US tablet ownership nearly doubles to 19% over holidays
With Apple's iPad continuing to dominate the tablet market, total tablet sales in the U.S. nearly doubled to 19 percent ownership among adults after the holiday shopping season, according to a new report.
The Pew Research Center revealed its findings on Monday, showing that tablet ownership went from 10 percent of U.S. adults surveyed before Christmas to 19 percent in January of 2012. The study shows that tablets, along with dedicated e-book readers, were a hot gift this holiday season.
"These findings are striking because they come after a period from mid-2011 into the autumn in which there was not much change in the ownership of tablets and e-book readers," the research firm said. "However, as the holiday gift-giving season approached, the marketplace for both devices dramatically shifted."
The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales.
While the Kindle Fire in particular is believed to have made a splash over the holidays with its $199 price, Apple executives have said they are not concerned by Amazon's color touchscreen tablet, as they only believe it will further fragment Google's Android platform. The Kindle Fire runs a heavily modified version of Android tailored specifically for Amazon's device.
And Apple is still expected to have had a record setting quarter over the holidays, easily besting the company's previous high of 11.2 million iPads sold in the previous September quarter. One analyst suggested earlier this month that the Kindle Fire cost Apple between 1 million and 2 million iPad sales over the holidays, but also projected that Apple would report sales of 13 million iPads during the December quarter. Apple will reveal its actual iPad sales in its quarterly earnings report on Tuesday.
Pew's data shows that the tablet and e-reader market has grown considerably in just the last few months. The number of Americans owning at least one of those devices jumped from 18 percent in December to 29 percent in January.
Tablet ownership was particularly notable in households earning more than $75,000, where it reached 36 percent presence in January. And 31 percent of households with college educations or higher also own a tablet of some type.
The data released on Monday was based on surveys of 2,986 people conducted from Nov. 16 to Dec. 21, and two surveys in January, each of more than 1,000 adults. The overall margin of error in the December poll was +/- 2 percentage points, while the Jan. 2012 data is +/- 2.4 percent.
Comments
Plus, it's rather odd that the number of e-readers and tablets tracks so closely, especially the last couple of periods.
Finally, the numbers don't add up. If 19% of American adults had e-readers and 19% had tablets, that would mean something like 38 million of each - and I don't think the numbers are anywhere near that high. I also don't buy that 36% of people earning over $75 K have them - certainly that doesn't mesh with my experience.
Does that mean the cost of used books will drop alot?
No.
Does that mean the cost of used books will drop alot?
Yes.
Does that mean the cost of used books will drop alot?
No.
Does that mean the cost of used books will drop alot?
Maybe.
"The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales."
The trend for leaving out iPad data is based on this fact. Android powered devices are quickly overtaking the tablet market. The victim of course is the iPad. Numbers don't lie. Thats just reality.
"The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales."
What numbers? We have no official numbers for the Fire at all. We have guesses and some extraordinarily vague claims from Amazon. Amazon also just cut their orders for the Fire in half for 1Q2012, what does that say about sales?
Numbers don't lie. Thats just reality.
Except that numbers DO lie, and quite regularly.
The trend for leaving out iPad data is based on this fact. Android powered devices are quickly overtaking the tablet market. The victim of course is the iPad. Numbers don't lie. Thats just reality.
"The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales."
@slapppy... If you aren't one already, you should become an analyst!
Sent from my non-Amazon, non-B&N, non-HP, non-Motorola US brand iTablet.
Except that numbers DO lie, and quite regularly.
"Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything."-Gregg Easterbrook
The trend for leaving out iPad data is based on this fact. Android powered devices are quickly overtaking the tablet market. The victim of course is the iPad. Numbers don't lie. Thats just reality.
"The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales."
Uh uh!
I'm a little skeptical. According to their data, 12% of Americans had an e-Reader in May, 2011, but only 9% in August? So 3% of all Americans threw out their e-readers and didn't replace them?
Just what I wanted to ask myself. Seams pretty strange to me.
Plus, it's rather odd that the number of e-readers and tablets tracks so closely, especially the last couple of periods.
these days I see quite some iPad's in the wild but a kindle or even a nook I hardly ever see, although everybody used to claim, that the reading quality of e-ink tablets ought to be superior to the iPad. Which means, many people buy a e-reader of a sort but then end up not using it in the public. Are they ashamed or was it a so called frustration purchase?
Finally, the numbers don't add up. If 19% of American adults had e-readers and 19% had tablets, that would mean something like 38 million of each - and I don't think the numbers are anywhere near that high. I also don't buy that 36% of people earning over $75 K have them - certainly that doesn't mesh with my experience.
Some people may posses both an e-reader and an iPad. This may explain the non adding numbers.
I'm a little skeptical. According to their data, 12% of Americans had an e-Reader in May, 2011, but only 9% in August? So 3% of all Americans threw out their e-readers and didn't replace them?
Plus, it's rather odd that the number of e-readers and tablets tracks so closely, especially the last couple of periods.
Finally, the numbers don't add up. If 19% of American adults had e-readers and 19% had tablets, that would mean something like 38 million of each - and I don't think the numbers are anywhere near that high. I also don't buy that 36% of people earning over $75 K have them - certainly that doesn't mesh with my experience.
I'm in that over $75k household and we have 3 ipad2's and an hp touchpad. Numbers are skewed to reflect 1 household per tablet, when in fact it's multi-tablet households.
The trend for leaving out iPad data is based on this fact. Android powered devices are quickly overtaking the tablet market. The victim of course is the iPad. Numbers don't lie. Thats just reality.
"The report made no mention of Apple's iPad, but suggested that Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet, both of which feature prices much lower than Apple's $499 entry-level iPad, played a significant role in boosting sales."
Uh yeah. We have all the numbers up to q3 of 2011 and many numbers from q4. If you add up every non-ipad tablet for all of 2010 AND 2011, you still won't equal even half of one quarter of ipad sales.
Nice try slappy. And by the way, I like Android.