Tablet PCs are the rising star of the mobile device market, with shipments of 4.5 million units during 4Q10, figures from ABI Research show.
Apple’s iPad dominated the sales figures, accounting for 93% of the units sold during the period, however the firm predicts Apple will struggle to maintain its lead as a raft of rival tablets come to market.
The firm notes that the US is still the biggest market for e-readers, with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony “comfortably maintaining their top positions,” senior practice director Jeff Orr states.
Their positions were preserved by the launch of a color version of Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Amazon’s latest Kindle, the firm notes.
While the success of tablets and e-readers appeared to come at the expense of netbook sales during 1H10, Orr believes the problem was due to a lack of new netbook launches during the period.
However, a fresh wave of products and platforms announced by PC makers during 3Q10 breathed “life into the segment,” with features including dual-core processors and smaller, lighter, devices.