Samsung Electronics saw its global share of the tablet PC market fall in the first quarter, with rival Apple seeing the same.
Quoting data from Strategy Analytics, the report said the growth of cheaper Chinese-made models, which form the "white box" segment, was a major reason Samsung saw its market share fall from 22.6 percent to 17 percent over the three-month period, with Apple’s also dropping from 28.9 percent to 24.3 percent.
The white box products, or mobile devices made per demand without specific brands, usually by manufacturers in China, saw their share rise to 28.4 percent, up from 25.7 percent in the first quarter last year. The cheaper alternatives to the products of the two giants will make it hard for both companies to regain their market dominance, per market analysts.
Thus the combined global market share of Samsung and Apple fell to 41.3 percent in the first quarter this year, down from more than half year-on-year.
Eric Smith, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, was quoted as saying by Mobile World Live that the two companies in 2015 will rebuild for growth in the future, as “smaller, more nimble competitors gain ground with innovative new features and cellular-connected tablets.”
By D. Peter Kim
