A new study that surfaced late this week shows that tablets have been one of the most popular pieces of consumer technology during the current decade, especially in regards to North America. Research studies show that for the past three years, tablets have been the fastest growing mobile device segment, with a growth rate set to increase in 2013. Despite this momentum, smartphones have a nearly three year head start on the market, and are now near ubiquitous within North America and other areas around the world. For Apple, their iPad and iPhone have led the way on both fronts, debuting in 2010 and 2007 respectively.
The graph above shows that Apple's iPad users generate 30.6% of all iOS traffic in North America, a figure nearly half of iPhone users' 61.5% Web usage share. While both devices have been successful, the data points to iPhones being of much greater concern to Web developers and online marketers. The sheer volume of iPhone users is likely driving this figure, as our own studies have found iPad usage dominating the tablet marketplace as a whole. Despite the positive market prospects for tablets, at least in terms of Apple, smartphones are still a more popular browsing option overall.
The study covers the time line from February 22nd to February 28th, 2013 with a sample of tens of millions. The study's figures indicate a huge surge since the beginning of the month that showed Apple having a 41% share.
