Samsung-Apple Holiday Tablet Wars

Tablet sales this holiday season have proved to have outdone traditional computers. According to a recent J.D. Power Report, Samsung Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Tablet Devices. The Purchase Experience Greatly Impacts Overall Tablet Customer Satisfaction Report highlights that Samsung ranks highest with a score of 835 and is the only manufacturer to improve across all five factors since the previous reporting period in April 2013. Samsung showed particularly strong improvement in the cost factor (25-point increase). Apple ranks second scoring 833 and performs particularly well in performance and ease of operation.

Canalys reported that Tablets will make up 50 percent of PC market in 2014 with Android-derived operating systems will account for 32 percent of PC market next year. Tablet domination is set to continue, with Canalys forecasting 285 million units to ship in 2014, growing to 396 million units in 2017. Apple and Samsung are expected keep ahead of their competitors in the medium term, but there could be challenges for both vendors competition in the tablet market.

J.D Power Report

KEY FINDINGS

- More than one-half (59%) of tablet owners purchase their device in a store, while 41 percent purchase online. Tablet owners who purchase their device online rate their purchase experience 8.5 (on a 10-point scale), compared with 8.3 among those who purchase at a store, and also provide a slightly higher satisfaction rating for the price of the tablet (7.8 vs. 7.5, respectively).

- Overall customer satisfaction with tablet devices is 821 (on a 1,000-point scale). Customer satisfaction among tablet owners who rate their purchase experience high (9 or 10) is 114 points higher (879) than those who rate their purchase experience lower (8 or below).

- Prior to purchasing their tablet, 50 percent of consumers rely on recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues, while 49 percent gather information from the manufacturer's website. These sources are followed by brand reputation (42%) and past experience with the brand (32%).

* J.D. Power Report

According to IDC,  tablet shipments for third quarter was at 47.6 million units, a 7.0 percent growth sequentially and 36.7 improvement from last year. “Android products once again drove much of the shipment growth in the market as iOS growth stalled and Windows tablets continued to struggle to win over consumers." IDC stated.

Android devices such as the tablet have more savings in its hardware than iPad. Android mobile devices are also being chosen as a preferred choice over apple for its enterprise tablets which cater to more vertical applications. These areas include field service and asset management.The Android hardware model is better than iPad.