Tablet competition heating up; Android making gains

Though Apple's iPad® remains the top tablet computer on the market, a report from advertising data analytics firm Chitika shows that other devices are picking up steam and creating an increasingly competitive industry.

Chitika's report notes that holiday sales were fruitful for tablets -- especially those running Google's Android™ operating system. Of the four tablet models highlighted in the study, three are based on some version of Android.

"Unquestionably, Apple’s iPad continues to dominate the market with more than 15 percent of the mobile traffic," the report states. "On the other hand, a more competitive race is going on between other players in the market."

Amazon's Kindle Fire has assumed the second-place spot in the tablet industry. Though its sales trail the iPad's by a wide margin, the success of the Android-based tablet shows that there is room for competition.

More tablet models will emerge throughout 2012, and many were on display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Research firm Gartner estimates that more than 100 million tablets will ship this year. As more devices hit the market, the competition will continue to escalate, and new players are likely to challenge the status quo.