Total global revenue from tablet devices like Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab will increase from 16 billion dollars in 2010 to a whopping 46 billion dollars in 2014, according to a report released Wednesday by U.S. technology research firm Yankee Group.
"The growth in this market is unprecedented," said Dmitriy Molchanov, Yankee Group analyst and author of the forecast. "The tablet sales curve is rising faster than that of HDTVs, handheld gaming consoles or even MP3 players."
According to the report, North America accounts for 37 percent of total global tablet revenue in 2010. However, by 2014, Asia-Pacific will be the front-runner. The region, primarily China, will own more than half the global market (58 percent), while North America's share will drop to just 17 percent.
The report also forecast that the average tablet price tag in the U.S. will drop to just 237 dollars by 2015. Apple Inc.'s iPad, the main player in today's tablet market, costs 499 dollars to 829 dollars depending on the configuration.
Yankee Group issued the forecast the day before the official start of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Tablets are an especially hot item at this year's trade show.