Tablet: From optimal to optional

Laptop and tablet penetration, 2012-2016

Question. Which, if any, of the following devices do you own or have ready access to?

Weighted base (2012/2013/2014/2015/2016): All respondents (2,060/4,020/4,000/4,000/4,003)
Source: UK edition, Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey, May–Jun 2012, May 2013, May 2014, May–Jun 2015, May–Jun 2016

In its 2013 golden period, tablet penetration enjoyed a 125% surge, with 36% of UK adults adopting the new device. By mid-2016, almost two-thirds of UK adults (63%) had access to a tablet.

When tablets were first launched, one line of argument was that younger people would grow up with them and might wonder why anyone would want to use a PC or laptop. The outcome is precisely the opposite. Millennials (18-34 year olds) favour laptops (owned by 80% of this age group) over tablets (owned by 59%), and it is older generations that appear to prefer tablets.

So what are tablets for now? We looked at 15 different activities that people regularly perform on smartphones, tablets or laptops, and asked which device they preferred to use for that activity. What emerged was that while tablets were sometimes preferred over either laptops or smartphones for some activities, they were never better than the second choice.