Almost three out of every four tablets sold worldwide last quarter were iPads. Samsung was a distant second, while Amazon limped in third.
A mix of 17 million iPad 2s and third-generation iPads made up 69.6% of all tablet shipments during the three-month period ending July, more than seven times that of its closest rival Samsung, which managed to ship 2.254 million Galaxy Tabs.
Amazon is reported to have shipped just over 1 million Kindle tablets in the second quarter.
Apple’s 44% jump in iPad shipments almost brought the Cupertino device maker back to the all-time high of 70% of the market it grabbed during the first quarter of 2011, reported research firm iSuppli.
“With the expected entrance of the 7-inch version of the iPad in September, Apple is sending a clear message that it plans to dominate this market over the long term,” said Rhoda Alexander, who heads up the firm’s tablet research.
Alexander added that Apple’s rivals will face “formidable headwinds” heading onto the second half of the year, as there is no sign that Apple will back off from its aggressive strategy.
Asus landed in fourth place, and Barnes & Noble in fifth, which rounded out the top five.
