SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Apple’s grip on China’s tabletmarket has loosened as Asian tech
companies increase sales with cheaperAndroid tablet computers, a market report showed
Thursday.DickieChang, senior market analyst at research firm IDC, said Apple supplied28 percent of
tablet computers in China during the April-June quarter,down from 49 percent dominance a year
earlier.The iPad maker was still the biggest tablet supplier in China, its key growth engine, but its
momentum has slowed.Applesold 1.48 million iPads in the period, up 28 percent over a yearearlier, but
sales of Galaxy tablets made by Samsung Electronics Co.quadrupled to 571,000 units. Samsung claimed 11
percent tablet marketshare, up from 6 percent.Samsung, the world’s largest smartphonemaker, said earlier
this year that it aims to double its annual sales oftablet computers, hoping to close the gap with
Apple.China’sLenovo and Taiwan’s ASUS and Acer also had a surge in their marketshare. Chang said these
companies benefited from offering cheapertablets and from consumer familiarity with the Android
operating systemthat is used in many smartphone models."If Apple cuts the priceof previous
generations of product like it did in phones, then moreconsumers would love to buy Apple’s iPad,"
he said in an email.Chinais a key market for consumer technology companies as growth in sales
ofsmartphones and tablets slows in developed countries.Apple CEO Tim Cook told the official Xinhua News
Agency in January that China will become the company’s biggest market.Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press.