Apple’s second quarter 2012 shipments of iPads increased to 17 million, as revealed in its quarterly results.
IDC’s latest report shows that 25 million tablets were shipped across the period, up from 18.7 million the quarter before (an increase of 33.6%) and just 15 million units this time last year (up 66.2%).
This gives Apple a colossal 68.2% marketshare, even though low cost rival tablets from Amazon launched in that time (selling 1.2 million, 5%) and the company’s key mobile rival Samsung accounted for just 9.6% with its Galaxy Tab range.
The 2.4 million tablets sold by Samsung represents a 117.6% increase over this time last year, when it shipped just 1.1 million. The strengthening of the Google Android OS through the Jellybean update, which is designed for tablets, has been a key driver.
It is worth noting that the figures by IDC do not include the Google Nexus 7 device, which launched after these figures were collated. It has been selling out in the UK and US markets.
Microsoft is also set to launch Windows 8 on October 26, its first attempt at a tablet-centric operating system. It will be accompanied by its Microsoft Surface tablets.
"In addition to major new products from Amazon and quite likely Apple, we can also expect an influx of Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows RT-based tablets starting in late October," said Bob O’Donnell vice president of Clients and Displays at IDC.
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"If anything, there’s a real risk that people will have too many options from which to choose this holiday season. Consumers baffled by the differences between Amazon and Google versions of Android, or Windows 8 and Windows RT, may well default to market leader Apple. Or they may simply choose to remain on the sideline for another cycle."
