Samsung Electronics saw its market share in tablet PCs reach a record-high level in the first quarter of the year, data showed Tuesday, narrowing its gap with U.S. rival Apple.

The world’s biggest smartphone maker took up 22.6 percent of the global tablet PC market by shipping 12.8 million units of such devices in the January-March period, the data by market researcher Strategy Analytics showed.

It marked a 3.7 percentage points increase from the 18.9 percent posted in the previous year, when Samsung sold 9.1 million units of tablet PCs.

While Apple maintained its dominant spot in the market on the back of its famous iPad tablet lineup by posting a share of 28.9 percent in the first quarter, its stake plunged 11.5 percentage points on-year due to the rise of the South Korean player.

By region, Samsung outpaced the U.S. rival in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while increasing its presence in all areas around the globe, the researcher said.

Industry watchers attributed Samsung’s rise to its diverse tablet lineup, which met different needs of consumers, adding the South Korean firm is set to narrow its gap with Apple even further.

China’s Lenovo Group sold 2.3 million units of tablet PCs over the cited period, accounting for 4.1 percent of the market.

Taiwan’s Asus shipped 2.1 million units to garner 3.7 percent, followed by the U.S.’ Amazon with 2.6 percent. (Yonhap)