Report: Nearly Half of U.S. Households Expected to Own Tablet Within 18 Months

The majority of adults online in the United States expect to purchase a tablet in the future, according to a new report from the Arlington-based Consumer Electronics Association.

Roughly 41 percent of adults in the United States who are online own a tablet, according to the association's second quarter tablet report. That's about the same as March 2013.

But sales are expected to increase: Four in 10 online adults say they expect to buy a tablet in the next four years — a 33 percent jump over the past three months — and 72 percent of online adults say they will buy one at some point in the future. The news follows a dip in tablet sales earlier this year, according to the report.

“With nearly half of U.S. households expected to own a tablet in the next 12-18 months, tablets are undeniably impacting how consumers view and enjoy digital content,” Kevin Tillmann, a senior research analyst for the association, said in a statement. “As we move through 2013, anticipation runs high this year for the next wave of tablets to include new and innovative features. Striking the right chord with consumers’ expectations will be imperative to resuming the growth trends we’ve seen prior to this quarter’s purchase stagnation.”

Tablet sales are expected to surpass 87 million units by the end of this calendar year, a 45 percent increase over 2012, according to the association.

More than 2,000 companies are members of the Consumer Electronics Association. The trade association promotes growth in the $203 billion domestic consumer electronics industry.

The association is based at 1919 S. Eads St. in Crystal City.