Tablet shipments will hit 119 million in 2012, Gartner says

The market for tablet computers has experienced nothing but growth for the past several years, as users have flocked to the devices for their user-friendliness and media-rich features. And this trend isn't expected to change moving forward, the latest research from Gartner predicts.

According to the firm's analysts, tablet shipments are expected to reach 119 million units worldwide this year. That will be good for 98 percent growth over the 60 million devices that were sold in 2011.

While the iPad® will continue to lead the tablet market, Gartner notes that market share for devices run on Google's Android™ mobile operating system will also grow. This year, analysts say, Android-powered tablets will command 31.9 percent of the overall market. The iPad will account for 61.4 percent of the market.

One driver behind overall market growth is the enterprise sector, as businesses will account for 35 percent of tablet sales by 2015, Gartner says.

Gartner's figures differ slightly from those revealed in a January 2012 report from Strategy Analytics. That research says Android captured 39 percent of the tablet market in the fourth quarter of 2011, while total device shipments reached more than 66 million last year.