E-paper readers see faster uptake in the USA than tablets

E-paper readers continue to prove popular in the United States, with their market penetration doubling in the last 6 months in the US market according to research group Pew.

With the arrival of tactile tablets and their coloured screens that are reactive and capable of playing video, some may have thought that dedicated eBook readers would have a short lifespan, with their black and white screens and static displays.

But e-paper readers also have some positive points that they put forward: starting with their price (three or four times cheaper than a tablet), with the e-paper screens that are not rear lit being readable in direct sunlight while providing greater battery life (a few weeks compared to a dozen hours for the best tablets).


Tablets haven’t destroyed e-paper
In the United States, research group Pew Research even notes a pickup in the market penetration of e-paper readers, no doubt thanks to lower prices and promotions organised by the main players (Amazon / Kindle, Barnes & Noble / Nook, etc. ).

12% of American adult consumers owned an e-paper reader in May 2011, while the number was 6% in November 2010. In comparison, 8% of American consumers owned a tactile tablet in May 2011, and even though the market is still young, the adoption rate should pick up by Christmas.

Pew Research also notes that these gadgets present ownership figures well below competing electronic devices like Smartphones, computers and MP3 players, which should allow them to grow in the future.

The research group has seen strong growth in ownership of eBook readers with college students and other students in more well off families.