With CES just on the horizon, and the impending tablet tidal-wave gaining momentum, Forrester Research has published its predictions on just how far-reaching the devices will be. With an estimated 10.2 million U.S. adults currently using tablets, the company predicts that number to rise to 26.0 million in 2011, 50.7 million in 2012, and 82.1 million U.S. adults by 2015.
“We’ve had briefings from many companies that will release new tablets at CES,” writes Forrester analyst, Sarah Rotman Epps. “All of these inputs have led us to revise our US consumer tablet forecast for 2010 upward to 10.3 million units, and we expect sales to more than double in 2011 to 24.1 million units.” She continues, “Of those sales, the lion’s share will be iPads, and despite many would-be competitors that will be released at CES, we see Apple commanding the vast majority of the tablet market through 2012.”
Forrester is predicting that the replacement rate of tablets will be closer to that of MP3 players or mobile phones — as opposed to that of computers and laptops used in the company’s initial estimates. The post closes with, “By 2015, 82 million US consumers — one-third of US online consumers — will be using a tablet, and not all of them will be iPads.”
Who has plans to buy their first tablet this year?
[Via TechCrunch]
