What drives consumer tablet computer purchases? In part it depends on the brand – which is important, along with the app selection, to those who buy iPads, Or price – which is most important to those buying a Kindle Fire. Which points out that Apple and Android customers look for different things when they buy a tablet.
So says digital measurement service comScore’s monthly Tablens service.
The findings also note demographic differences in income, gender, and age among buyers of either Apple iPads or Android tablets.
iOS and Android Tablets Capturing Different Consumer Segments
Demographic analysis of tablet audiences by platform revealed distinct differences across iPad, Android and Kindle Fire audiences (Note: For the purpose of this study, Kindle Fire was excluded from the Android tablet total and analyzed separately).
iPad owners skewed male (52.9 percent), slightly younger (44.5 percent under the age of 35) and wealthier (46.3 percent residing in households with income of $100k or greater) compared to an average tablet user during the three-month average period ending June 2012.
In comparison, Kindle Fire owners saw their audience skew female with 56.6 percent of its audience base represented by females. Both Android and Kindle Fire users saw household income below that of iPad owners, aligning more closely with household income reported by smartphone owners.
| Demographic Profile: Tablet* and Smartphone Audience
3 month avg. ending June 2012 Total U.S. Tablet Owners and Smartphone Subscribers, Age 13+ Source: comScore TabLens and comScore MobiLens |
|||||
| Total Smartphone |
Total Tablet |
iPad | Android** Tablet |
Kindle Fire | |
| Gender | |||||
| Male | 51.9% | 50.0% | 52.9% | 50.9% | 43.4% |
| Female | 48.1% | 50.0% | 47.1% | 49.1% | 56.6% |
| Age | |||||
| 13-17 | 6.0% | 5.5% | 4.7% | 6.2% | 5.5% |
| 18-24 | 17.5% | 13.0% | 14.0% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 25-34 | 24.6% | 24.2% | 25.8% | 22.5% | 24.7% |
| 35-44 | 21.0% | 20.6% | 21.4% | 20.1% | 20.5% |
| 45-54 | 16.7% | 18.1% | 16.8% | 19.7% | 16.9% |
| 55-64 | 9.0% | 11.0% | 9.7% | 10.8% | 12.5% |
| 65+ | 5.3% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 7.8% | 7.6% |
| Household Income | |||||
| <$25k | 12.0% | 7.8% | 5.5% | 11.7% | 7.0% |
| $25k to <$50k | 19.6% | 18.1% | 14.4% | 20.4% | 20.9% |
| $50k to <$75k | 19.3% | 19.1% | 17.2% | 20.0% | 21.3% |
| $75k to <$100k | 15.6% | 16.7% | 16.6% | 15.3% | 17.5% |
| $100k+ | 33.5% | 38.4% | 46.3% | 32.5% | 33.3% |
*comScore defines a media tablet as a touchscreen tablet device with a slate form factor, a 7 inch or greater screen size and a data connection, but no voice plan. Single purpose eBook reader devices are excluded from this definition.
**For this analysis, Kindle Fire was excluded from the Android tablet total.
Apps, Price and Brand Most Important in Purchase Decision, Having Same OS as Phone Not as Important
In the fast-evolving and highly competitive tablet market, understanding the factors that are driving consumers’ purchase decisions is critical for both providers of operating systems and OEMs.
Analysis of the top purchase consideration factors for an average tablet owner found that selection of apps and price of tablet led as the most important factors, both scoring 7.7 on a 10-point scale.
Brand name of tablet and tablet operating system followed as the next most important factors each with a 7.5-rating, while music/video capabilities ranked #5 in purchase consideration factors with a rating of 7.4.
A comparative look at the purchase consideration factors for iPad and Kindle Fire owners found significant differences between what these consumers deemed important. iPad owners found selection of apps most important in their purchase decision, scoring an 8.1, closely followed by brand name of tablet with a rating of 8.0.
Price most important to Kindle Fire owners
A Kindle Fire tablet computer
Meanwhile, Kindle Fire owners placed the greatest weight on price of tablet (8.1), followed by selection of apps (7.5). Brand name of tablet and operating system were both scored as less important among Kindle Fire owners than among iPad owners.
Somewhat surprisingly, consumers did not place strong importance on having the same operating system across their tablet and smartphone, with this factor falling outside of the top five consideration factors for iPad, Kindle Fire and the average tablet owner.
This finding highlights the potential for brands, such as Microsoft with its recently announced Surface Tablet, to see consumer adoption in the tablet market even though they might lack strong penetration in the smartphone market.
| Top Purchase Consideration Factors for Tablet*, iPad, Android OS and Kindle Fire Purchasers on a 10-Point Scale 3 month average ending June 2012 Total U.S. Tablet Owners, Age 13+, U.S. Source: comScore TabLens |
||||
| Total Tablet |
iPad | Android** Tablet |
Kindle Fire | |
| Selection of apps available for my tablet | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 7.5 |
| Price of the tablet | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 8.1 |
| Brand name of the tablet | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Tablet operating system | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Music and video capabilities | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 7.4 |
| Recommended by friends/family | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.5 |
| Tablet has same OS as my phone | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| Social networking features | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.3 |
| Recommended by retail salesperson | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
*comScore defines a media tablet as a touchscreen tablet device with a slate form factor, a 7 inch or greater screen size and a data connection, but no voice plan. Single purpose eBook reader devices are excluded from this definition.
**For this analysis, Kindle Fire was excluded from the Android tablet total.
Tablet Satisfaction High Across the Board, Highest Among iPad Owners
The iPad 3
Device satisfaction is an important measure in understanding sentiment post-purchase, especially with consumers having a growing number of tablet options available to them.
New TabLens data showed that tablet owners were highly satisfied with their respective devices, with the average overall satisfaction rating reaching 8.6 on a 10-point scale.
In comparison, smartphone owners rated overall satisfaction with their device an 8.1. iPad owners experienced the highest level of satisfaction (8.8 rating), followed closely by Kindle Fire owners (8.7). Android tablet users (excluding Kindle Fire) had a slightly lower satisfaction rating of 8.2, but which was still very strong in absolute terms.
| Overall Device Satisfaction for Smartphone, Tablet*, iPad, Android OS and Kindle Fire Purchasers on a 10-Point Scale 3 month avg. ending June 2012 Total U.S. Tablet Owners and Smartphone Subscribers, Age 13+ Source: comScore TabLens and comScore MobiLens |
|||||
| Total Smartphone |
Total Tablet |
iPad | Android** Tablet |
Kindle Fire | |
| Overall Satisfaction | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 8.7 |
*comScore defines a media tablet as a touchscreen tablet device with a slate form factor, a 7 inch or greater screen size and a data connection, but no voice plan. Single purpose eBook reader devices are excluded from this definition.
Related Stories:
- Tablets redefining how people consume mags and news
- Tablets hit critical mass, especially with older, upper income users
- Apple’s iPad still leads tablet market despite higher price
- Tablet sharing impacts brand choice, study says
- Consumers won’t pay as much for Android tablets as for an iPad
© 2012, TechJournal. All rights reserved.
Tags: Android, app selection, Apple, brand, comScore, demographics of tablet buyers, iOS, Tablens service, tablet price
