Wordwide sales of media tablets will reach 19.4 million units in
2010, according to an Oct. 15, 2010, research note from Gartner. The research firm suggests that tablet sales are having a negative
impact on other devices, such as e-readers and mini-notebooks.
The research note suggests that tablet PC sales will
increase from 19.4 million units in 2010 to 54.7 million in 2011, then 103.4
million in 2012, and finally 208 million in 2014. Some 61 percent of those
sales in 2010 will come from the North American market, but Gartner expects
that percentage to dip to 43 percent by 2014.
Gartner expects that low-end consumer notebooks and
communication devices based on an open-source operating system — i.e., Google
Android — will experience lower rates of cannibalization than from tablets. The hardest hit will be mini-notebooks, according to the company, as the average selling price for a media tablet is expected to drop below $300 over the next two years. The presence of 7-inch
tablet PCs could impact the higher-end smartphone market, its Oct. 15 research
note adds, although the report notest that consumers buying a 7-inch tablet might opt for a lower-
priced smartphone with a smaller form factor.
A handful of manufacturers, including Samsung and Research
In Motion, are expected to introduce tablet PCs onto the market within the next
few months. It is also widely expected that Apple will unveil a revamped iPad
at some point in the near future.
For more, read the eWeek article Apple iPad, Tablet Sales Will Hit 19.4 Million Units in 2010: Gartner.