Android tablets slip and fall in Q1. Apple's iPad says ha-ha!

Android tablets slip and fall in Q1. Apple's iPad says ha-ha! Thetablet market showed some weakness throughout the first quarter, but Apple'siPad remained strong, based upon new research from IDC.

During most important quarter of 2012, total worldwide tablet shipments hit 17.4 million, 1.Two million units below your research firm had anticipated. And although that figure is down 38.4 % if compared to the busy holiday shopping season, it's up 120 percent over the 7.9 million tablets that shipped while in the first quarter of 2011.

The main issue last quarter was weaker-than-expected performance ofAndroid-based tablets. IDC failed to provide exact Android tablet shipments towards quarter, since its figures are preliminary. Considering 11.8 million iPads were sold from the first quarter, however, and since RIM's PlayBook shipments are not substantial through a market-wide perspective, Android-based devices tallied into the millions unit shipments during the period.

"Although total Android shipments were down sharply in [the first quarter], companies which can include Samsung and Lenovo are starting to attain traction to the market with the latest generation of Android products," IDC wrote within statement today. "IDC expects the segment to rebound quickly as other vendors introduce new releases inside the second quarter and beyond."

Related storiesKindle Fire sales strong in Q4, but no match for iPadFor Windows 8 tablets, a weak forecastCNET's review of Apple's new iPadCNET's article on the Amazon Kindle Fire

Still, it is difficult to determine what Android vendor will have the ability worry Apple. Dependent on IDC, Apple's business last quarter jumped from 54.7 percent around the fourth quarter to 68 percent last quarter. Amazon's Kindle Fire, which secured 16.8 percent share of the market in the fourth quarter, could only muster a 4 percent slice associated with the market around the first with 3 months of 2012. Samsung had superior share of the market while in the Android ecosystem, as well as Amazon and Lenovo.

"Apple reasserted its dominance sold in the market this quarter, driving huge shipment totals before starting when nearly a few Android vendors saw their numbers drop precipitously after posting big gains iphone 5 wallet case all through holiday buying season," said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Burberry iPhone 5 Case Connected Devices at IDC. "Apple's shift to position the iPad being a all-purpose tablet, instead of just a content consumption device, is resonating with consumers not to mention educational and commercial buyers. And also decision to continue a lower-priced iPad 2 you can get after it launched this new iPad in March is repaying as a result."

Even getting a sluggish first quarter, you will naturally be bullish within the tablet market. NPD DisplaySearch reported today that tablet shipments will explode inside the long term, reaching 184.Two million units Hermes iPhone 5 Case this year, and jumping to 424.9 million by 2017.

"The folks in Cupertino (Apple) keep indicating how tablets will exceed notebook shipments," Chanel iPad Mini Case DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim said today from a statement. "Well, we're getting down to make sure on top of that."