Microsoft is yet to official reveal the sales figures for its Surface tablets, and this has led to a number of analysts throwing around some very varying estimates.
Previous reports pointed to from as low as a few hundred thousand to 1.5 million units shipped since the October 2012 launch of the company’s first ever tablet in history. Conflicting reports, yes, but that has not stopped IDC from jumping in the fray with some new numbers.
The Research firm estimates that the company has sold 900,000 Surface tablets in the first quarter of 2013, which makes Microsoft, for all intents and purposes, the fifth largest tablet vendor on the market.
Ryan Reith, the program manager for IDC’s Mobility Tracker program noted in a statement:
“Microsoft’s larger challenges center around consumer messaging and lower cost competition. If these challenges are addressed, along with the desired screen size variations, then we could see Microsoft make even further headway in 2013 and beyond.”
Most of the tablets Microsoft sold in the first quarter of the year were Surface Pro. And the total combined shipments of both Windows 8 and Window RT devices (across all vendors) are estimated to be in the 1.8 million units range.
One has to take into account that since this is a first-generation device, Microsoft faced an uphill battle against production and supply issues, while striving to market and promote the Surface devices.
Nevertheless, the technology titan is pleased with is efforts, and as of this writing, working to expand the Surface product range. Insider sources claim that smaller Surface (and Windows 8.1) tablets, along with new Surface Pro and RT models are just around the corner.
