Research firm expects tablet sales to hit 375 million by 2016, won't "cannibalize" PC market

A Forrester Research report states tablet sales are expected to hit 375 million by 2016 with 760 million tablets in use worldwide, an annual growth of 46% compared to the 56 million tablets purchased in 2011.

iPad sales will represent one-third of overall tablet purchases by 2016, while Android tablets will decline due to the launch of Windows 8.

Forrester doesn't expect Android tablet sales to start diminishing until around 2014, as the install base won't take off until Microsoft fine tunes its Windows Metro experience.

The firm expects the PC and laptop market to hit 2 billion by 2016, due to tablets only "partially cannibalizing" the PC market. Tablets may eventually slow laptop sales, it predicts, but desktop system sales will increase.

Forrester said the majority of tablets have only a three-year lifespan the majority of consumers, which will add to the sale of new tablets in 2014.

Thanks, VentureBeat.