctor Q Avatar
161 months ago
90% of sales - no small potatoes!

Apple won't maintain this level of dominance forever, but challengers have their work cut out for them. The press is hungry for news of an "iPad killer" so there'll be plenty of buzz and yammering about any contender who claims to match Apple on technology, price/performance, and value, but competitors will need not only a great product but also a convincing ad campaign to grab much mindshare. People of all ages and technical skill levels will have a hard time picking the right racehorse if they don't go with the leader.

Now that the holiday season is here, Apple is going to gobble up hefty profits and a lot of people are going to be giving thanks after they find an iPad stuffing their Christmas stocking. But I hope Apple doesn't get drunk on success and hold anything back from further R&D. This is no time to let others catch up.

Just food for thought.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KnightWRX Avatar
161 months ago
That is very impressive performance. If Apple releases a retina display on the next iPad, there is no telling where they'll be.

I think they'll be #1. Same as they are now.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...