The usage of tablets continues to increase worldwide as shipments surged 142.4 percent compared to last year.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker shows 49.2 million tablet units were shipped in the first quarter of 2013. A reason for the strong increase is the demand for devices with smaller screens.
IDC noted Apple outperformed their projections of shipments from 18.7 million units to 19.5 million units. Samsung came second, also performing above expectations and increasing from the previous quarter, with 8.8 million units.
"Sustained demand for the iPad mini and increasingly strong commercial shipments led to a better-than expected first quarter for Apple," said IDC's Tablets Research Director Tom Mainelli. "In addition, by moving the iPad launch to the fourth quarter of 2012, Apple seems to have avoided the typical first-quarter slowdown that traditionally occurred when consumers held off buying in January and February in anticipation of a new product launch in March."
In terms of percentages, Apple's tablets garnered 39.6 percent to Samsung's 17.9 percent. Rounding the top three is ASUS with 5.5 percent, or 2.7 million units.
However, when it comes to the operating systems used in the tablets, Apple loses its steam.
IDC's statistics show Google's Android dominated the first quarter tablet operating system market share with 56.5 percent. The figure, according to IDC, equates to 27.8 million shipments.
Apple's iOS garnered 39.6 percent, comfortably enough for second place. In terms of shipments, the iOS were in 19.5 million units.
Microsoft's Windows operating system finished at third place with 1.6 million units shipped, or 3.3 percent.
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