It’s déjà vu for Apple.
After falling behind in the global smartphone race, Apple will likely lose its tablet crown to Android this year as cheaper, smaller devices flood the market.
In 2013, Google Android-powered tablets will represent 48.8 percent of all tablets shipped worldwide, topping Apple’s iPad for the first time, with 46 percent of the market, according to the latest forecast from research firm IDC yesterday.
Android has the advantage because the software is free for dozens of manufacturers to use, while Apple’s iOS only runs on the iPad. The dynamic is similar to the global smartphone market, which Android also dominates.
Early Android tablets from the likes of Motorola and Samsung were considered inferior and too pricey to compete with Apple.
But in the past year, rivals have cranked out cheaper and smaller tablets, forcing Apple to respond with the 8-inch iPad mini, launched in the fall.
“One in every two tablets shipped this quarter was below 8 inches in screen size,” IDC said in its report.
“And in terms of shipments, we expect smaller tablets to continue growing in 2013 and beyond.”
The overall tablet market is growing faster than expected. IDC estimates 190.9 million will ship in 2013, up from a previous forecast of 172.4 million.
So far, one big loser, according to the report, has been Microsoft.
IDC agreed with a number of analysts of late who have said Windows devices are struggling to gain traction with consumers.
Still, IDC expects Windows 8 devices to capture 10 percent of the global market by 2017, even though Microsoft’s first in-house developed tablet — the Surface — got off to a slow start last year.
“Microsoft’s decision to push two different tablet operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows RT, has yielded poor results in the market so far,” Tom Mainelli, IDC’s tablet research director, said in the report.