Tablet Ownership

More than half (54 percent) of online U.S. consumers indicate they own tablets, a four percentage point increase since January, according to research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. Consumer Outlook on Tablets (August 2014 Edition), a semi-annual report examining trend information on consumer behavior and sentiment regarding tablets, also shows tablet owners' purchase intent for all consumer electronics devices increased to 62 percent since January – a nine percentage point jump.

Tablet Ownership

Although tablet growth has slowed in recent quarters and ownership increased just four percentage points since January, three quarters (75 percent) of online consumers expect to purchase a tablet sometime in the future. That percentage is roughly equal to January's total of 77 percent.

“While interest in tablets remains high, increased competition from large-screen smartphones is having a substantial effect on the U.S. tablet market, since consumers now have more screen size choices than ever,” said Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst at CEA. “Tablet purchase intent remains a positive indicator that the overall market is interested in tablets. Many consumers seem to be waiting to replace their existing devices until the next wave of models arrives this holiday season, while non-owners are still debating whether to buy.”

Tablet Owners Adoption of Other Electronics

Tablet owners continue to exhibit higher ownership of key CE products than non-owners with penetration rates of smartphones at 86 percent, laptops at 85 percent, desktops at 73 percent and video game consoles at 66 percent. Among tablet owners, 41 percent also own a digital media player such as an Apple TV, Chromecast or Roku; while only 12 percent of tablet non-owners own a digital media player, showing a clear, symbiotic relationship.