This compares with figures from Juniper, which reckoned tablet shipments would hit 253 million during 2016.
An interesting twist on NPD's analysis, however, is that it reckons emerging markets accounted for a 36 percent share of the market in 2011, and are expected to account for almost half - 46 percent - by 2017.
New blood
"The emerging market opportunity for tablets has been flying under the radar mainly because the device brands aren't household names and there are concerns regarding the sustainability of the market," said NPD senior analyst Richard Shim.
"We are beginning to see investments by some of the better known brands in developing regions, and we expect this to not only continue, but to flourish as competition improves," he notes.
That said, the report highlights that Apple's infamous market hog iPad and other well known devices won't be alone in the emerging market growth, as new brands such as Aakash gain footholds in India, while stalwart manufacturers such as Dell will also get involved.
Two's company
According to the research, China and the Asia Pacific regions are in the lead in terms of tablet penetration rates, though other regions, such as Brazil, India and Russia are also experiencing tablet market growth.
Low-power processors and low entry point prices, under $100 are expected to be the main contributing factor to growth in these sectors.
NPD also predicts that technological advances, first in the form of higher pixel densities, then in higher performance, will see the market split into two categories, "premium" and "value".
[source: PRWeb]
