Apple Sold Fewer iPads Year Over Year for 13th Straight Quarter as Tablet Market Shrinks to Five-Year Low

[CrystalQuest76]

When I'm online, most of the time, I want to type, when I want to type I don't use my iPad.

When I am in meetings, I have a bluetooth keyboard connected to iPad and type just fine. If I am out and about or at home and want to quickly send send off a note or communication, I use the dictation feature that does a good job with occasional misses that I correct with the touch keyboard. It about knowing the tools to use at the appropriate times to get the most out of them.
I don't see a compelling need to have new feature to justify giving my hard earned money to Apple executives and replacing my fully functional iPad 3. Might feel a tad different if those executives based in the United States brought back the profits and paid taxes.

 

[clauzzz203]

Wow, Cook. Go figure. You milk a product and eventually it's selling less and less.
Did you ever hear about the words 'risk' and 'revolutionary'?
Jobs did. Too bad you can't enter him as a formula in your spreadsheets.

 

[alexe]

I've never owned an iPad. I struggle to find a use for it.

I do everything on my MacBook Pro. I'm a software engineer, so in contrast to the people using their laptops and tablets to watch Modern Family, I actually need to get **** done on my machine. An iPad would be utterly useless to me for 98% of the things I do with a laptop.

Even when it comes to things like watching videos, browsing the web, and checking my email, I'd much rather do all these things on my MacBook than on an iPad. In my opinion, an iPad is only good for things that require minimal typing - and almost nothing requires minimal typing. Why would I want to be slowed down by an onscreen keyboard that takes up half the screen? Why would I want to be limited by iOS that doesn't even give me access to a real file system?

I really don't understand what you people find so great about your iPads. It's like a laptop, just much worse.

I have seen one good use case for an iPad: My little sister in college takes her lecture notes on an iPad Pro instead of a paper notebook, which I find really awesome. If the iPad Pro had existed when I was a student, I would have gotten one for that purpose alone. But apart from that, there's really no use for a tablet for me.

 

[BlandUsername]

I'm an ipad mini user - and I'd buy another if the new ones were any good.

But apple has decided that people who prefer the smaller form factor don't need the same features and performance as someone who likes to hold a larger device. If you need to add some horse power to drive the larger display, fine...

But there's feature and power disparity way beyond that. Why? if make no sense.

So why would I buy another "updated" device which I view as crippled for no good reason.

Don't let the tail way the dog Apple -
The reason you're selling fewer Mac mini's, iPad mini, mac Pros, etc. ISN'T because the audience base or need has evaporated - it's because you are failing to provide compelling product to those users as you focus instead on saving pennies.

Now go release that apple tv gen 5. Make it have the features the gen 4 should have had and watch that market pick up.

Too late the ATV4 market is saturated. They would have to make a quantum leap in for me to replace/upgrade 3 ATV4's now. The 4k sycophantic chant is not enough. Make the current mac mini the new ATV @ a 299 price point, i might just do that.

 

[jlc1978]

We have 6 iPads in the house, not one of them is less than 2-3 years old. They don't need to be upgraded like phones.

I think that is key. iPads, and tablets in general, are more like computers than phones when it comes to upgrade cycles. Unless an app comes out that needs more power, older models will function quite well for a longer period than a phone. In addition, phones tend to be bought and paid for over time, so yo see less of a hit than shelling out $1000 for a tablet; and the current model seems to be to lease a phone rather than buy in the sense you get a phone and can trade it in in a year for the newer model, that also impacts demand for new phones.

We also have a number of iPads, from early models to a 12" pro. All of them are still in use and meet the user's needs - email, web surfing, recipes, etc. so there is no need to update as a newer model won't have any noticeable impact on usability. The Pro is the most heavily used in that it doubles as a computer replacement while traveling as well as an external monitor, so speed improvements ay be more noticeable but unless they are significant, or Apple improves the pencil a lot, there is little reason to upgrade.

Tablets are a maturing market where slower sales and incremental improvements are more likely in the future.

 

[jordii]

Seems super clear to me.

The iPad is such a fabulous product that I have very little itch to upgrade. My happiness is too complete.

I upgrade iPhone more frequently because it's cheaper and because I use it many more times per day (so every marginal improvement makes a big cumulate difference).

Come up with some absolutely killer new iPad feature that no one can live without, and I bet they'd sell tons and tons of them. Though, on second thought, 36 million/year already sounds like "tons and tons of them", really....

 

[kaielement]

I would upgrade to the iPad Pro if Apple didnt wait so long to update it. Maybe they are waiting for a fall update who knows.

 

[rpat701]

Until the iPad runs OSX there is really no need for an upgrade from my iPad Air. Surface may force this to happen.

 

[trainwrecka]

Tablets are squeezed between smartphones with larger displays and notebooks with better performance and access to desktop apps.

Still using an iPad Air that runs like a champ. Not sure why I would upgrade.

 

[theSpringZone]

They're just glorified iPhones.

 

[Abazigal]

You keep telling that but even Samsung is capable of keeping its marketshare. Soon they'll release an oled tablet. Technology is evolving rapidly only Apple isn't. Everyone is showing Apple how to do it... my gues Apple chooses investors and money over customers.

Yeah, by spamming the market with cheap tablets. I am glad Apple doesn't go that route.

 

[617660]

a few years ago, my bro bought iPad 3 and the subsequent year another iPad air for my sister-in-law, he said at the time that he rarely used his desktop anymore and felt I should give tablet a try. I told him the reason he was reliant on iPad was because 1) his desktop was old and slow, 2) desktop is not mobile...try owning a laptop.

fast forward to 2 years ago, he bought a 2015 macbook pro and since then i saw him on his macbook pro all the time, so I asked whether he still used his iPad as often...he admitted having a laptop changed his usage behavior and now iPad is only used for bedtime.

 

[Theisus]

multiple user sign in,i think it can be very close

Been asked for since the beginning, but I would agree that it is closer to the realm of actually happening than mouse support.

 

[Abazigal]

Prices also increased by quite a margin for iPad pros. Using revenue is misleading . What talking about individuals who update thier iPads, it's unit sold.

Not sure how you can assume that once apple kills the iPad mini, people will spend much much more on iPad pros, more believable is that people who had minis will justify purchasing iPhone "plus" .

iPad pros are being heavily advertised cause apple cares about revenue, and with the tablet markert dieing (people not upgrading) apple is trying to sell the iPads as computer replacemts and justifying big price increases. My iPad Pro is .....a giant iPad. I can use it as a PC replacement, but using my MacBook Pro is actually productive, a screwdriver can be used as a hammer....

And it doesn't matter to me whether the cat is white or black so long as it can catch mice.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2017/3/29/apple-is-pushing-ipad-like-never-before

iPad mini sales weakness has masked stronger sales trends for larger iPads. In what will come as a surprise to many, the iPad Air 2 has been the best-selling iPad to date. In addition, more than half of people buying an iPad Air 2 were new to iPad. These are very promising signs for the iPad business. Not only are large screen (9.7-inch and 12.9-inch) iPad sales relatively unchanged over the past four years, but they actually have increased year-over-year this past holiday quarter. The iPad Pro line played a major role in this sales rebound.

Given iPad mini sales weakness, management is placing a big bet on larger iPad screens. By lowering the entry-level cost of the 9.7-inch model to $329, Apple is looking to make the most appealing iPad size more accessible. At the same time, the company is offsetting margin and ASP pressure by moving up market with more capable iPad Pro SKUs and accessories. The Apple Pencil accessory is one of the most underrated Apple products in years.

Management faces a difficult choice between the two options as the Mac is still selling very well. The product category is bringing in nearly $23B of revenue per year, $4B more than iPad thanks to a much higher ASP. Some companies are powered by Macs (although Apple executives seem to rely quite a bit on their iPads these days). Tens of millions of users rely on Macs to get work done every day. A portion of these users are adamant that a move away from Mac is nearly impossible given their current workflows.

My suspicion is that Apple is pushing larger screen iPads because management is determined to move beyond the Mac. Apple thinks now is the time to raise awareness that the iPad is a legitimate PC alternative for hundreds of millions of consumers.

A growing iPad business will make it that much easier for Apple to move beyond the Mac and focus on creating a new breed of personal gadgets that make technology more personal.

 

[haydn!]

that's not the point.

Are iphones replacing computers then?

For some activities. Yes.

 

[redman042]

I still love my iPad but only upgrade every 3-4 years (whereas I upgrade my phone every year, and upgraded my watch to Gen 2 shortly after release). I bought a 9.7 Pro last year and expect that to last me for another 3 at least. It's a great device and super fast.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

So much for the fantasy of using the iPad as a desktop computer!

 

[Daws001]

They're like PCs. You don't need to upgrade them often. My brother is still using an iPad 2.

 

[fourthtunz]

would it be interesting if the iPad had a file system? Maybe.
People that don't have iPads can't imagine why they'd need a tablet.
If you had one you might!
I have an iPhone, 2 MacBook pros and an iPad air2..all have different missions.
The iPad is perfect to watch a movie in bed, touchscreen is great for music apps/
mixer control apps, or photo editing. A little more portable than a MacBook Pro.
The MacBook is great for recording editing music/video etc all the other stuff you
do that requires faster throughput and a larger screen.
iPads are nicer than the cheapo tablets..maybe they aren't selling as much anymore
but I'm surprised that they are still doing as well..what with all of the cheaper knockoffs

 

[uwdude]

thats because apple stopped releasing them. i have money ready for a iPad pro

Came here to say this- this wouldn't have happened if Apple has released a new iPad Pro in April like the rumors were saying.

 

[kaielement]

I would upgrade to the iPad Pro if Apple didnt wait so long to update it. Maybe they are waiting for a fall update who knows.

 

[rizzo41999]

No... It's satisfied customers who don't feel compelled to upgrade because the iPad they currently own works great, meeting they're needs.

I can understand that. However, couldn't one argue the same thing with say, a 7+? Yet, iPhone sales, generally speaking, continue to grow. If people experience the same level of satisfaction, why do people upgrade their phones every year if there really isn't a point?

 

[MH01]

And it doesn't matter to me whether the cat is white or black so long as it can catch mice.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2017/3/29/apple-is-pushing-ipad-like-never-before






A growing iPad business will make it that much easier for Apple to move beyond the Mac and focus on creating a new breed of personal gadgets that make technology more personal.

But......the iPad business is shrinking ... it's nice you choose to ignore that fact, though it's reality. Do you honestly believe people will just pay more and more?

We have already seen a backlash against the new MacBook pros. Arrogance only gets you so far before people say no to price hike after price hike why not getting functionality .

Anyway , hope your dream comes true . As I said my iPad pro is a giant iPad, it will remain that until apple cannot make it personalised , and continue to run a phone Os on it.

 

[motulist]

A better question is why *aren't* iPhone sales slowing more than they are? There's been nothing new since the 6 that's been an upgrade-worthy change.

 

[Abazigal]

But......the iPad business is shrinking ... it's nice you choose to ignore that fact, though it's reality. Do you honestly believe people will just pay more and more?

We have already seen a backlash against the new MacBook pros. Arrogance only gets you so far before people say no to price hike after price hike why not getting functionality .

Anyway , hope your dream comes true . As I said my iPad pro is a giant iPad, it will remain that until apple cannot make it personalised , and continue to run a phone Os on it.

Well, for me, the main draw of my iPad Pro is precisely that it runs a phone OS, not macOS. I use my iPad daily for work and outside of work, and have benefitted from it greatly.

Yes, the iPad business is shrinking, but numbers in themselves do not necessarily tell the whole story.

The iPad mini was responsible for most of the drop in iPad sales, while sales of the larger iPads are more or less holding steady. This implies there is still a demand for bigger iPads, and that is where we will see Apple make a renewed push for in the coming months.

Apple is arrogant no doubt, and that's precisely what I like about the company. That they march to their own beat and not care two hoots about what the rest think (most of the time, at least; Apple has had to capitulate on the Mac Pro issue).