iPad revolution: half of British homes now contain a tablet

Five years since the launch of the iPad, new data shows how tablets have transformed the way people access the internet at home

 iPad shoulder becomes the latest modern life affliction
Now a common sight in more in British homes after rapid growth over the last five years Credit: Photo: ALAMY

They only went on sale five years ago, but tablet computers such as the iPad can already be found in more than half of British homes, figures show.

It is almost a half decade to the day that Apple launched its first iPad on May 28 2010. In the following year just 2 per cent of the population bought the technology.

But as competitors created cheaper alternatives - such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus and Amazon Fire - the tablet became a mass market product.

According to research by the telecommunications regulator, 54 per cent of households now own one and the number of children aged 5-15 with access at home has risen from 51 per cent 71 per cent in a year.

With the rise of catch-up television services the devices have become a "must have", Ofcom said, as they provide the main entertainment capabilities of a laptop without a keyboard.

Many people now prefer tablets to more clunky laptops for watching BBC iPlayer, ITV Player or 4oD when at home. Even though tablets are more portable than more traditional computers, most people reserve their devices for use at home; just 15 per cent of people said they regularly took one to work or when travelling.

Those in middle-age are most likely to own a tablet, Ofcom said, with just under two-thirds of people aged 35-54 having bought one in the past five years.

And families appear particularly strong adopters of the technology, the data suggested.

Parents have embraced the technology as a modern toy to ward off restlessness among children, said Kate Reeve, director of consumer research at Ofcom. One in three 5-15 year-olds and 11 per cent of three and four year-olds have their own.

"Tablets are helping to shape the way we surf the internet, communicate and watch TV and video," Ms Reeve said. "We’re using them to catch up with the news, watch our favourite soaps and keep the kids entertained."

dan.hyde@telegraph.co.uk