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Android dominated the global smart mobile device market in the first quarter, according to a new report from Canalys.
That market — which combines smartphones, tablets, and notebooks — hit 308.7 million units in the first quarter, representing year-on-year growth of 37.4 percent, according to Canalys, which released the report on Thursday.
By operating system market share, Android was on top with 59.5 percent of all smart mobile devices shipped. Apple was second with a 19.3 percent share, while had Microsoft had an 18.1 percent share.
Global tablet shipments grew 106.1 percent year-on-year to 41.9 million units and “of the three [categories], the tablet market continues to grow the fastest,” Canalys said.
Though Apple still leads in tablets with a 46.4 percent share, it lost share to Android for the third consecutive quarter, the market researcher said.
“Spearheaded by Google and Amazon, the commoditization of the tablet market has happened far quicker than that of the wider PC market,” said Tim Coulling, a Canalys analyst, in a statement.
Notebook PC shipments totaled 50.5 million units, with the market shrinking during the quarter by 13.1 percent compared with the same period in 2012.
“While there are macroeconomic factors that contribute to this ongoing trend, the impact of tablets must not be understated,” Pin-Chen Tang, an analyst, in a statement. “The combination of ARM-based chipsets and Android has taken computing devices to new, lower price points. If Microsoft and Intel are serious about capitalizing on this exploding market, both will need to ensure that their OEMs can remain competitive on price.”
