CCS Insight has been looking at tablet usage across Europe, contacting 4,500 tablet owners in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK - and asking them to complete the survey on their tablet device.
Consumers in the UK were found to be the heaviest users, averaging 2.8 hours a day, with 95% of UK owners using their tablet for at least an hour a day.
The report identified ‘Sofa Surfers’ and ‘Bedroom Browsers’ as the early adopters in the tablet market. 79% of respondents said they used their tablets in the living room, while 60% used a tablet in the bedroom and 38% in the kitchen.
When it came to travelling, 58% took their tablet on holiday but only 15% used it when commuting.
Martin Garner, Senior Vice President for Internet at CCS Insight, said “Previously, people had to leave the room and sit down at a computer to use the Internet. A tablet offers a more convenient and social means of access, allowing users to join in with family activities while remaining on-line. The Internet is now so tightly built into many people's daily lives that they want to continue the connected lifestyle when they take a break from work.”
60% of owners said they used their tablet mainly for leisure, while just 7% said it was mainly for work. Overall, non-iPad users spent more time using their tablets than iPad customers, with younger people more likely to own cheaper non-Apple devices.