Don’t tell us the headline surprised you.

Barring the Kindle Fire, none of the other tablet vendors have made any headway against the Apple iPad juggernaut.

And 2012 will be no different.

Market researcher IDC predicts that consumers will pick up 106.1 million tablets this year and the majority will be iPads.

IDC said it raised its projection for 2012 from its previous forecast of 87.7 million units based on the strong 2011 finish and demand expected this year.

2013, 2014 and 2015 will be no different as far as the brand of the largest tablet seller.

The iOS based iPad will continue to be the largest tablet vendor.

Only in 2016 does IDC see Android-based tablets edging past the iPad in marketshare.

With strong consumer enthusiasm for Apple’s tablet and developer preference for building apps for the iPad feeding on each other we wouldn’t be surprised in the least if even in 2016 the iPad still remains King of the Tablet heap.

Tons of apps in every conceivable category and a polished finish makes the iPad a joy to use.

Whether you’re watching BBC TV on the iPad (via the India Tunes app), seeing a Korean horror film (via Netflix) reading the latest issue of the New Yorker or buying an attractive Groupon deal, the iPad 2 is a lovely device that we have a hard time putting down.

Tablets in 2011

The IDC number-crunchers calculated that the tablet market in 2011 experienced stronger-than-expected growth across many regions and at different price points, leading to a full-year total of 68.7 million units.

Here’s how Apple and some of the key tablet vendors did in the fourth quarter of 2011:

By the way, the new iPad is arriving in stores this Friday at 8AM in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK; along with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Related Stores:
New iPad – What’s New?
Apple – Some Key Stats

  iPad