[3D Tablets]

Gartner forecasts that global tablet sales will rise 261.4 percent year over year, to 63.6 million units in 2011 — and with Apple accounting for 73.4 percent of the total by shipping 46.7 million iPad units.

Moreover, Android OS tablets are expected to account for 17.3 percent of the remaining sales this year. No other platform is projected to grab more than a 5 percent share of the market in 2011, the firm’s analysts said.

Looking ahead to 2012, Gartner expects Apple to capture a 66.7 percent market share by shipping 69 million iPads. By comparison, Android tablet shipments are forecast to reach 22.8 million unit shipments and a 22 percent market share next year.

Gartner also expects continuing strong growth for tablet shipments through 2015, when total sales are forecast to reach 326.3 million units — and with Apple continuing to hold in excess of a 50 percent market share until 2014.

“This is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services,” said Gartner research Vice President Carolina Milanesi. “Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal.”

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