Apps and price are the top reasons for choosing a tablet: comScore

A new study shows there are distinct demographic differences between iPad, Kindle Fire and Android (non-Kindle Fire) tablet buyers. That’s one of several info nuggets revealed a new study by comScore found.

Other findings include a satisfaction rating that found tablet owners are, on average, more satisfied with their devices than smartphone owners. comScore’s TabLens data found that tablet owners were highly satisfied with their devices, scoring an average overall satisfaction rating of 8.6 on a 10-point scale. In comparison, smartphone owners rated overall satisfaction with their device an 8.1.

Among the top three tablet competitors, iPad owners reported the highest level of satisfaction (an 8.8 rating), but just barely topped Kindle Fire owners (8.7).  Android tablet users (excluding Kindle Fire) had a slightly lower satisfaction rating of 8.2, but comScore rates that as “still very strong in absolute terms.”

(Google’s Nexus 7 was too new to be included in comScore’s results).

comscore also found significant differences in why consumers decided to buy an iPad or Kindle Fire. For example, iPad owners found the selection of apps most important in their purchase decision, scoring an 8.1, closely followed by “brand name of tablet” with a rating of 8.0.

But Kindle Fire owners placed the greatest weight on price of tablet (8.1), followed by selection of apps (7.5). So while Kindle Fire owners are almost as satisfied with their device as iPad owners, it’s for different reasons.

Brand name of tablet and operating system also both scored as less important among Kindle Fire owners than among iPad owners.

Table preferences: Men versus women

comScore’s demographic analysis showed notable differences among the three platforms. iPad owners skewed male (52.9%), slightly younger (44.5% under the age of 35) and wealthier (46.3% residing in households with income of $100k or greater) compared to an average tablet user during the three-month average period ending June 2012.

By comparison, Kindle Fire owners skew female (56.6%). Both Android and Kindle Fire users saw household income below that of iPad owners, aligning more closely with household income reported by smartphone owners.