Tablet Shipments to Surpass 58 Million Units in 2014

Along with the iPad introduction, market drivers for tablet shipments include an increase in the availability of new media, like magazines, newspaper and books, as well as in the number of applications available for mobile computing, such as web browsing, email, social networks, and video consumption. Applications like complex games that are more immersive, compared to those designed for smartphones or other mobile devices, will be developed at a rapid pace this year, helping to drive content and therefore demand for tablets to where unit shipments will surpass 58 million in 2014.

“Although the consumer market is the primary target for tablets right now, the commercial market also represents a potential revenue opportunity for tablet OEMs,” says Jim McGregor, Chief Technology Strategist. “Usage models and user requirements will differ in the commercial market, but as the overall tablet market becomes more defined over the next year, the opportunities for tablets within business markets will become more apparent.”

Recent research findings include:
• 13.2% of In-Stat’s Technology Adoption Panel survey respondents currently own a tablet.
• Email and web browsing were the top two tablet uses by current owners at 68% and 66% respectively.
• The strongest shipment growth begins in the latter portion of our forecast period.
• Of the survey respondents who own a tablet, nearly 55% spend 9 hours or more each week using their tablet.

In-Stat