Technology research firm Gartner, Inc., US, has released a special report, 'iPad and Beyond: The Future of the Tablet Market,' that provides insight into what consumers, enterprises and vendors can expect as the market continues to unfold. According to Gartner, the worldwide media tablet sales to end users are on pace to total 63.6 million units, a 261.4 percent increase from 2010 sales of 17.6 million units. Media tablet sales will continue to experience strong growth through 2015 when sales are forecast to reach 326.3 million units.
Apple's iPad is projected to account for 73.4 percent of worldwide media tablet sales in 2011, down from 83 percent share in 2010. Beyond Apple iOS and the Android operating system (OS), Gartner does not expect any other platforms to have more than 5 percent share of the tablet market in 2011.
Android tablets are on pace to ship 11 million units in 2011, accounting for 17.3 percent of media tablet sales. This is up only slightly from Android's 2010 market share of 14.3 percent. Gartner's forecast for the Android OS has been lowered by 28 percent from last quarter's projection. The reduction would have been greater had it not been for the success of lower-end tablets in Asia, and the expectations around the launch of Amazon's tablet.
Gartner analysts said Research In Motion's QNX OS is a promising platform, but it is still in the early stages of development. RIM's main challenge will be to attract more support from application developers as the company is going through a tough period, with considerable pressure on its smartphone business.
As more vendors will arrive in 2012, Gartner analysts say it is important they concentrate on delivering a rich user experience based on a strong tie between smartphones and tablets. They also need to focus on a good set of apps, an intuitive user interface, and the ability to share content easily between devices, according to them.
The special report is available at http://www.gartner.com/technology/research/ipad-media-tablet/future-of-tablet-market.jsp.
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