By 2018 two-thirds of Britons will own a smartphone and be an avid tablet user, according to new research.
The surge in popularity of portable devices to consume TV, video and other media shows no signs of abating, according to media agency ZenithOptimedia’s New Media Forecast.
The report found that by the end of this year 51% of Britons will own a tablet, up from just 3.5% just five years ago, which ranks the UK the seventh highest in the world.
By 2018, 65% of Britons will own or have regular access to a tablet device, which will rank sixth behind Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.
The rise of the tablet is mirrored in the smartphone world with 55% of the UK population expected to own one by the end of this year, rising to 69% by 2018.
“The rapid spread of mobile technology is transforming media consumption and marketing communications across the world,” said Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at ZenithOptimedia. “For more and more people, their smartphone or tablet is the first place they look for information or entertainment. Marketers need a mobile-first approach to communicate with these people effectively.”
The report also found that by 2018 the number of internet users across the 47 countries it monitors globally will break the 2 billion barrier for the first time.
ZenithOptimedia reckons that its 47 country survey covers 60% of all internet users across the world. However, the rate of growth in internet uptake is slowing from 7.9% in 2011 to 3.9% this year and 2.5% in 2018.
