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. (More Google Android stories.)