Global tablet shipments topped 50 million in Q4 with Apple’s iPad line continuing to dominate the market.

According to new figures from IDC published today, there were a record 52.5 million tablets sold in the holiday season quarter, up roughly 75 percent from both a year earlier (29.9 million units in Q4 2011) and the previous quarter (30.1 million in Q3).

The firm attributed the strong showing to lower average selling prices, a wide range of new product offerings, and increased holiday spending.

“The record-breaking quarter stands in stark contrast to the PC market, which saw shipments decline during the quarter for the first time in more than five years,” said IDC’s Tom Mainelli.

Apple shipped 22.9 million iPads, up 48.1 percent over the same quarter last year, on the back of the launches of the iPad mini and the fourth-generation full-sized iPad. However, strong competition in the market led to Apple’s market share declining for a second quarter in a row (down to 43.6 percent from 46.4 percent last quarter).

Number-two vendor Samsung experienced 263 percent year-on-year growth, shipping nearly 8 million combined Android and Windows 8 tablets during the quarter to grab 15.1 percent of the market, its same market share total from the previous quarter.

Microsoft entered the market during the quarter with its Surface with Windows RT tablet, but failed to reach the top five after shipping just shy of 900,000 units into the channel.

Vendor

4Q12 Shipments

4Q12 Market Share

4Q11 Shipments

4Q11 Market Share

4Q12/4Q11 Growth

1. Apple

22.9

43.6%

15.1

51.7%

48.1%
2. Samsung

7.9

15.1%

2.2

7.3%

263.0%
3. Amazon

6.0

11.5%

4.7

15.9%

26.8%
4. ASUS

3.1

5.8%

0.6

2.0%

402.5%
5. Barnes & Noble

1.0

1.9%

1.4

4.6%

-27.7%
Others

11.6

22.1%

5.5

18.5%

77.4%
All Vendors   

52.5   

100%   

29.9   

100%   

75.3%   

Top 5 Vendors, Worldwide Tablet Shipments, Fourth Quarter 2012 (Preliminary)    (Units Shipments are in millions)   

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, January 31, 2013 (preliminary data)