Android May Outsell iPad by 2016

Priced well below the iPad at $200, Amazon's Kindle Fire could help its fellow Android tablets outsell Apple's devices by 2016, says research firm IDC in a report picked up by Wired. In the fourth quarter of last year, Apple accounted for 54.7% of tablet shipments, compared to the Kindle Fire's 16.8%. But that's still a healthy figure. "Not only did (Amazon) ship a lot of units at a very aggressive price, but they actually helped broaden the market in general," says an analyst.

"It gave people an opportunity to jump into the market at a price they’re more comfortable paying." Amazon is able to charge close to cost for its tablet because its profits come largely from content that Kindle users buy through Amazon, a model that differentiates it from the likes of Apple, Samsung, or Motorola. And as with smartphones, the "sheer number" of Android models available could push sales beyond Apple's, says Wired.