32 Distressing iPad Demographics

When it comes to the modern tablet, the various incarnations of the Apple iPad tend to lead the way. These tablets are powerful, include Retina displays, and come in several different sizes. Despite some of their limitations, like not having a USB port, many customers are still attracted to what this mobile device can do.

50% of people who say that they own at least one iPad are under the age of 45.

One of the challenges which Apple faces is the longevity of their devices. Even with iOS support for 2 years as a matter of policy, there are still several older units that are still being regularly used. Even part of this content was written using an iPad 2. Yet that longevity also creates a unique value proposition to those who want to use this tablet to meet their needs.

Ethnicity and iPad Ownership

• 1 in 3 people own a tablet across all major racial and ethnic demographics.
• People who live in urban areas [33%] are more likely to own an iPad when compared to people who live in rural areas [27%]
• Suburban households are the most likely [37%] to own an iPad.
• In just 12 months between 2012-2013, tablet ownership growth grew by 15 percentage points in White/Caucasian households and 17 percentage points in African-American/Black households.
• In 2012, Hispanic households were 2x more likely to own an iPad or tablet than any other ethnicity. In 2013 and continuing on today, the percentages of ownership remain equalized.
• 80% of all mobile traffic which originates from a tablet in the United States comes from an iPad user.

Hispanic households may have been the first to embrace tablet ownership, but now this mobile device is something that everyone wants. In 2010, just 3% of households owned any kind of tablet. Now 1 in 3 US households owns at least one tablet. Many households own multiple tablets, including multiple iPads. This has driven the iPad ownership numbers from an ethnic standpoint to completely equalize, even if there are gaps in wages, annualized income, and other financial factors that affect these racial or ethnic demographics.

The Income Levels of iPad Demographics

• 21% of iPad customers have an annual household income that is ranked in the top 25% of global incomes.
• Another 11% of iPad customers have their income fit within the top 50% of global income.
• Just 6% of iPad owners have an annual household income which is in the bottom 25% of annual incomes.
• Women and men are separated by just one percentage point in their desire to own or use an iPad as a mobile device.
• 16% of iPad users have a post graduate degree. Having more schooling correlates to a higher desire to own an iPad.
• 26% of iPad users report that they are in a relationship of some sort, including being married. Just 14% of iPad users report that they are single, divorced, or widowed.
• Households which own at least one iPad are 3x more likely to have at least once child than to not have any children. 18% of households have 2+ children.
• About half of all households which have an iPad have a household income which exceeds $100,000 per year.
• 49% of people with a college degree own a tablet.

Because Apple products are generally found at premium prices, an iPad is not something that every household can afford, Yet despite this fact, the iPad is almost considered to be “the standard” of what it means to make it financially in the world today. Because of this, even low income households will look to invest into an iPad because it gives them a chance to feel like they are on equal terms with people who are in a different socioeconomic status. This means iPads can be effectively marketed to virtually anyone anywhere if there is a need/want to have a mobile device to use.

Discover the Average iPad Owner

• The median age of an iPad owner today is 41.
• 27% of iPad owners are in the 35-44 age demographic.
• The percentage of iPad users who are above the age of 65: 7.5%.
• 2015 was the first year that iPad sales dropped in a year-to-year comparison since Apple first introduced this tablet in April 2010.
• 78% of tablet usage in North America originates from an iPad.
• 86% of streaming video starts that originate from a tablet are commands that were initiated from an iPad.
• 49% of iPad revenues come from the iPad Mini line of tablets and 60% of iPad shipments are Minis.
• The market share of the iPad in China: 28%.
• In the educational sectors in North America, Apple owns 94% of the market share thanks to what their iPad is able to provide.
• Owners of an iPad are 65% more likely to go see movies in the theater more often than other tablet owners.

The primary barrier to entry for the iPad is the retail cost of the product. When Apple reduced the price of this tablet by $100 for some models, they saw a spike in sales because it became more accessible to more people. The fact is that Apple has an untapped market for their iPad, but it is the lower income demographics in the world today. People are being more thrifty with their spending habits, which means if a non-Apple device can meet their needs for a fraction of the cost of an iPad, then that is what will be purchased. If Apple can cut prices further, then they may see sales recover in 2016 and beyond.

iPad Demographics and Their Tablet Use

• 1 in 4 iPad owners primarily use their tablet for gaming purposes.
• About 10% of tablet owners use their device to check on their personal email accounts regularly.
• 1 in 10 iPad owners have used their tablet to replace their PC as their primary source of online shopping requirements.
• 70% of all mobile sales from 2013 data came from the Apple iPad. When iOS devices were examined, including iPhones, that percentage increases to 89% of all sales.
• 54% of iPad users say that they use their tablet several times per day, compared to 33% of Android tablet users who say the same thing.
• 69% of tablet owners think they know more about current events than their friends, compared to 47% of non-tablet owners.

Perceptions are in the eye of the beholder. Are iPad users more up-to-date with current events? Possibly. What we do know is that iPad owners shop online more often, account for a higher per order rate for businesses, and engage online with others more often with their tablet. Apple has created a device which people love – the only problem that we are beginning to see with slumping 2015 sales is that maybe people are too attached to their devices.