Tablet Market Going Bananas, Says Gorilla Glass Maker

Normally, I wouldn’t remark on news coming out of Corning’s analyst day, but there is one metric the company released today that’s worth mentioning here: The company’s forecast for growth in the tablet market.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass is a key component in many tablets and smartphones, and according to James Clappin, president of the company’s Glass Technologies Group, demand for it is spiking. “We expect the number of these devices using cover glass to quadruple over the next four years, presenting us with a significant opportunity for growth,” he said, adding that Corning estimates tablet sales could grow from roughly 20 million units in 2010 to almost 180 million by 2014.

That’s an 800 percent increase in four years.