While the Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro is capturing the Surface headlines in the U.S.,China, however is still focused on the Windows RT tablet.
When the Surface with Windows RT tablet hit China, demand was reportedly "low." It appears, according to IDC analyst Dickie Chang, Microsoft shipped only 30,000 units of the Surface with Windows RT.
Furthermore, Chang noted the Surface with Windows RT's market share amounted to only one percent based on China's sales. Worldwide sales of the original Surface tablet were 900,000 units during the last quarter, which illustrates the "muted" demand for the Microsoft tablet, as Latinos Post previously reported.
According to the IDC analyst, Microsoft was more concerned to showcase how the Windows tablet is compared to PCs rather than boosting shipments.
The numbers are not positive for Microsoft, but Chang noted Apple's and the Android's success in China. Apple has grown in China's tablet market, primarily due to the iPad Mini and the iPad 4. The latest iPads have given Apple a 62 percent market share with 1.4 million units shipped. For the Android, it has increased its market share to 36 percent, an increase of 10 percent compared to the previous financial quarter.
The news of Apple and Android dominating in China is shown in Flurry Analytics' latest figures, showing active smartphone and tablet devices surpassing U.S. numbers.
A review of the use of active Android and iOS devices in China and the U.S. shows that China has consistently seen an increase of smartphone and tablet use since January 2011 through early February 2013 while the U.S. has seen dips during mid-2011 and early 2012.
"We also conclude that the U.S. will not take back the lead from China, given the vast difference in population per country. China has over 1.3 billion people while the U.S. has just over 310 million," wrote Flurry's Peter Farago.
For more on China passing the U.S. in active iOS and Android devices, click here.
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For the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT tablet drop test, click here.
For rumors on three upcoming Surface tablets in 2013, click here.
For the comparison of the Microsoft Surface vs. Kindle Fire HD 8.9, click here.