According to new data from IDC, the iPad saw its share of the tablet market slip in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011, despite selling over 15 million units. IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker claims that Apple’s iPad, which saw shipments of 15.4 million units during the period, faced increased competition in the space, most specifically from Amazon, which shipped 4.7 million Kindle Fires.
Based on total worldwide tablet shipments of 28.2 million units during the quarter, Apple held a 54.7 percent share of the market—down from 61.5 percent in the prior quarter—followed by Amazon with 16.8 percent, Samsung with 5.8 percent, Barnes & Noble with 3.5 percent, and budget Android tablet maker Pandigital with 2.5 percent. Overall, Android held a 44.6 percent share of the tablet market, a number which IDC expects will continue to grow at the expense of the iPad and iOS.
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