55% of tablet users in the US report leveraging a video feature of their device, according to the NPD Group.
This includes video calling; taking, posting, and uploading videos; as well as watching video from a streaming service or app from a TV channel or pay TV provider. Video feature usage is even more prominent among younger consumers. Two-thirds (67%) of tablet users aged 18-34 use these video features compared to 53% of 35-54 year olds, and 45% of users age 55 and older. Further, watching video from a streaming service or TV channel app is the most common video focused behavior.
Through tablets, consumers have access to nearly every top TV and streaming video app and this is contributing to utilizing tablets as a TV. According to the new Connected Intelligence TV & Video App Availability Report, 66 of the 70 TV and streaming video apps evaluated are available on tablets. iPads have the most (66), followed by Android tablets (60), Kindle Fire (43) and Windows tablets (32).
“Consumers are demonstrating their willingness to spend time using tablets for a broad set of video features, including their vast library of TV and streaming video apps,” noted John Buffone, executive director, Connected Intelligence.
“This provides an opportunity for mobile carriers to promote features such as on-the-go video calling, TV viewing and ability to socialize videos as a reason to attach a tablet to their data plan. Promoting these popular activities could help perpetuate the significant growth in tablet data plan connections already experienced this year.”
The research also shows that tablet ownership among US consumers is on the rise, and growing at a faster rate than that of any other connected device. According to The NPD Group’s Connected Intelligence, Connected Home Report, as of the third quarter of 2014 (Q3 2014) there were 109 million tablets in use, up 35 million from last year.
“Now that the tablet market is unmistakably past the early adopter stage we are able to gain visibility into what the user base is still doing with their devices, and in this case it’s often video focused activities,” said Buffone.
