BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tablets in use in the U.S. will climb from 25 million in 2011 to more than 134 million in 2015, with sales eventually eclipsing those of PCs, according to Yankee Group’s new report “2012 US Tablet Landscape: An All-Too-Familiar Story.” Unfortunately for Apple’s competitors, however, the device’s rising popularity doesn’t promise correlative gains for all manufacturers.
Currently, iPads represent 51 percent of all tablets owned in the U.S., leaving all other makers battling for less than half the overall market. Still, almost 25 percent of respondents who intend to buy a tablet in the next six months say they don’t know what brand they will purchase—presenting a huge opportunity for manufacturers looking to grow their base.
“For the second quarter in a row, Apple’s iPad is leading the tablet market, forcing all other competitors to battle for the remaining 49 percent share,” said Carl Howe, research VP and head of the devices practice at Yankee Group. “It’s too late to change current ownership, but tablet makers looking to gain on Apple need to start improving their brand visibility and targeting people who don’t already have their minds set on an iPad.”
Other findings from the report include:
- The Kindle Fire has cooled with consumers. Those who planned to buy a Kindle Fire in 2011 now own one, bumping ownership up to 7 percent. But today’s intent to buy has dropped off, falling from 11 percent last year to just 6 percent today.
- Samsung takes a hit. Last year, more than 10 percent of consumers owned a Samsung tablet and 8 percent intended to buy one in the next six months. In 2012, these figures have fallen to 7 and 4 percent, respectively.
- Smaller tablet manufacturers face an even grimmer outlook. Fewer than 4 percent of consumers currently own a BlackBerry PlayBook or Motorola- or Dell-branded tablet, and just 2 percent say they own an Asus tablet.
About Yankee Group
Yankee Group is the preeminent research and advisory firm equipping companies to profit in a mobile world. The core of our content is proprietary research and analytics on the attitudes, behaviors and usage patterns of mobile users. Based on this research, we provide a range of actionable data, insights and advice to marketing, strategy and product executives driving the mobility revolution in leading companies worldwide.