Tablet sales across major global territories will rise from a base of 64 million units in 2011 to 232 million in 2016 according to a new report by Futuresource Consulting.

The research firm claims device sales will more than triple over the course of the next five years, with ownership in both the US and Western Europe set to jump by 200 percent between now and 2013.

App attack

Futuresource believes ownership will be highest in the US, though Europe will also provide significant opportunities for tablet manufacturers, as consumers begin to see tablets as devices that complement rather than replace laptops or desktop PCs.

Naturally, app usage on such devices will also rise, with Futuresource claiming itablet apps will account for 20 percent of all mobile app downloads in 2016. That's double their current share of 10 percent.

Leading the charge manufacturer wise, it's claimed, will be Apple, as well as Android-powered devices from Samsung, Amazon and Asus, while the shift away from physical media to digital alternatives will be accelerated as tablet and eReader sales expand.

[source: Gamasutra]