Tablet sales to reach 11 million in 2010

Tablet sales will reach 11 million units this year, according to new research undertaken by ABI Research.

The company has revised earlier forecasts made at the start of the year, which stated only four million units would ship “”based both on the broader availability of the iPad and on the delayed introduction of competing products”.

The biggest proportion will belong to the Apple iPad, although the company said in a statement more rivals will enter the ring later this year.

“Assuming that competing tablets from other vendors do arrive in the second half of the year as expected, we believe that the iPad will account for a significant portion – but not all – of the projected 11 million units. To capitalise on the usual fourth-quarter sales boom, other tablets need to reach retailers’ shelves by early September,” analyst Jeff Orr told Information Week.

“There are several device OEMs planning to launch tablets, but no significant brand challenges were launched during the first half of the year.”

However, Orr also says the tablet market is not a “mass market” and is still growing.