(Weymouth, MA) October 27, 2011…Tablets are THE hot consumer electronics product category. Fueled by rapid consumer adoption, InfoTrends expects worldwide tablet shipments to grow at a compound annual rate of nearly 60%, rising from 17 million units in 2010 to over 175 million units in 2015. As more consumers utilize tablets, the imaging industry will see new opportunities emerge around the capture, management, editing, sharing, and printing of photo-related content. InfoTrends examines this dynamic market in its latest report, entitled Spotlight on Tablets and Imaging. 

“In relation to the general population, tablet owners use all types of cameras more often, taking a greater number of photos, and are also more likely to print those photos,” commented Ed Lee a Group Director at InfoTrends. “This opens up new opportunities for the imaging industry to offer new products and services geared toward this emerging market segment.”

Over half of tablet owners reported using their digital cameras (56%) and camera phones/smartphones (62%) multiple times per week. Since so many tablet owners have a genuine interest in photography, vendors should continue to improve the photo capture capabilities of tablets. “Higher resolution, flash capabilities, HD video capture, and easy photo sharing are just some of the features that will likely resonate with photo-active tablet owners and encourage more photo activity on these devices,” continued Lee. 

Tablet owners also print an above-average number of photos and are more likely to use an outside printing service (i.e. retail or online), and therefore tablet vendors, printing services, and app developers should work to incorporate mobile printing capabilities into those devices. “They should also provide education, as many tablet owners have expressed uncertainty about how to print from their tablets.”

Spotlight on Tablets and Imaging leverages several of InfoTrends’ recently completed research studies to provide a comprehensive overview of today’s tablet market. In addition, this document discusses the demographics of tablet owners and analyzes how tablets are being used for photo-related activities. Tablet developers and vendors can leverage the information in this report to garner a better understanding of today’s tablet owners.

The report is available immediately for purchase. For more information visit InfoTrends’ online store or contact Matt O’Keefe at +1 781 616 2115 or matt_okeefe@infotrends.com.

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

Copyright 2011 InfoTrends. All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse of InfoTrends materials is strictly prohibited without prior written consent.

For media inquiries contact Allison Jones at +1 781 616 2100 ext. 208 or allison_jones@infotrends.com.