New data from ecoATM shows tablet trade-ins on the rise in face of declining tablet usage
Tablet shipments have been on a steady decline,[1] while tablet trade-ins are growing. ecoATM, Inc., the nationwide network of automated electronics recycling kiosks, saw tablet trade-ins more than double from Q1 2014 to Q1 2015 and set out to determine what's changed with tablet owners.
A recent ecoATM survey suggests a disconnect between initial expectations and eventual tablet usage.
- More than one quarter of respondents (27 percent) indicate they use their tablet less than they anticipated when initially purchased
- Twenty-six percent report using their device less than three hours per week
- Eight percent of tablet owners say they no longer use their device
Survey findings point to utility as a primary reason why tablet usage may be declining. Of those who no longer use their device:
- 60 percent indicate they prefer using a laptop instead
- 26 percent say their smartphone does everything they need
- Seven percent indicate their tablet is broken
"Just because your tablet has fallen out of your favor doesn't mean it has to gather dust. You can still take it to an ecoATM® kiosk to turn it into cash and give it a second life," said Randy Erman, director of product marketing at ecoATM. "ecoATM kiosks recognize more than 5,500 devices including tablets, smart phones and MP3 players."
With a network of more than 2,100 kiosks in the U.S., ecoATM has responsibly recycled or enabled the reuse of more than four million devices. ecoATM kiosk data lends insights into additional tablet trends:
Southern states including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama experience the highest collection rates
Of the tablets and cell phones collected, a higher percentage of tablets traded in are broken; one quarter of all tablets traded in are in non-working condition
The Apple iPad® 2 and iPad mini™ are collected more than any other tablets
www.ecoatm.com
