Only 4% say a tablet is their most important device

Although tablets recorded explosive levels of growth in the early years of this decade, they’ve struggled to be seen as essential rather than nice-to-have devices.

Globally, 45% of online adults now own a tablet and 35% are using one to get online. However, these numbers have failed to grow over the last few quarters and, as our new figures on device importance show, only 4% of online adults view tablets as their most important device. Even among tablet owners specifically, this rises to just 11% – with this group being most likely to say that smartphones are their most vital device.

To re-start growth in tablet ownership/usage, digital consumers will need to be convinced about their functionality and relevance. Currently, their non-essential nature means that smartphones are winning the battle.