Tablet users have gotten older

Nielsen research company has published the latest information on the age and gender of American smartphone and tablet owners. If earlier it was mainly young men, now the accents have shifted.

The study notes serious changes, in particular, an increase in the age of tablet users.

According to Nielsen’s blog, in the third quarter of 2010, 62% of tablet owners were young people under the age of 34, and only 10% were over 55 years old. By the second quarter of 2011, the share of tablet owners under the age of 34 decreased to 46%, and the number of those over 55 increased to 19%.

Also, 47% of tablet owners are now women – in the third quarter of 2010 there were 39% of them.

It is not surprising that Apple’s iPad, like the first generation of competing devices, was originally designed for young advanced users, but Nielsen statistics point to a broader market. It is important for developers and publishers of applications to take this into account, which should target a wider age audience.