Tablet sales to surpass 58m in 2014

Sales of tablet devices will hit 58 million units by 2014, according to In-Stat.

The availability of content such as magazines and newspapers including News Corp’s latest innovation The Daily, and the rise in the number of tablet-specific apps is expected to drive sales of devices such as Apple’s iPad.

Emailing and browsing are currently the top two main uses for tablet devices, according to the research. Of the respondents who own a tablet, almost 55% of them spend nine hours or more each week using the device.

“Although the consumer market is the primary target for tablets right now, the commercial market also represents a potential revenue opportunity for tablet OEMs,” said Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist. “Usage models and user requirements will differ in the commercial market, but as the overall tablet market becomes more defined over the next year, the opportunities for tablets within business markets will become more apparent.”

In-Stat’s prediction comes as Apple is set to launch the iPad 2. The next generation iPad is expected to be slimmer than the existing model and have both front and rear cameras, similar to the iPhone 4 handset.