Smartphone, tablet and eReader US demographics

Both the eReader and the tablet had been around for many years, but it took two breakthrough products for them to take off.

The iPad has established the tablet as a new category of device and despite the challenge of emerging Android tablets retains a strong lead in the market.

Likewise, the tipping point for eReaders moving beyond early adopters was the mass market pricing with the Kindle available for an affordable $139.

But what of the changing demographics as the products outgrew the early adopters?

Data from Nielsen in the chart on the right illustrates the changing shift among US consumers:

• eReader ‘readers’ are getting older, with over 50% of owners over 45
• Smartphone ownership is opening up in the teen market
• Tablet ownership is skewing older
• Across all three categories, women are becoming a higher proportion of owners. This is particularly noticable for eReaders where they comprise 61% of owners in Q2 2011