While this is less than half the 55.2 million media tablets that will be shipped this year, the price of the market-leading Amazon Kindle eReader has fallen significantly (from $349 to $79) since it was launched.
According to Juniper's assessment, electronic ink technology will ensure that eReaders continue to carve out a significant niche in the portable wireless device ecosystem.
Amazon recently announced its first media tablet, the Kindle Fire, which many thought might signal a shift away from dedicated eReaders in its overall device strategy.
However, in tandem, it announced three new Kindle eReader models -- two of which include touchscreen technology, borrowed from tablets, and now considered as a must-have feature in many of the new devices.
"Amazon has done its homework: it knows there is not a one-size-fits-all device that makes everyone happy. While the Apple iPad 2 -- which it sells -- is a premium tablet for Generation Y, Amazon has the wider market covered,” said Daniel Ashdown, research analyst at Juniper Research.
Amazon's new line-up of eReaders (priced from $79 to $149) offer a range of options, and the Kindle Fire (priced at $199) offers a mass market alternative to the popular Apple iPad and other higher-priced media tablets.
Barnes & Noble is also covering its bases with the Nook Color, a touchscreen LCD eReader with an app store that includes many of the more common applications.
Looking further ahead, Juniper found that consumer electronics vendors are already exploring device convergence -- via hybrid displays which integrate both LCD and electronic ink technology.
While LCD is superior for high resolution video applications, electronic ink provides a more comfortable reading experience and utilizes less energy -- thereby extending battery life.
