Is the iPad on the way out? Apple tablet was outsold by Android rivals for the ...

Sales of tablet computers trebled this year, according to analysts But only 38% of devices were iPads, compared to 56% share for Android Budget tablets launched by Tesco and Aldi are stealing market share

PUBLISHED: 11:29 EST, 26 December 2013 | UPDATED: 11:29 EST, 26 December 2013

Tablet computers hit unprecedented heights of popularity as Christmas gifts this year - but Apple's iPad is no longer the top dog, according to analysts.

Sales of tablets soared nearly threefold this year, with a total of 7.6million units shipped to Britain in the first three quarters of 2013, and a similar number expected to be sold in the Christmas period.

But customers may be turning away from the iPad, as a host of much cheaper competitors launched on the market this year.

Tablets first hit the mainstream in 2010 when the launch of the iPad heralded a lightweight alternative to laptop and desktop computers.

Their sales have continued to rise sharply year on year ever since, with data from analysts IDC showing a 192 per cent rise in the number of units shipped from January to September this year.

The iPad was the single most popular device, taking 38 per cent of the market - but for the first time, tablets powered by Google's Android operating system outsold those running Apple's iOS.

56 per cent of tablets sold in Britain run on Android, including popular models such as the Nexus, Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy.

The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire are both available for less than £200, compared to a minimum of £320 for the iPad Mini and £400 for the iPad Air.

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However, the tablet market has been rocked in recent weeks with the release of even cheaper models by British retailers not normally thought of as tech giants.

Tesco is selling the Hudl for just £119, in a bid to attract customers who might normally shun tablets as a pricey luxury.

Budget supermarket Aldi went even further with the Lifetab, which sold out within hours of going on sale for £80.

The rise of ultra-cheap tablets has made parents more likely to give the computers as gifts to their children, according to IDC's Francisco Jeronimo.

'Parents looking to give gifts to children and teenagers are unlikely to spend £400-500 on a tablet, so tablets sub-£100 are less of an investment and more of an attractive disposable gift that doesn't matter so much if it gets broken,' he told the Guardian.

And as the technology which powers tablets continues to get cheaper, budget devices are set to become even more common, the analyst said.

The rise of cheaper competitors forced Apple to introduce the iPad Mini last year, and the firm could feel compelled to introduce even more downmarket alternatives to maintain its dominant position.

www.best-budget-tablet.com For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets