Windows Tablet Demand Surged Post-Win8 Says Research Firm

Microsoft continues to stay silent on exactly how many Surface tablet it ha s sold around the world. The first of its Surface tablets, the Surface RT, launched in October of 2012. Analytics firm Strategy Analytics has published a new report looking at the tablet market for the first quarter of 2013.

According to the report, demand for Windows tablets is increasing steadily. The analytics firm says that during Q1 of 2013 Microsoft shipped 3 million Windows tablets. It's worth noting that the report doesn't say exactly what it's considering to be a tablet. Microsoft has true tablets such as the Surface RT and the Surface Pro, but Microsoft partners also offer a number of convertible notebooks that could be considered tablets.

Microsoft had 7.5% of the tablet market during Q1 of 2013 with its Windows-based offerings. The research firm did note that limited distribution, a shortage of apps, and continued confusion amongst consumers about the tablets have all contributed to hold Microsoft back. Compared to the two giants in the tablet market, Android and Apple, Microsoft has a mere fraction of the market share.

The report shows that iOS is still at the top of the tablet market with about 19.5 million units shipped during Q1. Android sits in the second place spot with 17.6 million units shipped during the quarter. Currently iOS holds 48.2% of the global branded tablet market share, Android has 43.4%, and Windows has 7.5%. Another interesting caveat when it comes to the numbers for Android market share is that if the company figures in white box tablets, which are tablets aimed at a different market than branded tablets, Android increases its market share to 52% and Apple slips to 41%. The overall tablet market shipped 40.6 million units during Q1 of 2013.

[via Neowin]