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Tablet sales in Russia more than double in 2013

Russian customers bought 7.2 million tablets worth 81.4 billion rubles last year - IT retailer Svyaznoy

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

MOSCOW, January 20. /ITAR-TASS/. IT retailer Svyaznoy says sales of tablets in Russia added 125% in unit terms and 65% denominated in money last year.

Russian customers bought 7.2 million tablets worth 81.4 billion rubles (about $2.5 billion) last year, the company said. The average ticket fell 27% over the year to 11,380 rubles ($345) against 15,570 rubles ($472) a year before.

The retailer reports the average price of tablets was in decline during 2013 - from 12,527 rubles ($380) in the first six months to 11,500 rubles ($348.5) in the third quarter and 10,320 rubles ($312) in the fourth quarter. By December 2013, the gadget's price dropped below 10,000 rubles, to 9,700 rubles ($294).

Last year saw a non-top brand for the first time confidently ranking among the top three sales leaders. While in 2012 Samsung, Apple and Asus topped the list, in 2013 Asus was replaced by Prestigio. In total, non-top brands made up almost half of all units sold.

In operating systems, Android strengthened its leadership, boosting its share of the market to 83 percent in kind and to 68 percent in monetary terms.

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