Tablet sales surging in Southeast Asia

According to market research company Gfk Asia, tablets operating on the Android operating system are the most popular. In April, almost half of all tablets (46 per cent) purchased by consumers were  Android, compared to just 13 per cent in November last year.

Gerard Tan, regional account director for IT at GfK Asia, commented, “More manufacturers are banking on the current Android craze and choosing this platform for their tablets, resulting in consumers being availed more options of Android tablets to choose from. GfK’s retail audit across the seven Southeast Asian markets showed that similar to smartphone trends, the Android operating system has also been gaining traction in the tablets arena since the last quarter of 2010.”

Meanwhile, sales of 3G and 4G-enabled tablets also contributed 79 per cent to the overall sales  across the seven countries

The agency’s research showed that average prices of tablets have been sliding gradually across Southeast Asia with the average price standing at around US$600 in April, down by 23 per cent when compared to January’s average pricing across the region.

The most expensive tablets were found in Indonesia, whereas those being sold in the Philippines reflected the lowest average selling price in April.