2010 by the Numbers...
The International Data Corp (IDC) yesterday released a report detailing the final figures for 2010 tablet and e-reader device sales, detailing the booming digital trend. Overall sales blew out all predicted estimates by quite a bit (even IDC's own from January), including a whopping leap for dedicated e-readers from the Yankee Group's earlier estimate of 5.99 million units by year end to an actual figure of 12.8 million, a 338% increase from the prior year's total of 2.92 million. More than 6 million units shipped in the final quarter of 2010 alone, twice as many in three months as all of 2009 combined.
Revised e-Reader Sales Estimates
Consequently, I've updated the original Yankee Group projections chart for e-Reader sales to include the actual figures for the year, with revised estimates extrapolated across the next three years (assuming a relatively stable and sustained increase of around 200% growth, rather than the more voracious 300+%). In all likelihood, dedicated e-Reader sales will taper off a bit this year, with most of the attention focused on tablet competition.
Breaking down the numbers, Amazon held on to first place, with their lead however shrinking to just 48% of market share, up from January's 41.5% but down a ways from last February when they held somewhere around a 65% share. Doing the math, that means Amazon sold some 5.76 million Kindles throughout 2010. In the meantime, the NookColor was born and Pandigital's Novel line apparently took off: the former just barely eked out the second spot, with Pandigital coming in a narrow third. Hanvon claimed the fourth spot with its line of eInk readers, including the first release of a color e-Ink screen. Meanwhile, Sony Reader came in a distant fifth with a total of 800,000 units sold for 6.25% of sales (and that was up 80.7% during the final quarter of the year). Exact percentages weren't provided in the press release, but based on those that were, as well as January's figures, the split should look something like 48/18/16/8/6, give or take, with a little left for the bottom feeders. Interestingly, fourth place Hanvon wasn't in the January picture at all.
And that's just the story for dedicated e-readers, which does not include multi-function tablets.
In that category the final tally topped out at an astounding 18.1 million units. Apple held on to an 83% share, down ten percent overall from its earlier high of 93% due to a weaker 73% showing in the fourth quarter, a drop brought on almost entirely by the release of Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which came away with 17% of holiday season sales. And while tablet sales are expected to soar this year, the competition will increase as well. However, with media tablets on track to reach 50 million by the end of 2011, each percentage point will account for roughly three times the volume of 2010. In other words, Apple would have to lose a lot of ground not to top the iPad's first impressive year.
One of the more interesting aspects of all this is the ratio of tablet sales to that of dedicated e-Readers. With the latter achieving only 70% of the volume of the former, and color touchscreen readers gaining ground, expect to see a completely revamped Kindle out this August.
Revised e-Reader Sales Estimates
Consequently, I've updated the original Yankee Group projections chart for e-Reader sales to include the actual figures for the year, with revised estimates extrapolated across the next three years (assuming a relatively stable and sustained increase of around 200% growth, rather than the more voracious 300+%). In all likelihood, dedicated e-Reader sales will taper off a bit this year, with most of the attention focused on tablet competition.
Breaking down the numbers, Amazon held on to first place, with their lead however shrinking to just 48% of market share, up from January's 41.5% but down a ways from last February when they held somewhere around a 65% share. Doing the math, that means Amazon sold some 5.76 million Kindles throughout 2010. In the meantime, the NookColor was born and Pandigital's Novel line apparently took off: the former just barely eked out the second spot, with Pandigital coming in a narrow third. Hanvon claimed the fourth spot with its line of eInk readers, including the first release of a color e-Ink screen. Meanwhile, Sony Reader came in a distant fifth with a total of 800,000 units sold for 6.25% of sales (and that was up 80.7% during the final quarter of the year). Exact percentages weren't provided in the press release, but based on those that were, as well as January's figures, the split should look something like 48/18/16/8/6, give or take, with a little left for the bottom feeders. Interestingly, fourth place Hanvon wasn't in the January picture at all.
And that's just the story for dedicated e-readers, which does not include multi-function tablets.
In that category the final tally topped out at an astounding 18.1 million units. Apple held on to an 83% share, down ten percent overall from its earlier high of 93% due to a weaker 73% showing in the fourth quarter, a drop brought on almost entirely by the release of Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which came away with 17% of holiday season sales. And while tablet sales are expected to soar this year, the competition will increase as well. However, with media tablets on track to reach 50 million by the end of 2011, each percentage point will account for roughly three times the volume of 2010. In other words, Apple would have to lose a lot of ground not to top the iPad's first impressive year.
One of the more interesting aspects of all this is the ratio of tablet sales to that of dedicated e-Readers. With the latter achieving only 70% of the volume of the former, and color touchscreen readers gaining ground, expect to see a completely revamped Kindle out this August.
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