London, 18 December, 2017: Don’t expect to see many tablets appearing on Christmas wish lists this year – their popularity is waning. They may be more affordable than ever but by the end of 2017, tablet user penetration among internet users will fall for the first time, according to eMarketer’s worldwide tablet users forecast.
This year, 32.9% of internet users across the globe will use a tablet, vs. 33.2% in 2016. Tablet usage is expected to continue its decline, and the penetration rate among internet users will drop below 31% by 2021.
eMarketer’s forecast shows that tablet use in developed markets, in particular, has stabilized, seeing little to no growth. Meanwhile, in emerging markets, the device is struggling to penetrate beyond early adopters.
The drop-off indicates that consumers in developing markets, such as China and India, are keen to use smartphones for most of their online needs. In addition, the demand for messaging services and social media apps such as WeChat, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in these markets has further fueled mobile internet usage.
“The stagnation in tablet usage is directly related to the growth in the popularity of smartphones,” said Cindy Liu, forecasting analyst at eMarketer. “Activities that made tablets popular in the first place-such as watching video, online shopping and buying, and playing games-are shifting to smartphones, which are now bigger and more powerful than they have ever been,” she said.
Newsroom: More Than 75% of Worldwide Video Viewing is Mobile
London, 7 February 2018: In 2018, 2.38 billion people will watch streaming or downloaded video content via any device, according to eMarketer’s first-ever global digital video forecast report.
Since mobile phones are the entry point for internet access in many markets, it is also the primary device for viewing video. eMarketer expects more than three-quarters (78.4%) of digital video viewers to use their mobile phones to watch digitally streamed content.
In total, almost a quarter of the global population will watch video over a mobile phone this year-nearly double the penetration registered in 2014.
In 2018, 1.58 billion people will watch video on YouTube at least once per month, a 9.2% increase over the prior year.
Close to two-thirds of all digital video viewers worldwide will watch YouTube this year, eMarketer estimates.
“Video’s proliferation on social networks and the growth of over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms are major drivers of digital video viewing worldwide,” said Oscar Orozco, senior forecasting analyst at eMarketer. “However, an understated driver of video viewing is the use of chat apps. We forecast that close to 55% of internet users will be active on chat apps by the end of 2018. Watching and sharing digital videos is a major feature on chat apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat, and for many internet users, it’s their first experience with digital video. We expect this will continue to be a significant driver of mobile video consumption.”
Methodology
eMarketer’s forecasts and estimates are based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from research firms, government agencies, media firms and public companies, plus interviews with top executives at publishers, ad buyers and agencies. Data is weighted based on methodology and soundness. Each eMarketer forecast fits within the larger matrix of all its forecasts, with the same assumptions and general framework used to project figures in a wide variety of areas. Regular re-evaluation of available data means the forecasts reflect the latest business developments, technology trends and economic changes.
About eMarketer
Founded in 1996, eMarketer is the first place to look for research about marketing in a digital world. eMarketer enables thousands of companies worldwide to understand marketing trends, consumer behavior and get the data needed to succeed in the competitive and fast-changing digital economy. eMarketer’s flagship product, eMarketer PRO, is home to all of eMarketer’s research including; forecasts, analyst reports, aggregated data from 3,000+ sources, interviews with industry leaders, articles, charts and comparative market data. eMarketer’s free daily newsletters span the US, EMEA and APAC and are read by more than 200,000 readers globally. In 2016 eMarketer, Inc. was acquired by European media giant Axel Springer S.E.
