New research from Nielsen into the tablet ecosystem reveals some interesting findings in terms of how users interact with the new segment of devices and how they engage with applications.
Tablet devices in general are driving an influx in premium app downloads, according to the research, meaning more revenue for developers. Beyond the iPad, the most iconic tablet device around, Nielsen recently surveyed more than 5,000 consumers who already own a tablet computer, eReader, netbook, media/games player or smartphone to get a better sense of who’s using these devices and how.
Focusing on the iPad, games top all paid download categories, being downloaded by 62 percent of all premium app consumers. Books follow at 54 percent, trailed by music (50 percent), shopping (45 percent) and news (also 45 percent). Nielsen adds that 5 percent of iPad owners download only free apps, and — very surprisingly — 32 percent have yet to download any applications at all.
Taking advantage of the iPad’s increased screen real-estate, print and video content is a top priority for downloads — with research showing 39 percent of iPad owners regularly access books, 33 percent screen TV shows and 32 percent view movies. By comparison, 13 percent of iPhone owners regularly read books on their smartphones, 11 percent check out TV programming and 12 percent watch movies.
