ABI Research predicts 4 million tablets to ship in 2010, growing to 57 million in 2015
A new study by ABI Research predicts up to 4 million tablets will ship this year growing to 57 million annually by the year 2015.
According to senior analyst Jeff Orr,”Apple’s iPad is not the first media tablet..But it does help define this new device category. The main focus of media tablets is entertainment.”
Furthermore, Orr expects tablets to remain as a “premium or luxury product for wealthy industrialized markets for at least several years” with units not expected to replace laptops, netbooks, or even mobile phones.
Of course things could very well change in a short order especially if additional third party vendors jump into the ring with cheaper, capable devices. We know Windows 7-based tablets will continue to grow but you can be sure Google Chome-based tablets will enter the fray within the next year or two.
On the flipside, Orr believes third party manufacturers will have a hard time generating awareness of their products among consumers/buyers.
“New entrants to this market are at a disadvantage since they lack the retail relationships and network operator agreements already built by the more mature vendors. Surprisingly, Apple may have done them a favor by raising the public profile of the whole media tablet category.”
It’s certainly not surprising when you consider what Apple did for the smartphone industry. Until the advent of the Apple iPhone, smartphones were relegated to the tech-savvy and business-oriented audiences. Now, it seems like everyone has an iPhone or at least some sort of touch-based smartphone.
In our heads, the real question isn’t how many units will ship. The real question is – does anyone actually need a tablet? Forget the price, or units shipped, or availability but focus in on purpose. Buying an iPhone makes sense since nearly everyone needs or wants a mobile phone. Buying an iPod makes sense since most of us enjoy the concept of portable music. A tablet? The case for one still stands on shaky ground – at least until a real killer application or purpose is made available.
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