Survey shows that iPad costs too much or becomes a consumer purchase resistance

According to a recent survey conducted by the analysis company Compete, although people’s interest in tablets (especially iPad and iPad 2) has increased significantly, certain factors may prevent American consumers from making a decision to buy a tablet immediately.

Surveys show that while monthly fees are still a problem, less than half of consumers say they will not refuse to purchase these products because they spend $15 (or more) more on data plans each month. However, there are indeed many consumers who are surprised when they talk about the cost of the device, of which 55% of smartphone users and 70% of mobile phone users admit that they will not spend more than $300 for a 'must have' little thing.

In addition, 7% of the smartphones and ordinary mobile phone users surveyed said that if the tablet is free of monthly fees, they will consider buying one; while nearly one-fourth are interested in purchasing a tablet. Respondents stated that they plan to use (tablets) only to access free Wi-Fi networks without considering paid mobile broadband data services.

Compete’s director of technology and entertainment, Danielle Nohe, pointed out: “Given these findings, it may be interesting to examine this topic in more detail. You will find that consumers can accept the Tablet PC and its data plan. The price limit. The winners in this area will be those companies that have taken our research further and dig deeper into consumer preferences and behavioral patterns to provide reasonable advice for pricing and promotional strategies."

The survey also showed that Apple did a very good job in marketing iPad2 (the iPad2 was released after the survey began). The company investigated consumers who were interested in purchasing tablets and asked them to grade the various features of the tablet. The three most important features consumers have identified are battery life, portability, and ease of use. Apple emphasized these features when marketing its new devices.

Consumers who received the Compete survey questioned some e-reader manufacturers’ ads saying that the tablet’s reading experience was poor. At least for the iPad, consumers can vote on their own; applications related to books are second to none in iPad app downloads. Other popular download programs include games, weather, entertainment, and social networking. What prompted consumers to decide which application to download (on their tablet) is usually the advice of friends and family, similar to what Compete found in the area of ​​smartphone apps.

Compete’s quarterly smartphone intelligence analyzes consumer behavior and ways of using iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android devices, and tablets (such as iPads and Samsung’s Galaxy Tablets) to come up with unique survey insights.