Study says women own more of U.K.'s tablet computers than men

LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- More tablet computers are owned by women in Britain than by men, an Internet market research firm says, a reversal from last year.

A Tablet Tracker report by YouGov showed women owned 52 percent of the country's touchscreen tablet computers in May, the BBC reported.

Last year's figure at the same point in time was 43 percent, YouGov said.

The turnaround is likely the result of both the release of smaller tablets and women taking ownership of second-hand devices, it said.

"The early adopters of tablets have typically been affluent males," John Gilbert, lead director at YouGov Technology and Telecoms, said.

"As they buy the latest models, they have placed their old devices onto the secondary market or given them to other members of their household."

"A growing number of females and under-35s own older tablets, such as the iPad 1 and 2 while affluent males have the more recent iPad 3 and 4 and Samsung devices," he said.

The YouGov survey indicates 22 percent of United Kingdom adults now own a tablet.

YouGov said it surveyed 3,824 adults over 18 between May 8 and 10.