While many expect the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show to be a big coming-out
party for the Android tablet, Forrester Research has revised its previous
conservative estimates and now expects the 2011 tablet market to be 2.5 times
what it was in 2010.
Forrester analyst Sara Rotman Epps said
Jan. 4 that she expects tablet sales to top 24.1 million, more than double the
10.3 million she estimates were sold through 2010.
“When Apple’s iPad first debuted, we saw the device as
a game-changer but were too conservative with our forecast. Since
then, we’ve fielded additional consumer surveys and an SMB and enterprise
survey, conducted additional supply-side research, and seen more sales numbers
from Apple. We’ve had briefings from many companies that will release new
tablets at CES. All of these inputs have led us to revise our U.S.
consumer tablet forecast,” she said.
Epps was certainly conservative in her June forecast, when she predicted
3.5 million tablets would sell. In fact, her 2010 revision was greater than her
8.4 million tablet estimate for 2011.
Just one small thing: even the 10.3 million tablet tally for 2010 feels
conservative. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimated
iPad sales of 14.5 million for 2010. Throw in at least 1 million units of the
Samsung Galaxy Tab sold, and Epps is still shorting the tablet pie.
For more, read the eWeek article: iPad to Lead Android in 2011 Tablet Sales: Forrester .
