Android Tablet Wars? The Evolving Tablet Spectrum

Android tablet devices are still struggling to define themselves in the marketplace. Unlike Apple's iPad, which has established a niche based on strong brand identity, its Android rivals are still a generic blur. Will they be distinguished by design specs or by the online stores they are associated with?

Android's tablet-form evolution is not purely a consumer-market issue. How this marketplace develops will have a major impact on Android use in the workplace. This in turn will help shape how IT at small and midsized businesses (SMBs) respond to tablet devices, mobility, and "the consumerization of IT."

Android Wars and Stores
Triggering the debate is the debut of the Nook Tablet. As noted by columnist M.G. Siegler at TechCrunch, this release coincides with early reviews of the Kindle Fire. What these devices have in common is not just that they are inexpensive Android tablets, they also both aim to leverage their association with bookstores--that is to say, with large-scale content providers.

This double development comes amid the ongoing struggle of Android tablet devices in general to gain a firm identity in the marketplace. Another TechCrunch columnist, Matt Burns, characterizes the current trend as the "PC-ification" of the Android tablet segment.


Burns claims, "Right now it's the iPad versus the world. Consumers can either opt for the $500 iPad or pick from countless identical Android tablets." This is similar to the market for desktop and laptop computers, where multiple generic PC brands compete against each other, while Apple commands its own distinct market share.

The Limits of Mobility
The difference, however, is that tablet devices, like their smartphone cousins, are much more dependent on an ecosystem of apps--and by extension on particular stores. This is a boon for marketers, but it is ultimately due largely to the physical limitations of mobile devices and the places where we use them.

We are likely to be on our feet, in a hurry, and typing on an undersized virtual keyboard. We do not have the time or the hands to access the full power of the Internet, so we rely on apps for maximum convenience.
This is crucial for IT professionals to keep in mind when evaluating mobile device options, and the evolving role of mobile devices in business. Mobile devices are unlikely to replace desktops and laptops. They are instead becoming a mobile supplement to full computing power.

At least for now, the tablet market is dominated by consumer needs. Convenience and simplicity are crucial. Yet the drive for convenience and simplicity may place a limit on the "consumerization of IT." A business-oriented segment of the mobile market may yet emerge. Alternatively, the impact of mobile devices on IT may be less than many observers today either hope or fear.