Tablet adoption continues to increase, reaching 72% of U.S. broadband households in Q1 2016

New consumer research from Parks Associates finds a continued decline in the adoption rate for desktop computers. 360 View: CE Adoption & Trends reveals that since 2009, nearly one-third of U.S. broadband households have abandoned desktops as a platform. Only 6% of U.S. broadband households rely exclusively on desktops, while an additional 6% of households use only a combination of desktops and tablets.

“Desktop adoption has declined from a peak of 91% down to 61% of broadband households, and it will not recover, as just 12% of households bought a desktop in 2015. In its place, tablet adoption has moved upwards, reaching 72% at the start of 2016,” said Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates. “The adoption rate of tablets surpassed desktops in 2015. Moreover, the gap between laptop and tablet adoption is narrowing.”

Adoption of Desktops and Tablets

360 View: CE Adoption & Trends examines consumer electronics purchase habits of U.S. broadband households, including smart watches, computers, streaming devices, gaming consoles, robotic floor cleaners, wearable cameras, drones, and emerging devices. The research also analyzes the consumer purchase process for CE devices. Additional research from the report shows:

  • Nearly one-half of broadband households now own a smart TV, with one-third now owning a streaming media player.
  • The adoption rate for Internet-connected audio systems remains low.
  • More than one-third of broadband households connect a computer to a TV set.
  • The adoption rate for Blu-ray players has stagnated.

 

“Consumers generally begin the CE purchase process with preconceived notions about a brand, and these have an enormous impact on the final purchase decision,” Kraus said. “Associating a brand with a product category may therefore be more important than associating it with specific products. CE manufacturers should keep this in mind as they design their marketing strategies and ensure that their messaging creates the desired reputation for their brands among consumers.”

 

More information about this 360 View is available at www.parksassociates.com. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific data, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com, 720.987.6614.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates is a global research, consulting, and marketing firm with 40 years of experience delivering proprietary consumer data and industry insights for businesses. The firm produces market research reports, forecasts, surveys, and competitive business intelligence on connected consumer, small business, and commercial technologies and related business solutions. A woman-owned and woman-led company, Parks Associates is a trusted partner and advisor to executives, providing custom research, strategic consulting, and forward-looking analysis across smart home, small business, and commercial markets, including security, broadband, entertainment, energy, multifamily, smart buildings, connected health, and emerging AI-driven technologies.

Parks Associates supports industry growth through proprietary research, consulting, and executive networking and convenes thousands of leaders each year through its flagship conferences, including CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. Learn more at https://www.parksassociates.com.

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