Surprise, surprise: Apple’s iPad expected to dominate tablets into 2012

Even though we’re seeing a slew of Android tablets on the horizon, Apple’s iPad is expected to maintain its leading place in the tablet market into 2012, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

This, of course, should surprise no one. The iPad sparked the most recent tablet craze when it was announced early last year, this after the tablet market saw several false starts over the past few decades.

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Moskowitz predicts tablet revenues will rise to $24.9 billion in 2011 (up from $10.2 billion this year) and that they’ll hit $34.1 billion in 2012. The iPad, which will make up for 89.4 percent of tablet revenues this year, will still account for a significant portion of total tablet revenues in the next few years. In 2011, he predicts the iPad will account for 71.6 percent of tablet revenue, and by 2012 it will still lead with 61.4 percent.

Apple said it shipped 7.5 million units in the iPad’s first six months, and some analysts predict it will sell up to 28 million units in 2011. The iPad has a significant head start on its rivals, and it also boasts more polished software — Android isn’t expected to be optimized for tablets until its version 3.0 release in the first half of 2011. Moskowitz also expects Android 3.0 to be released some time around the release of the second generation iPad, which should dull the impact of Android tablets even further.

Via All Things Digital