In the second quarter, researcher IDC estimated Apple controlled 68% of the tablet market. However, thanks to recent product launches by several competitors, Apple's tablet market share is estimated to have slipped to 50.4% last quarter.
That could be a troubling sign for Apple investors. However, as technology analysts Eric Bleeker and Andrew Tonner describe in the video below, investors need to note a few important points. One is that such market share studies estimate shipments, which could mean competitors like Samsung are seeing inflated market share relative to their end sales to customers. Second, they note the market share numbers come at a time when consumers were waiting for the iPad mini, so Apple's stake will bounce back next quarter.