Women own majority of UK's tablets for first time

New study by YouGov also shows that 22% of the UK owns a tablet device

Despite the stereotype of gadget-fixated males, a new study from YouGov has found that for the first time the majority of tablet devices in the UK are owned by women.

The Tablet Tracker study showed that the second quarter of 2013 women owned 52% of the nation’s tablets, a rise from the same period in 2012 when 57% of tablets were owned by men.

It’s suggested that the change in ownership has been driven by the release of more varied tablet forms – including smaller sizes such as the iPad mini – as well as the proliferation of older devices.

“The early adopters of tablets have typically been affluent males. As they buy the latest models, they have placed their old devices on to the secondary market or give them to other members of their household,” said John Gilbert, Lead Director at YouGov Technology & Telecoms.

“A growing number of females and under-35s own older tablets, such as the iPad 1 and 2 while affluent males have the more recent iPad 3 and 4 and Samsung devices. Add to this the fact that it is women and young people driving the popularity of iPad Mini in the UK and it is clear where the surge in tablet ownership among females and under-35s comes from.”

The survey used a sample size of 3,824 British adults aged 18 and over. It also showed that 22% of the population now own a tablet, with ownership becoming more evenly spread across the age ranges.

The second quarter of 2012 saw an overwhelming 42% of tablet ownership come from the 55+ age group, though this has fallen to 31% this year as cheaper devices attract younger consumers with smaller budgets.

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