Overview
About 20 years ago, Apple introduced the iPad, and other device makers swiftly brought their tablets to
market. Tablet sales peaked in 2013 then declined a full 15 percent from 2015 to 2016. Today, sales of 2-
in-1 devices (tablets that connect to a physical keyboard) are strong, though not as robust as sales of
mobile phones. Tablet sales are holding steady, as they have been since mid-2017, though they
command only about 4 percent of the current worldwide market share.
Considering this data, should Spree Wireless continue selling tablets? If so, how should we market
them? Who are the most likely customers? How do these customers want to use their tablets?
Evaluating Tablets
In general, consumers are no longer enthusiastic about tablets. People once preferred tablets for
watching movies and videos, but the average mobile phone is now large enough and provides sharp
enough images to use as a media-consumption device. Laptops continue to become lighter and more
powerful, so people turn to them for productivity tasks.
A recent survey asked consumers to name their preferred device for 15 activities ranging from watching
live TV to shopping online and playing games. Respondents could choose from TVs, laptops, phones,
desktops, and tablets. No one preferred the tablet for any of the activities.
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Key Areas of Difference
However, tablets do have an audience, and why those consumers use their devices is different from why
they use mobile phones or laptops. We surveyed our customers to find answers. We conducted the
study from September 5 to October 7 of this year. About 45 percent of customers responded.
User behavior
o Location
o Times of day
User characteristics
o Age
o Activities
Tablet Considerations
If Spree Wireless continues selling tablets, we must consider the best ways to market the devices,
identify prospective customers, and understand usage patterns.
Tablet Market
Although both tablets and smartphones are portable, Spree Wireless customers associate “mobile” only
with phones. They report that they use mobile phones while they are on the go or for short sessions
while at home or in the office.
In contrast, customers who own tablets use them primarily in a single location, such as at home or in the
workplace. Significantly, they use tablets for longer and less frequent sessions than they use their
mobile phones, suggesting that they are engaged in content or performing productivity tasks.
Tablet Customers
Our tablet-using customers tend to be older than 34 years old, while the ages of our mobile phone
customers are in the 18–34 range. The reasons for usage vary from enjoying the larger tablet screen for
entertainment to viewing the phone as solely a communications device.
Tablet Usage
Our customers report that they use tablets mainly in the afternoon and evening hours, typically during
the weekend, for entertainment and shopping. They turn to the tablet because of its large screen and
more substantial battery life.
Survey Results
Spree Wireless asked tablet-owning customers how much time they spent per day using their tablets.
The following table compares the responses to results from similar surveys in the past three years.
Daily time (minutes) using tablets
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We also asked for basic demographic data, including age, and found that about one-third of our
customers who own a tablet or a dedicated e-reader are age 65 or older.
Seniors using tablets
Age Range E-reader (%) Tablet (%)
70–74 23 28
65–69 21 33
75–79 18 22
80+ 13 17
Total 75%
Compare these results to demographic data about all tablet-owning customers.
All adult customers owning tablets
Category Percentage
Gender
Men 33
Women 37
Men 33
Age
18-29 20
30-49 29
50-64 37
Report Study Group
Market Analyst Hugh Cunningham
Associate Market Analyst Erica Reyes
Data Analyst Wan-Jo Lin
Customer Service Representative Roland Bloom
Executive Assistant Zack Kealy
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