In addition to increasing the unit totals for 2012, IDC also updated its forecast to shift a larger percentage of future units toward iOS and away from Android<\/a>. IDC now expects iOS to grow its share of the market in 2012 to 62.5%, up from 58.2% in 2011. Meanwhile Android’s<\/a> share will slip from 38.7% in 2011 to 36.5% in 2012. IDC expects third-place Blackberry<\/a> to slip from 1.7% to 1%.<\/p>\n “After a very strong launch of new products in March, Apple’s iPad shows few signs of slowing down,” Mainelli added. “The addition of the Retina Display and 4G capabilities to the third-generation products clearly enticed many current owners to upgrade. And Apple’s decision to keep two iPad 2s in the market at lower prices\u2014moving the entry-level price down to $399\u2014seems to be paying off as well.”<\/p>\n “If Apple launches a sub-$300, 7-inch product into the market later this year as rumored, we expect the company\u2019s grip on this market to become even stronger.”<\/p>\n While IDC increased its forecast for media tablets in 2012, the firm significantly lowered its forecast for eReaders in 2012. After a disappointing first quarter, and strong indications that low-priced tablets are significantly impacting demand, IDC now expects 2012 shipments to be stable at around 28 million units, down slightly from the 28.2 million units that shipped in 2011.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Tablet-forecast.png\" "\\"Tablet")
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