Research firm IDC has said that it expects media tablet shipments in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) to grow from 1.3 million units in 2009 to 9.6 million units in 2014, an increase of 65%.

“Media tablets are expected to occupy a space between smartphones and portable PCs without replacing either, said Bryan Ma, Associate Vice President, Asia/Pacific Devices and Peripherals Research at IDC.

“They will complement PCs as media consumption devices, while allowing seamless sharing of content with mobile phones. Currently marketed as multifunction entertainment devices, the success of media tablets will hinge critically on the availability of local applications and content, he added.

While tablets are seen as the latest, must-own gadget, IDC says the next year will be critical for the category.

Bryan concluded, “IDC remains cautiously optimistic about the longer term potential of the media tablet segment. In Asia in particular, the iPad is likely to spark off intense competition from Asian brands, leading to a wealth of offerings in varying price tiers. With operators migrating towards 4G networks in the coming years, media tablets will further become a strategic vehicle for increased mobile data usage. There are certainly roadblocks, but the media tablet appears here to stay.”

LG and Cisco are the latest companies to unveil plans to release tablet devices later this year.