The global tablet computer market is expected to grow to $49bn, beating every consumer electronic product except TVs and PCs by 2015.
According to research firm Strategy Analytics, 149 million tablet devices will be sold in 2015, registering an eightfold rise from 2010.
The tablet era started last year with Apple’s iPad.
Strategy Analytics Director Peter King said that their study forecasts global tablet wholesale revenues to surge from zero in 2009 to $49bn in 2015.
King said, "We predict 80% of the value of the tablet market in 2015 will reside in both high-tier and entry-tier models, as tablets address the opportunities in both developed and emerging markets such as the Asia Pacific region. On a global basis, tablet revenues will exceed those of every consumer electronics category except TVs and PCs by 2015."
The study said the most important regions of growth for the tablet computers will be North America, Asia Pacific and Western Europe.
Strategy Analytics associate director Martin Bradley said in terms of revenues, the largest opportunity for tablet vendors will be in North America, Asia Pacific and Western Europe.
However, Bradley also added, "Although the average selling prices in Asia Pacific will be less than 85% of those in Western Europe by 2015, the total value of the Asia Pacific region will exceed Western Europe by this time."
The research said Apple’s iPad will dominate the market for years, with Samsung Electronics a distant second.
It said, "Tablets are a high-value casual-computing segment that is creating huge growth opportunities for major brands, such as Apple and Samsung."
