Consumers in the United States appear to be deepening their love affair with media tablets, according to the latest data from the Consumer Electronics Association.
The CEA’s “Consumer Outlook on Tablets: Q4 2012” report reveals 31 percent of online U.S. consumers owned tablets as of September, more than double the 14 percent level registered in October 2011.
The report also reveals about 66 percent of online consumers expect to buy a tablet in the future. Forty-five percent say they intend to do so within two years. A survey of holiday wish lists unveiled in early October shows tablets are the No. 1 gift on the wish lists of adults, among all types of consumer electronics as well as overall.
“The tablet market continues to see incredible growth and is showing no signs of slowing down,” said Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst, CEA. “We expect tablets to play a big role in the upcoming holiday shopping season; not only in sales but also in complementary purchases, such as accessories and gift cards.”
According to the findings, the top use of tablets among consumer is for entertainment. Watching movies remains the most popular use of a tablet. Messaging climbed to the second most popular activity this quarter, swapping with social networking, which fell to fourth. Listening to music remained third. Satisfaction with tablet computers remains on par with findings from the last three quarters, with almost nine in 10 (88 percent) tablet owners reporting being satisfied with their device.
