International Data Corporation (IDC) released it’s quarterly report on worldwide tablet shipments Tuesday. The report states that the data tracking agency has lowered its expected forecast for growth in the tablet sector, which includes Android, iOS, and Windows tablets.

Tablet shipments are now expected to reach 221.3 million units this year, which is down from the agency’s earlier forecast of 227.4 million units. This new forecast is still 53.5 percent higher than last year’s unit shipment levels, however.

Android’s share of the worldwide smartphone market increased yet again during the second quarter of 2013, while the iPhone suffered a slight dip, according to the latest figures from IDC. But Research Manager Ramon Llamas is confident that Apple’s smartphone will recapture more users later this year when the Cupertino company launches the iPhone 5S.

For a long time after its launch, the iPad was by far the best-selling tablet on the market, and no matter how hard they tried, rival devices didn’t stand a chance of stealing its market share. But that’s all changed, according to the latest figures from IDC.

Android-powered slates saw a staggering 163% increase in the last year, and they’ve now overtaken the iPad and opened up a rather large gap in market share.

Spanish mobile operator Telefonica has partnered with Microsoft in a bid to boost Windows Phone 8 adoption. The two companies plan to launch an “enhanced marketing effort” that will fight back against “the current duopoly” of Android and iOS.

Handheld games consoles like the Nintendo 3DS and the Sony PlayStation Vita have long been suffering at the hands of smartphones and tablets. But the latest data from IDC and App Annie should give handheld game developers — including Nintendo — something to really think about.

While consumer spending on Android and iOS continued to rise during the first quarter of 2013, it fell considerably on handhelds.