Android grabs 22 per cent of tablet sales

Grows share of 9.7m Q4 market, but Apple still rules.

According to Strategy Analytics, tablet shipments grew 120 per cent sequentially to reach the figure, and Apple recorded a 75 per cent global market share, down from a peak of 95 per cent in Q3.

Of course, this is merely a function of the sheer number of Android devices coming on to the market, but it still represents a change in the landscape.

Neil Mawston, director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Android tablet volumes experienced 2,000 percent sequential growth and its global market share soared to a record 22 percent in Q4 2010.

"The Samsung Galaxy Tab was the main driver of Android’s success, as the model was launched in dozens of countries and promoted heavily by Samsung."

Strategy Analytics expects Android to further increase share during the first half of 2011 as several models from major vendors are scheduled to hit retail stores, such as the Motorola Xoom.