Apple grows iPad share as court case rages

SAN JOSE – Apple shipped 17 million iPads in the second quarter, increasing its share of the new category to 70 percent, according to figures from IHS iSuppli. Apple was followed distantly by Samsung, its key supplier and arch-competitor in an on-going patent suit in federal court here.

Apple’s quarterly shipments were up a “stunning” 44.1 percent from 11.8 million, IHS iSuppli said. By contrast, Samsung has shipped a total to date of almost 13 million total media tablets, it said. “Samsung hasn’t yet achieved the cumulative unit sales that Apple reached by Christmas of 2010,” the market watcher said.

The update comes as Samsung continues to press its case it has not infringed key Apple patents and trade dress on the iPhone and iPad in proceedings here. On Monday, Apple rested its case that Apple owes as much as $2.5 billion for infringement.

In court on Monday, Apple revealed it has licensed some of its key user interface patents to Microsoft with a stipulation it is not allowed to clone the look-and-feel of Apple products.

The deal may have informed Microsoft’s decision to drive a radically new look with its Metro interface. Metro will be used on Windows 8 to be released in October as well as Microsoft’s Surface tablets using the OS.

On Monday, Samsung presented to experts testifying about prior art from Microsoft and Mitsubishi it claims could invalidate Apple patents on multi-touch zooming gestures.

In July of this year, Apple exceeded the 85 million mark for iPad media tablets sold since the product’s launch in April of 2010, according to IHS iSuppli. It now faces competition from the seven-inch Google Nexus 7 made by Asustek and the Amazon Kindle Fire. Apple is expected to release its own seven-inch model soon.
 
“Apple is making all the right moves to rebuild its dominant position in the tablet space,” said Rhoda Alexander, director, tablet and monitor research for HIS, speakinhg oin a press release. “With the expected entrance of the 7-inch version of the iPad in September, Apple is sending a clear message that it plans to dominate this market over the long term,” she said.

“Apple’s major media tablet rivals, Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., hope to challenge Apple in the second half of the year, but will be facing formidable headwinds with no sign that the market leader is backing off of its aggressive strategy in the market,” she added.