Tablets Go with TV

May 27, 2011

Seventy percent of tablet owners use their devices while watching TV, according to Q1 2011 data from The Nielsen Company. Another 57% use them while lying in bed.

Tablets Go with Friends and Family

Other relatively popular multitasking uses of tablets include using them with friends/family (44%), while waiting for something (42%) and other (35%). There is then a significant drop in multitasking usage for activities such as while in the bathroom (25%) and attending a meeting or class (24%).

Smartphones More Multitasked

Perhaps reflecting their easier portability, smartphones are used at a higher percentage for many multitasking uses than tablets. While only 68% of smartphone owners use them while watching TV, higher percentages use them while waiting for something (59%), with friends/family (58%), other (50%), and commuting (47% compared to 20%). The percentage of smartphone owners who use them while lying in bed is slightly lower (51%).

E-Readers Used in Bed

E-reader owners are more likely than either tablet or smartphone owners (61%) to use their devices while lying in bed. However, e-reader multitasking lags behind both tablets and smartphones in most other areas, most notably with friends and family (17%).

Tablet Owners Spend 1/3 of Tablet Time with TV

Tablet owners said close to one-third (almost 30%) of their time spent with their device was while watching TV, compared to 21% lying in bed. Meanwhile, smartphone owners say that 20% of the time they use their smartphones is while watching TV, compared to 11% lying in bed.
Conversely, e-reader owners indicated only 15% of their e-reader time is spent watching TV, though they spend a substantial 37% of their device usage time in bed.

iPass: 9 in 10 Tablet-Owning Mobile Workers Use Them for Work

Close to nine in 10 (87%) of global mobile workers who own a tablet use it for at least some work, according to a study from iPass. The highest percentage (about 32%) say they own a personal tablet which is mostly used for personal activities but also some work. Five percent say they have a company tablet which is only used for work.