Weymouth, Mass. — Almost 36 percent of U.S. consumers who don’t own a tablet expect to buy their first in less than a year, pointing to a need by tablet suppliers to design devices that will appeal to mainstream consumers, market research company InfoTrends concluded.
In its survey of more than 1,300 consumers, InfoTrends found that people younger than 35 were particularly likely to purchase a tablet in less than a year, as were people who classified themselves as early technology adopters and hobbyist/advanced hobbyist photographers.
“Tablet vendors should prepare for the influx of mainstream consumers,” said InfoTrends associate director Alan Bullock. “Although the adoption of tablets is high among affluent early adopters, the mainstream adopters who are beginning to enter the market will have different needs and expectations than their tech-savvy counterparts.” Ease-of-use and convenience will be paramount, and competitive prices will likely play a key role in the decision-making process, he said.
Tablets’ penetration has more than doubled between 2011 and 2012, InfoTrends noted.
The company’s survey findings and conclusions appear in a report in which the company surveyed more than 1,300 U.S. consumers about their use of smartphones, tablets and connected TVs.
