US tablet users paid $53 for apps

More than 90 percent of US tablet computer users have downloaded applications and most have bought apps, spending over $50 on average during the past 12 months, according to a study released on Wednesday. Twelve percent of the total US population own or use a tablet, the study by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) found, with the number expected to rise to 23 percent, or 54 million people, by early 2012. Ninety-three percent of tablet users have downloaded apps, the study said, with the average tablet user downloading 20 apps, predominantly for weather, games and music, social networking and news. Seventy-nine percent of those who have downloaded apps have paid for apps during the past 12 months, spending $53 on apps during the period, the OPA study said. Twenty-six percent of all apps downloaded are paid apps with games making up more than 50 percent of the apps people paid for, it said. The study also found that 60 percent of tablet users are men and 48 percent are between the ages of 18 and 34. Tablet owners were largely happy with their devices, the study found. Eighty-nine percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their tablet. Apple's iPad was the tablet of choice among those surveyed with 46 percent saying they owned or used an iPad and 21 percent saying they owned or used an iPad 2. The next most popular tablets were the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy, the Dell Streak and the HP Slate. The survey of 2,482 people between the ages of eight and 64 was conducted by Frank Magid Associates between April 15 and April 20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.97 percentage points.