Microsoft has unveiled plans for store-within-a-store sections in Best Buy stores, becoming the latest major consumer electronics maker to acknowledge advantages of the brick-and-mortar format.Apple’s shipments of iPad tablets surged 44 percent to 17 million in the second quarter, giving the company its biggest share of the market in more than a year as devices from competitors lost ground.
Apple’s market share climbed to 69.6 percent in the quarter from 58.1 percent in the previous three-month period, according to a report last week from IHS.
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple’s share of the tablet market hasn’t been that high since the first quarter of 2011, when it was 70 percent, IHS said.
With tablet sales predicted by research firm Yankee Group to overtake those of personal computers by 2015, Apple is preparing for challengers for its iPad. Microsoft later this year will begin selling its Surface tablet, while Google introduced its Nexus 7 device in June. Amazon.com debuted its Kindle Fire tablet last year.
“Apple is sending a clear message that it plans to dominate this market over the long term,” said Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS. “Apple’s major media tablet rivals, Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., hope to challenge Apple in the second half of the year, but will face formidable headwinds.”
Amazon’s share of the tablet market slipped to 4.2 percent in the second quarter from 5.8 percent in the previous three months, IHS said. Samsung Electronics had a 9.2 percent share in the second quarter, down from 10.8 percent.
