Non-Apple tablet PC shipments expected to grow 134% on year in 2012

Despite Apple's iPad shipments are expected to achieve strong growth of 55% in 2012, shipments of non-Apple tablet PCs in 2012 are forecast to see an even better increase of 134% on year, according to market watchers.With Google set to launch its new Android operating system codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich by the end of 2011, while demand for iPad is approaching saturating, shipments of Android-based tablet PCs are expected to increase from 19-20 million units in 2011 to 44-45 million units in 2012, while Apple's iPad shipments will increase from 14-15 million units in 2010, to 35-36 million units in 2011, and to 54-55 million units in 2012.In addition to software, the major ARM processor suppliers of the tablet PC industry – Nvidia, Texas Instrument and Qualcomm – are also set to launch new chips in the second half of 2011 or early 2012. Nvidia's new Tegra 3 is estimated to arrive by the end of September or early October with Asustek Computer already planning to adopt the chip inn its second-generation Eee Pad Transformer.
Tegra 3 will support quad-core and provide five-times the 3D graphic processing capability of Tegra 2, while resolution support will increase up to 2560 by 1600.Since Ice Cream Sandwich will be mainly pushed for its ability to cross different platforms such as smartphones, tablet PCs and LCD TVs, market watchers expect the new strategy will help attract consumers from Apple's platform to Android.

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