Top Best Tablets iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Kindle Fire, Nexus 7 & Lenovo

IDC  published its Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker that showed a growth of close to 50% over last year's third quarter. Android surged at the expense of Apple's iPad. The top selling tablet types in Q3  were the iPad,  Samsung Galaxy Tab/Note, Kindle Fire/HD, and Nexus 7.

Samsung shipped 5.1 million tablets worldwide in 3Q12, up 115.0% from 2Q12; that's an increase of 325.0% from 3Q11, when it shipped 1.2 million tablets Samsung now holds 18.4% of the worldwide table market.  It is the first time a competitor has reached this level of share since the launch of the original iPad.

Here's how IDC analysed the other vendors  Amazon, ASUS, and Lenovo:

• Amazon, which did not have product in 3Q11, announced  the new Kindle Fire HD tablets late in the quarter, and began shipping the new models along with a refreshed Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD helped makes its worldwide market share from 4.8% in 2Q12 to 9.0% in 3Q12,.
• ASUS' share growth was backed by strong shipments of its Google-branded Nexus 7 giving it 8.6% of the market.
• Lenovo's gains were driven by strong shipments in China.

The decline of iPad sales were due to people waiting to find out about the iPad mini and other announcements.  Tom Mainelli, research director at tablets at IDC said that after the announcement and now that tablets are shipping he expects Apple will have a good quarter but because of the relatively high $329 price tag for the iPad mini it will allow Android vendors to achieve success.

Meanwhile IDC noted that Windows 8/RT Surface tablets will eight have a tough time winning market share because of its $500 price tag.