The electronic tablet market in Egypt remains a wide open market with very low penetration, at around 13%, global information and measurement company Nielsen stated in its latest report. The company stated that "there is a major untapped market waiting to be developed". Penetration of smartphones was the highest at 54%, while laptops came in second with a 32% penetration level. "Only 55% of tablet owners also own a smartphone, and 50% of the remaining respondents will not consider buying one," the company said. "Respondents have indicated that the main uses they would have out of a smartphone they prefer to do via tablet, with an extended advantage of sharing that one tablet with younger family members when applicable." The company said the age range of the majority of tablet users in Egypt are between 20- and 55-years-old. The company's research also highlighted that over 50% of parents surveyed allowed their children to use a tablet device. "This could be a strong indicator of a growing future trend as new generations are more exposed to tablets, possibly carrying on their parents' legacy and seeking to acquire their own eventually," Nielsen said. Director of Consumer Insights at Nielsen Ahmed Gamal said that the study conducted by the firm illustrated that tablets are not viewed as devices "to be left at home". "Data package usage indicates that tablet owners are willing to free themselves from Wi-Fi limitations and invest in a 2G/3G package in order for the device to be truly mobile," Gamal said. Nielsen's study also showed that the tablets and smartphones can no longer be viewed as devices that complement one another. "The figures are proving that cannibalisation is inevitable and device manufacturers might have to reach this conclusion and build new propositions accordingly," the company said.
