iPad still leading UK market, but rivals have cut Apple’s lead

Figures released by YouGov reveal an interesting picture for tablet ownership in the UK…

The UK tablet market grew such that in 2012, 8% of the UK population owned one according to YouGov’s latest quarterly Tablet Tracker report (May 2012).

YouGov estimates that this equates to roughly three million owners in the UK. Apple’s iPad range is still dominant in this market, with a share of more than 70%; the new iPad alone has captured 11% of the market since its release earlier in the year.

However, Apple’s overall share has slipped four percentage points since the last quarter, due to growing competition including Samsung, which now has a 7% share in the market.

While the new iPad enjoys industry-leading satisfaction scores across most performance measures, thus securing Apple’s position in this market, the iPad’s performance measures under-index in the categories of price and value for money.

Furthermore, Samsung rivals the iPad 2 across many performance scores, particularly sturdiness and reliability. Lastly, nearly half of current tablet owners (45%) are considering switching their devices, with price being the main consideration for the market at large, and for iPad owners in particular.

John Gilbert, consulting director of YouGov’s technology and telecoms sector, summarised the figures: “This trend is to be expected. No brand can maintain a 90%-plus share in a new and growing device market.

“With the older (and solvent) generation adopting tablets at a growing rate, and spending over £400, it is much too lucrative an opportunity for competition to ignore.”

Gilbert continued: “While Apple continues to set the standards of tablet quality, Samsung and other manufacturers are fast approaching and exceeding Apple on price metrics.

“As the tablet market taps into the early and late majority technology users, Apple may expect a declining share in a growing market.”

YouGov’s tablet tracker will closely monitor the future impact of Microsoft’s recent entry in the tablet market with its Surface product.