Rising to 11 million in 2011.
Gartner's latest report claims that connected e-reader devices will sell 6.6 million units this year, rising to 11 million units in 2011.
The analyst says that three companies - Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony - are currently dominating the market, but predicts they will face increased competition from cheaper devices subsidised by content owners.
Gartner thinks the US is the biggest market right now for these connected e-readers, accounting for four million sales in 2010, out of the global total of 6.6 million.
Research VP Allen Weiner says the biggest threat to this market is the growth of media tablets like Apple's iPad, which include e-reading capabilities.
"With media tablets offering more functionality, e-reader vendors need to target avid readers who may see the value of a stand-alone device that performs particularly well," he says.
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"E-reader vendors will also need to offer lower prices than for more fully featured media tablets. This will entail smaller profit margins and potential hardware subsidies at retail, and/or the ability to obtain lower-priced components."
