Samsung aims to overtake Apple as top tablet maker
A Samsung executive told analysts the company expects to double its 2012 tablet sales this year.
Samsung has overpowered Apple in the smartphone market and now it has its sights set on the tablet arena.
In an Analysts Day event held Wednesday in Seoul, Korea, JK Shin, head of Samsung's mobile division, said that the company wants to steal the No. 1 tablet crown from Apple, according to the Associated Press. The executive didn't reveal a specific deadline for this goal, but did add that Samsung aims to be the "most beloved" company in mobile.
Shin said that Samsung's tablet sales are expected to shoot past 40 million this year, doubling the amount in 2012.
"Samsung tablet shipments started to grow remarkably since the second half of last year," Shin said, according to the AP.
Samsung does have its work cut out if it expects to outshine Apple anytime soon.
Apple has sold 48.2 million iPads in the first three quarters of 2013, and analysts predict sales of anywhere from 24 million to 27 million for the holiday quarter. Even at the low end, that would add up to more than 72 million iPads sold this year. In 2012, Apple sold 65.7 million tablets.
But Apple's firm grip among tablet buyers has been slipping. Still the top player, it continues to shed market share to its Android rivals, most notably Samsung. Last quarter, Apple's slice of the market fell to 29.7 percent, from 33.5 percent in the prior year's quarter, according to research firm IHS. Over the same time, Samsung's share rose from 19.9 percent to 22.2 percent.