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Half of British households own tablets: report

Xinhua, May 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

The tablet computer has established itself as a must-have device in just five years with more than half of British households now owning one, according to the latest report released by the Ofcom, Britain's communications regulator.

Some 54 percent of local households have one tablet now, a significant increase from just 2 percent in 2011, Ofcom said. The trend looks set to continue with 21 percent of households currently without a tablet telling Ofcom they were likely to get one within the next 12 months.

Tablets are proving particularly popular among people aged 35 to 54 with nearly 64 percent of this age group having a tablet, the report showed.

Kate Reeve, director of consumer research at Ofcom, said tablets have become a must-have device for millions of British households in just five years.

Gaming on tablets is becoming increasingly popular. Some 15 percent of all adults use a tablet to play games by the end of 2014 compared with 17 percent for gaming on consoles, according to the statistics.

Tablets are also helping to drive the use of apps, with 86 percent of adults who go online on a tablet using apps by the end of 2014, Ofcom said. News apps are proving popular with 48 percent of all app users typically getting their headlines on an app.

People are using tablets to catch up with the news, watch their favorite shows and keep the kids entertained, Reeve said. Endit