... a healthy number of competitors slugging it out for second place behind the iPad.
According to Yankee Group's new report, 2012 US Tablet Landscape: An All-Too-Familiar Story, iPads currentlyrepresent 51% of all tablets owned in the US, leaving all other makers battling for less than half the overall market.
But some 25% of survey respondents who intend to buy a tablet in the next six months say they don't know which brand they will purchase - presenting a huge opportunity for manufacturers looking to grow their base.
"For the second quarter in a row, Apple's iPad is leading the tablet market, forcing all other competitors to battle for the remaining 49% share," comments Yankee's research VP and head of devices practice, Carl Howe. "It's too late to change current ownership, but tablet makers looking to gain on Apple need to start improving their brand visibility and targeting people who don't already have their minds set on an iPad."
Among the other findings from the report ...
- Amazon's Kindle Fire has cooled with consumers: Those who planned to buy a Kindle Fire in 2011 now own one, bumping ownership up to 7%. But consumers' 'intent to buy' has dropped off, falling from 11% last year to just 6% today.
- Samsung takes a hit: Last year, more than 10% of consumers owned a Samsung tablet, while 8% intended to buy one in the next six months. In 2012, these figures have fallen to 7% and 4% respectively.
- Smaller tablet manufacturers face an even grimmer outlook: Fewer than 4% of consumers currently own a BlackBerry PlayBook or a Motorola or Dell-branded tablet; while just 2% say they own an Asus tablet.
As to the latest - and most formidable - rival in this mushrooming market, however, Yankee Group is curiously silent, with nary a word about Google's Nexus 7, just-launched to rave reviews.
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