The launch of Apple’s new iPad did more than just usher in a new era of tablet computing. It also began a worldwide tablet-purchasing epidemic.
According to ZDNet Asia, global tablet sales are expected to reach 118.9 million units this year. The sales are led by Apple’s iPad according to a report by Gartner research vice president Carolina Milanesi.
Milanesi noted that, even though PC vendors and phone manufacturers “want a piece of the pie” and have launched themselves in the media tablet market, there is very limited success outside of Apple with its iPad. She further explained that as vendors struggled to compete on price and differentiate enough on either the hardware or ecosystem, inventories had been built and only 60 million units reached the hands of consumers across the world.
Despite the arrival of Windows 8-based devices to the market this year and the rollout of Amazon’s popular Kindle Fire, Apple is expected to continue its market dominance through 2012, accounting for 61.4 percent of worldwide media tablet sales, down from 66.6 percent in 2011.
ZDNet Asia
Photo: Apple