Consumer Electronics Ownership Blasts Off in 2013

As Americans search through an array of electronic and connected devices for holiday gifts, Nielsen took a look at how ownership of devices has changed over the last few years and what consumer have in their homes today.

Consumers own more devices than ever, and the greatest growth comes from devices that didn’t exist a few years ago. More than three out of five Americans (65%) now carry smartphones, up from just 44 percent in 2011. Tablets are now shared in 29 percent of households, and internet-enabled TV sets are in 16 percent of living rooms. And contrary to speculation that the demise of personal computing is forthcoming, PC ownership is up slightly over the last few years, and you can still find laptops and desktops in four out of five homes.

High-definition TV sets are at the heart of most Americans’ living rooms, as 83 percent of households include HDTVs, doubling since 2009 (41%). The presence of DVD players has slightly decreased over the last few years, while DVRs are now in nearly half (49%) of households. Digital cable and satellite are the main way consumers bring content to their TV screens, at 54 percent and 31 percent, respectively. As consumers anticipate new 8th-generation gaming consoles under their Christmas trees, game consoles are already in nearly half (46%) of U.S. households.