More Than Half of U.K. Homes Now Owns a Tablet

By Michael Moore

A new report has found that tablet computers are becoming a remarkably popular presence in British homes, despite only being launched five years ago.

Ofcom figures have revealed that 54 percent of households in the United Kingdom now own a tablet of some kind, with 21 percent of households currently without them admitting they were likely to get one within the next 12 months.

This marks a remarkable rise for a form factor that only began in May 2010 with the British launch of Apple’s iPad.

Universal

Tablets also appear to be popular across all age groups, as their portability and ease of use endear them to many.

Ofcom’s figures showed that people aged 35-54 were the most pro-tablet, with nearly two thirds of this age group (64 percent) owning one.

And tablets have become a must-have for many U.K. children too, with the figures showing that seven in 10 (71 percent) children aged 5-15 had access to a tablet at home by the end of 2014, up from just over half (51 percent) in 2013.

Many of these are lucky to not even have to share a tablet with their parents, with one in three children (34 percent) aged 5-15 owning their own device.

Even very young children are getting involved, with one in 10 (11 percent) of 3-4 year olds now having their own tablet to keep them entertained.

“In just five years, tablets have become a must-have device for millions of U.K. households,” said Kate Reeve, director of consumer research at Ofcom.

“We’re using them to catch up with the news, watch our favorite soaps and keep the kids entertained, with around one in three 5-15 year olds having their own tablet.”