Date: 30th Aug 2010

User study: 90% of Apple iPad buyers will be existing Apple owners

Strategy Analytics in its latest report Connected Home Devices service has reported that only 2% of US homes that do not currently own an Apple device intend to buy an iPad during the next 12 months, as compared to 18% of Apple device-owning households. The report also states that 90% of iPad sales are expected to come from existing Apple owners. The report, "Apple's iPad: Identifying Early Adopters and Intentions to Buy," finds that ownership of another Apple product, such as an iPod, Macbook or iPhone, is the strongest indicator of intention to buy an iPad. Nearly a third of iPhone users in the US plan to buy an iPad during the coming year.

"Apple's iPad is preaching to the converted," says the report's author, David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. "Many iPhone, Apple computer and iPod owners have snapped up their first iPad in the first few months since it was launched, and many of those who haven't plan to follow suit over the coming year."

Strategy analytics says that nearly half of households which have already bought their first iPad intend to buy another one within the next 12 months. This is backed up by findings that multiple household ownership of iPads is already increasing rapidly: respondents with at least one iPad report an average of 1.7 devices per household.

"Apple has plenty of iPad demand to mop up from its loyal customer base before it needs to start focusing on the 50% of people who do not yet own one of its products," comments Peter King, Director, Connected Home Devices.