The APAC tablet market will grow at a a five-year CAGR of 54%, with shipments pegged to hit 21 million units by 2015.
The firm tracks 13 tablet and e-reader markets in the region: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
The research firm expects more consumers to adopt tablets to hit gaming, Web-browsing, and social networking needs on the go.
Mature countries like Korea, Australia, and Taiwan are showing high interest in mobile devices like tablets while China continues to demonstrate high purchasing power for new tech products, IDC added.
Emerging countries in the region, like Indonesia and Malaysia by contrast, have more conservative attitudes toward tablets, and still prefer mini notebooks with better keyboard input and a familiar user experience, according to the analyst house.
E-readers on the other hand, will carry a lower 18 percent CAGR as these devices are limited to a single function--one that tablets cover anyways, said IDC, adding that tablets offer a better reading experience with color display for magazine contents.
"Lack of localized contents is an issue for e-readers in the region. In China for example, some consumers are still relying on pirated Internet downloads," said Dickie Chang, senior market analyst for Client Devices Research at IDC Asia/Pacific. "Online bookstores haven't been earning device vendors wide margins on content, and face aggressive iPad pricing, squeezing them further,"
In tablets, Apple became more active in Asia for the iPad 2 launch, similar to its approach with the iPhone 3G,said IDG, adding that Apple's aggressive pricing and strong branding left little room for other players to prosper.
Samsung focused on its 7-inch tablet, relying on its domestic brand strength to boost its numbers, IDC noted. A host of local Chinese brands form the long tail in this market, said IDC, adding that with product development speed being their key strength, they may survive in some niche markets.
The e-reader market is largely driven by Hanvon and Snda in the China market, as they entered the market early, IDC observed. Although the Amazon Kindle only sells in some Asia Pacific countries, it is still popular in English-speaking countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, the research firm said.