The UK tablet market is fast approaching saturation, with growth in tablet usage set to slow dramatically, according to the latest forecasts by eMarketer.
In 2015, more than half of UK consumers (50.3%) will use a tablet device at least once a month, the insights firm predicts. However, tablet brands will have trouble convincing many more consumers to buy the devices, as single-figure growth is expected for the foreseeable future.
eMarketer predicts that by 2019, there will be 40.2 million tablet users in the UK - but this figure marks a growth in usage of just 3.8%. To compare, this year's growth is forecast at 9.1% - while in 2013, the market grew by 55.8%.
Bill Fisher, eMarketer analyst, reckons new sales will largely consist of replacement tablets for already-convinced customers:
The country's tablet market is reaching a point in its maturity curve that signals a slowdown in user growth. Such a slowdown in the rate of penetration suggests that most of those who want a tablet likely already have one, with more sales than ever likely to be replacements.
The tablet boom in the UK is over, but now the replacement cycle looks to have begun in earnest. And with almost three-quarters of the internet population set to be tablet users by 2019, it's still a market worth being in.
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