Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) Tops The Global Tablet Market With 68% Share – Latest Report

Research and analysis firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has in a report said that Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) has a dominating 68 percent in the global tablet market, led by the iPad 3 launched in March.

The Silicon Valley company sold 17 million iPads in the second quarter of 2012, an increase of 11.8 million units sold in the first quarter.

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Total tablet sales - across all manufacturers - in the second quarter were 25 million up by 18.7 million from the first quarter, the data showed

Samsung, which is a leader in the smartphones segment, sold 2.4 million tablets in the first quarter, more than double the sales it had in the first quarter.

website, T3 quoted Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices: "Apple built upon its strong March iPad launch and ended the quarter with its best-ever shipment total for the iPad, outrunning even the impressive shipment record it set in the fourth quarter of last year."

iPad's functionalities far outstrip those of its competitors and it has got a lot of support from the education sector where iPad had obtained traction due to its ease of use as well being light-weight.

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There have been rumours that Apple may be launching a smaller version of its iPad - termed iPad Mini with a 7-inch screen compared to the current version with a 10-inch size.

iPad Mini, if it launches, will pose stiff competition to devices such as the Google Nexus 7, Kindle Fire and Samsung's Galaxy Notes.

Shares of AAPL closed higher by 1.30% to $615.70 on Friday, its 3-month high. The stock has outperformed the broader market year to date with a gain of 52%.