You get a tablet! And you get a tablet!
Just a few short years ago, it seemed like tablets were the technology to hop aboard a bandwagon with. Combining the best of smartphone and computer technology, tablets quickly became a hot commodity.
However, the fad seems to be over as quickly as it came. There has been a noticeable decline in ads for tablets and the initial fans seem to be focusing their attention elsewhere.
Five signs of decline
Globalwebindex recently published “Five Signs the Tablet Boom is Over.” Along with their research are infographics that include statistics to support the decline of tablet usage.
First off, ownership figures seem to have hit their peak. Only have of the Internet’s users own a personal tablet, and even that figure is decreasing.
Competition with smartphones
At the beginning of 2015, 47 percent of users claimed to own a tablet, but now that figure is down to 42 percent. And, there seems to be a negative correlation with smartphones, whose popularity continues to increase. Demographics may play a role here, as younger generations tend to prefer smartphones to tablets.
Second, usage is declining after it peaked earlier this decade. This year is the first in which there is a noticeable decline in usage.
Demographics to blame?
Again, demographics may play a part. Usage steadily increased from 2011 to 2015, but in 2016 there was a two percent decline.
Next, only four percent of users claim that tablets are the most important device. Importance or significance is attributed to smartphones, laptops, desktops, and tablets, respectively.
Multipurpose is waning
In addition, tablets are declining as a second-screening device. At one point in time, tablets were popular for dual-screening purposes; now, that too is being etched out by smartphones.
In 2011, around 61 percent of both smartphone and tablet users stated to perform dual-screening while watching television. Smartphones have remained steady, while tablets have decreased to 41 percent.
Take your smartphone when you go
With all of this in mind, the fifth element of decline is that former tablet users are now more likely to use their smartphones for most activities. This only makes sense as we tend to have our smartphones with us at all times, as opposed to tablets that generally stay at home.
It may also be important to consider the fact that people may generally not upgrade their tablets they way they do their smartphones. As a result, novelty of tablet usage may be likely to wear off.
