Many Americans Likely to Swap Traditional Tech with Tablets & New Media in 2013

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 would consider replacing their television cable/satellite provider with a streaming media subscription service in 2013, according to the results of a new survey released today by Belkin, a leading provider of easy-to-use, people-inspired technology products for today’s connected home.

“To stay ahead of these trends, Belkin is creating products that deliver lightning-fast, next-gen WiFi coverage and rock-solid performance that can handle the needs of even the most demanding online household. Together our simple, ingenious products support a connected home, where life is easier, more fun and less work.”

Comparatively, 31 percent of those ages 35 to 54 and 20 percent of those over 55 would consider replacing their television cable/satellite provider with a streaming media subscription service, such as Netflix or Hulu Plus, this year. Additionally, Americans who have children under 18 in their households (37 percent) are more likely to consider replacing their cable/satellite subscription than Americans with no children in their households (27 percent).

The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Belkin among more than 2,100 U.S. adults, also revealed that 38 percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 would consider replacing their laptop with a tablet in 2013 – 34 percent of those between 35 and 54 would do so, and only 21 percent of those over 55 would do the same.

“Americans are increasingly embracing tablets, smartphones and new ways of consuming media,” said Nima Ahmadinejad, Belkin’s vice president of products. “To stay ahead of these trends, Belkin is creating products that deliver lightning-fast, next-gen WiFi coverage and rock-solid performance that can handle the needs of even the most demanding online household. Together our simple, ingenious products support a connected home, where life is easier, more fun and less work.”

Additional highlights of the Belkin survey include:

Among U.S. adults between the ages of 18 to 34, 41 percent plan on using either their desktop or laptop computers as the primary source of news and entertainment in 2013. Adults in age groups over 34 plan on using television as their primary source of news and entertainment in 2013 (43 percent of those age 35 to 44; 56 percent of those age 45 to 54; 67 percent of those age 55 and over).
Forty-two percent of Americans anticipate a desktop/laptop computer to be the most-used technology device in their household in 2013.
- The next most common device that Americans see being the most-used is the television (31 percent), followed by smartphones (27 percent).
- Though tablet sales have taken off in the last few years, only 20 percent of American adults anticipate a tablet to be the most used technology device in their household in 2013. Other less-used devices include gaming systems such as Xbox, PS3 and Nintendo Wii (6 percent), streaming devices such as a Blu-Ray or Apple TV (3 percent) or eReader such as Amazon Kindle or Nook (2 percent).
A majority of American households – 62 percent – have at least one smartphone in the home. One-quarter of the households with five or more members have three to four smartphones in their home, while households with only three to four members mostly have two smartphones (29 percent).
More than half of Americans who have children under 18 in their household (52 percent) would consider purchasing or upgrading to a new WiFi router in 2013. Only 39 percent of Americans without children in their household would do the same.

About Belkin

At Belkin, we make people inspired products. With more than 200 patents, Belkin invents products that harness the power of technology to enrich people’s lives. From wireless home networking and entertainment, to mobile accessories, energy management, and a broad USB and cable mix, Belkin products connect the dots between people and the things they love. Belkin also provides public and private sector organizations with high-quality security, infrastructure, energy, and server-room solutions. A privately held company founded in 1983, Belkin has more than 1,200 employees in 21 countries. Headquartered in Playa Vista, California, Belkin can also be found on the web at Belkin.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/belkin, and on Twitter at Twitter.com/belkin.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Belkin from December 27-31, 2012 among 2,135 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Rachel Jones-Pittier at Formula PR, rjones@formulapr.com or 310-578-7050.