While tablet sales grew during the final quarter of 2013, it is expected to slow down for various reasons, including consumer apathy.

According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the tablet penetration in the United States (U.S.) peaked at 37 percent, which represented a 54 percent growth compared to the same period in 2012. A new report, however, projected tablet sales' growth is slowing down year over year and "convincing consumers who have not yet invested in a tablet to take the plunge will become increasingly more difficult."

According to U.S. consumers surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2013, 53 percent stated they will not purchase a tablet in the next 12 months while 34 percent were "unsure."

"As you would expect for a market that started in 2010 with the first generation iPad, tablet awareness among consumers is high with only 4 [percent] of non-owners saying they have never heard of such a device," said Kantar Worldpanel ComTech's Chief of Research Carolina Milanesi. "However, with 67 [percent] of people who were unsure if they will buy a tablet in the next 12 months saying that they know very little about them, there is no doubt that vendors need to improve their messaging around the value of owning and using a tablet."

Potential tablet buyers have reported to not purchase a device due to prices. Cheaper-priced tablets are surfacing in the market, and the average cost of a device has dropped from $326 during the fourth quarter of 2012 to $300 in the same period in 2013.

According to Milanesi, a mainstream consumer believes tablets are "nice to have" but is "not a must have."

"It is clear that wanting to know more about tablets, and finding them expensive, are two sides of the same coin," said Kantar Worldpanel ComTech's chief of research.

People participating in the survey, who were "unsure" about wanting a tablet, also stated they were unsure about the lack of a physical keyboard and subscription for a 3G tariff was too high. Indecision about the brand of tablet also accounted 14 percent of responders.

Reasons for simply not buying a tablet included 72 percent starting they were "happy" with their current laptop and/or PC. People also noted they were "just not interested" with 42 percent while 31 percent sees no point in owning a tablet. Tablet prices and lack of a physical keyboard also ranked in the top five reasons for not buying a unit, with 25 percent and 20 percent respectively.

Milanesi stated, "With more hybrid devices coming to market with larger screens, more powerful and power-efficient processors consumers' consideration for tablets as an alternative to their current PCs will increase, if the price is right, of course."

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