Desktops? Laptops? The conversation has shifted to tablets, and Apple appears to be at the center of this whirlwind. Yet another research firm is forecasting the global growth of “tab computers.” Canalys expects to see 52 million of the devices shipped this year – and Apple’s iPad will account for 75 percent of the sales.
The numbers mirror an earlier Goldman Sachs forecast for 54.7 million tablets, 37.2 million from Apple. Analysts at JPMorgan had a more dire warning: there could be a tablet ‘bubble’ as rivals push production, yet see limited sales.
“Based on our research inputs, tablet makers eager to emulate Apple’s meteoric start are trying to secure components with inflated build plans,” JPMorgan’s Mark Moskowitz wrote last week. Indeed, although 55.1 million tablets are expected this year to be produced, only 47.9 million of the units will sell, he said.
As reports of some retailers selling out of their initial stock of iPad 2s in just a matter of minutes and shipment wait times extending beyond a month, the Cupertino, Calif. company is said to be restocking shelves and some stores could open early Wednesday to handle demand for the next-generation tablet.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
3 responses to “Analyst: 52M Tablets in 2011 – 75 Percent Apple’s”
Really? The see 17.5 million non-Apple tablets to be sold in 2011? That sounds *extremely* generous/optimistic. I’d guess a third of that.
Which is better Apple or Android?
To see:
http://besttechtoday.blogspot….