(Telecompaper) Apple took a 50 percent share of global tablet shipments in the first quarter, but Android tablets will inevitably overtake iOS, according to ABI Research. No single vendor is expected to challenge Apple's dominance in the short term, however. ABI Research estimates that the 7.9-in iPad mini accounted for 49 percent of unit sales and 39 percent of total iPad revenues in the first quarter, putting a dent in sales of larger iPads. Orr expects the iPad mini to be the predominant iPad model after the second quarter.