In just four years on the market, tablet penetration has grown to nearly half of all online adults, with 37% of owners already owning multiple tablets. A central driver for the market is gift purchasing – one in four current owners received their most recently acquired tablet as a gift.

Heading into the 2014 holiday season, competition in the tablet market has heated up again. Apple released updates to the iPad line in October, but will continue to sell the original iPad Mini at $249, with the product serving as a competitor for low-price tablets from other brands. Amazon, the second-leading brand, is in turn heading upscale toward the iPad, releasing a new, larger 8.9-inch HDX tablet priced at $379. Samsung released a new premium model, the Galaxy Tab S, in June 2014 with a higher density of pixels and a biometric scanner, in an effort to compete with the full-size iPad Air. Samsung also offers new co-branded tablets with Barnes & Noble, taking advantage of the high awareness that remains around the Nook brand.

This report provides guidance for marketers heading through 2015. Subjects explored include current ownership, intent to purchase as gifts, intent to purchase for self, screen size intended for purchase, interest in cellular connectivity, and also reviews television campaigns and social media in relation to tablets.

For the purposes of this report, tablets consist of color portable computers with a touchscreen that lacks a direct calling feature through a cellular provider, and which can be used without a keyboard or mouse. This report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Tablets – US, July 2013 and Tablets – US, April 2012.

Sales data has been derived through an examination of data from multiple sources, including IDC, J.D. Power and Associates, the CEA, and PCWorld. Final sales figures and forecasts are original to Mintel.

For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore consumer attitudes and behaviors toward tablets. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in September 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.

Mintel selects survey respondents so that they are proportionally balanced to the entire US adult population based on the key demographics of gender, age, household income, and region. Mintel also slightly oversamples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results. Please note that our surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in our survey results.

Mintel has also analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the Experian Marketing Services National Consumer Study and the Experian Marketing Services National Hispanic Consumer Study, with results weighted to represent the US adult population. Studies used in this report include:

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2011 Simmons NHCS Adult Study 12 month, April 2010-June 2011: results based on 24,456 adults aged 18+

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2012 Simmons NHCS Adult Study 12 month, April 2011-June 2012: results based on 25,207 adults aged 18+

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2013 Simmons NHCS Adult Study 12 month, November 2012-June 2013: results based on 24,374 adults aged 18+

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2014 Simmons NHCS Adult Study 6 month, November 2012-June 2013 results based on 12,068 adults aged 18+

• Experian Marketing Services Winter 2014 Simmons NHCS Adult Study 6 month, August 2013-March 2014: results based on 12,305 adults aged 18+

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2012 Simmons NCS Teens Study 12 month, April 2011-June 2012: results based on 1,906 teens aged 12-17

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2013 Simmons NCS Teens Study 12 month, May 2012-June 2013: results based on 1,886 teens aged 12-17

• Experian Marketing Services Spring 2014 Simmons NCS Teens Study 12 month, April 2013-June 2014: results based on 1,692 teens aged 12-17

While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.

The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report: