Tablet-Computer Sales to Triple This Year, IDC Says
Tablet-computer sales will almost triple to 44.6 million units this year as more technology companies try to capture some of the success of Apple Inc.’s market-leading iPad, research firm IDC predicted.
Shipments will jump to 70.8 million units in 2012, compared with 17 million last year, Framingham, Massachusetts-based IDC said today. Tablet sales rose 45 percent in the third quarter to 4.8 million units from the previous quarter, with the iPad accounting for almost 90 percent of the shipments, IDC said.
Apple sold 4.19 million iPads in the quarter ended in September, triggering a wave of similar devices like Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.’s Xoom device and Research In Motion Ltd.’s planned PlayBook tablet. The iPad’s success proved consumers are willing to pay for devices that are smaller than laptop computers and meant for browsing the Web, reading electronic books and watching video.
Consumers worldwide probably bought 10.8 million e-readers, such as Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle, last year, IDC said. Sales will grow to 14.7 million units this year and 16.6 million in 2012, the researcher said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Hugo Miller in Toronto at hugomiller@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net
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