TORONTO – In what could be good news for Research In Motion, Apple’s share of the tablet market in Canada dropped for the third consecutive quarter as consumers opted for smaller, more affordable options including brands like Playbook, Asus and Acer.
According to the most recent quarterly Digital Life Canada study by Toronto-based Solutions Research Group, the iPad accounted for 56% of the tablets in Canadian homes in Q1 2012, compared to Q2 2011 when it had over 80% of the tablet market.
Given that iPad sales continue to be robust, Apple’s shrinking market share can be attributed in part to a fast-growing category with more product variety, the study added. But there is also clearly an appetite for devices with smaller screen sizes that allow for more portability than the iPad, and that retail for a significantly lower price point. Research in Motion’s Playbook increased its share to 19% while Acer and Asus accounted for 6% and 5% respectively.
The study, based on a survey of 1,000 Canadian consumers and conducted in spring 2012, also determined that Canadians use their tablets differently than their smart phones, and predominantly in the comfort of their homes. While many consumers take their smart phone with them almost everywhere they go, the study found on average Canadians took their tablet with them only 28% of the time when leaving the house.
In addition, consumers who have both devices also have different apps for their tablet than they do their smart phone. For example, respondents said that they were more likely to have apps on their tablets in the category of ebooks (56% versus 22%), entertainment (52% versus 40%) and games (76% versus 63%) than their smart phone.
In only two areas were Canadians more likely to have an app on their smart phone than their tablet – messaging and shopping.
