ARLINGTON, VA. —Four in ten (41 percent) online U.S. consumers indicate they own a tablet, roughly on par with ownership rates reported in March 2013 (40 percent), according to research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association. CEA’s Consumer Outlook on Tablets: Q3 2013 report examines trend information from April through June 2013.
Following a dip in the first quarter, tablet purchase intent appears to have rebounded. Four in ten (40 percent) online U.S. adults indicate they plan to purchase a tablet within the next two years, a 33 percent jump from March 2013. Nearly three in four (72 percent) consumers say they expect to purchase a tablet at some point in the future.
Among the most popular tablet activities is playing games. Watching movies remained second, messaging moved to third, while social networking and shopping round out the top five as consumers continue to use these devices primarily for entertainment.
“With nearly half of U.S. households expected to own a tablet in the next 12-18 months, tablets are undeniably impacting how consumers view and enjoy digital content,” said Tillmann.
U.S. unit tablet shipments are estimated to reach 87.1 million by the end of 2013 (a 45 percent increase from 2012), while tablet revenues are estimated to reach $27.3 billion in 2013 (a nine percent increase from 2012).
Beginning in September, CEA will launch a new bi-annual tracking report on smartphones to examine trend information on consumer behavior and sentiment.
