AppleInsider reports today on new figures released by IDC that show that Apple’s worldwide share of the tablet market has increased from 54.7% in the final quarter of 2011 to 68% in the first quarter of 2012. And it seems that Apple’s gain is Amazon’s loss, with IDC reporting that Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet dropped from a 16.8% market share in the fourth quarter of 2011 to just a 4% share 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," wrote Tom Mainelli, research director of Mobile Connected Devices at IDC.
Samsung also profited from Amazon’s misfortune, retaking the number 2 position in worldwide tablet shipments. Lenovo came in fourth, and Barnes & Noble took the fifth spot with its Nook.
Source: Kindle Fire shipments drop sharply as Apple's iPad takes 68% tablet share