Apple leads the global tablet market with 68 percent market share, according to research

Android might be leading the smartphone market with over 107.8 million shipments around the world in Q2 of this year alone, but it seems that Apple is winning where Android is losing in the tablet game. According to IDC, a market research and analysis firm, Apple has already shipped 17 million iPads in the second quarter of 2012, up from 1.8 million units in the first quarter of this year and its previous high record of 15.4 million units in Q4 last year.

However, Samsung appears to have grown the most with a 117.6 percent growth in Q2 this year, and taking the second spot with a total of 2.4 million units shipped, up from 1.1 million units last year. Trailing in at third is Amazon with Kindle Fire shipments amounting to 1.2 million units. Behind are Asus and Acer with 855,454 units and 385,458 units this quarter respectively.

“Apple built upon its strong March iPad launch and ended the quarter with its best-ever shipment total for the iPad, outrunning even the impressive shipment record it set in the fourth quarter of last year,” said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices. ”The vast majority of consumers continue to favor the iPad over competitors, and Apple is seeing increasingly strong interest in the device from vertical markets—especially education. While iPad shipment totals are beginning to slow a bit in mature markets where the device saw early traction, growth in other regions is clearly more than making up the difference.”