Kiwis choose device size with tablets on the rise

It appears New Zealanders have found the perfect sized device. The tablet.

That's according to latest research from Ericsson, which claims tablet ownership across the country will rise to over one in three Kiwi internet users.

“We have seen massive growth in tablet ownership in New Zealand," says Warren Chaisatien, Strategic Marketing manager, Ericsson New Zealand.

"Based on consumer expressed interest, there is a good potential that by the end of the year, over one in three New Zealanders daily internet users will own a tablet.

In a survey of 500 New Zealand residents, when asked about time of tablet use, most New Zealanders use their tablet at home in the evening (67%), followed by while watching TV (52%) and in bed before sleeping (50%).

Holiday usage is next on the list. Tablets are also commonly used as a time-killer as more than 36% use their tablets while waiting for something.

“Among potential tablet users, the top three reasons for considering a tablet purchase are: portability, convenience and for connectivity,” Chaisatien adds.

Besides tablet however, and excluding voice and SMS, key usage for New Zealanders’ smartphones includes: internet browsing, mobile apps, and instant messaging.

Video clip viewing on smartphones has shown significant growth year-on-year.

When it comes to main uses for tablets, New Zealanders’ are in line with global trends, with the top three uses being: browsing the Internet (66%), emailing (58%) and playing games (53%).

Key highlights include:

• New Zealand smartphone penetration among daily Internet users has increased to almost 60%, up from 32% in 2012

• Tablet penetration has increased to almost 20%, up from 7% in 2012

• Based on consumer-expressed interest, smartphone take-up has the potential to reach 63% and tablet take-up 35% by year-end