Apple’s iPad climbed from a 54.7 percent marketshare to 68 percent last quarter, and that increase came at the expense of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, according to data from research firm IDC. IDC’s data shows Kindle Fire shipments dropping from 4.8 million units during the fourth quarter 2011 down to 750,000 in the first quarter of 2012.
“Apple reasserted its dominance in the market this quarter, driving huge shipment totals at a time when all but a few Android vendors saw their numbers drop precipitously after posting big gains during the holiday buying season,” said Tom Mainelli, IDC’s research director for Mobile Connected Devices.
iPad still the worldwide leader in tablets
He added that positioning the iPad as a multipurpose tablet instead of as a content consumption device was a smart move and has helped draw in customers.
The dramatic drop in Kindle sales helped Samsung climb back into the second place slot in the tablet market.
Apple reported selling 11.8 million iPads during its second fiscal quarter, up 151 percent year-over-year, but still less than the 15.4 million units it shipped during its first fiscal quarter which includes the holiday buying season.
Amazon’s tablet marketshare dropped from 16.8 percent in the last quarter of 2011 to 4 percent during the first quarter of 2012.
IDC expects Apple to maintain its top spot worldwide in the tablet market while its competition fight for the followup positions, especially with the introduction of Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.
“While Apple will continue to sit comfortably on the top for now, the battle for the next several positions is going to be fierce,” said IDC’s Bob O’Donnell, program vice president for Clients and Displays. “Throw in Ultrabooks, the launch of Windows 8, and a few surprise product launches, and you have all the makings of an incredible 2012 holiday shopping season.”