Just last month, IDC predicted that Android would soon overtake Apple in terms of tablets shipped. If their latest numbers are correct, the tides have now officially turned!

IDC reports that for the first three months of 2013,  49.2 million tablets have already shipped, with 27.8 million of those tablets running Android. In contrast, Apple shipped just 19.5 million units.

Apple is still the most popular single brand in the tablet world, but Samsung isn’t too far behind with 8.8 million units. While that’s less than half of what Apple is shipping, it is still a jump forward for Samsung compared to the same timeframe last year. In Q1 2012, Apple held 58.1% of the tablet market, and Samsung held just 11.3%.

The year is far from over, so what will happen next? The answer to that question hinges on what Samsung, Apple and Google are planning. At Google I/O, it’s possible we will see a new Nexus tablet, that could certainly have an impact on the market.

We also can’t say for sure what Apple will do next. They’ve had a lot of success with the iPad Mini, and the rumored HD version of the Mini is expected later this year. As for Samsung? They recently released the impressive (though a bit pricey) Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, in order to better compete against 8-inch tablets like the iPad Mini, and they likely have a few other tricks up their sleeves.

We might not know what the future holds, but it is great to see that Android tablet shipments are on the rise. What do you think, will Android be able to continue pushing out more tablets than Apple? Can Samsung overtake the iPad as the most popular brand of tablet?