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

[djchippi]

It does not take a rocket scientist to understand this:

market saturation. People are not going to replace an nice to have technology product that is expensive. Phones have a better chance for replacement due to use, breakage etc. I've owned 3 iPads since they were introduced, with my current being the large iPad Pro. This one will last me 4-5 years.

 

[MrNomNoms]

Hey Tim, Here's a simple fix: improve iOS for iPad and we'll buy more iPads

Or better still, accept the fact that the tablet has limits and to stop neglecting the Mac line - Mac's aren't going to be replaced by iPad's no matter how much Tim Cook dances around the world claiming it to be so.

 

[mr.bee]

I have a rmbp, iPhone 7+ and a mini4. The iPhone 7+ is on the hardware level superior in any way to the mini4, even dictation is worse on the mini.
The iOS on iPad is crippled, there's no weather app, no calculator...there's nothing extra an iPad can do that an iPhone can't.

Why on earth should I want to switch from iPhone to iPad? Today there's only one reason and that's screen estate. Who wants to update every 2 years for a screen?

 

[Brandhouse]

That's because the iPad Pro 12.9" is such a great product, what reason do I have to upgrade it, at least for the moment anyway.

 

[44267547]

As big as phones are now. If I get a tablet or will have a full is on it

I do see these larger phones contributing to the recent decline with the iPad. Consumers are so dependent on their phones and they can accomplish a lot of tasks. iPads are great media devices and have expanded with more mobile friendly applications. The consumer what's convenience and portability, which both larger phones and iPads can both do, it's just a matter of what someone wants out of the device.

 

[Kiwikat88]

For most of the people who can't already get everything done on a smartphone. It's like a laptop, only worse except in certain cases. Maybe makes sense for people who aren't used to computers, like my grandma, but that market is shrinking.

I don't really understand the sentiment here. The vast, vast majority of users out there do not have the requirements of people who frequent this forum (and even that varies greatly). My parents have both switched to tablets only (Dad inherited my old Note Pro 12.2 and my Mom has an iPad Air 2) and they love them to death. They're on them constantly, whether at home or at the campground. My mom uses the iPad for work as well. For them and countless other consumers they absolutely are laptop replacements and much better than smartphones for media consumption and basic computing tasks. I do not like watching movies and reading stuff on my iPhone 7+ but give me my iPad Pro (or MacBook Pro) and I'll be on the thing for hours. The bigger screen has utility.

Tim was mostly correct when he said an iPad Pro could replace peoples' laptops. Honestly I wish relatives and family friends of mine would follow suit because they constantly bug me for tech support with their Windows 7-10 laptops.

 

[CyberBob859]

#4 They have lost the US education market to Chromebooks despite the very very late in the game attempt to claw it back with the lower cost iPad.

This.

The lack of traction of iPads in the education market has to be one of the biggest failures under Tim Cook's watch. This could bite them for years to come, and has to be one of the main under-reported reasons why iPad sales are falling.

It started with the complete bungling of iBooks Author, which could have been an ideal way to get modern textbooks specifically designed for iPads. This alone would have helped solidify a certain role for iPads in education, and help with regular, yearly, continued updates.

Apple also didn't truly understand the education market. You can't sell an expensive device to school systems with limited budgets where students can easily break them, lose them, or have them stolen. What this market wants are inexpensive laptops, with real keyboards, that could be easily maintained without an IT department. ChromeBooks came in and cleaned up. (And now Microsoft is trying to get in the game with Windows 10 S, software for the classroom, and cheap laptops from their OEMs.)

Apple is trying to make a comeback with Swift Playground and a lower price iPad, but I think its too little, too late. Google and Microsoft are playing the long game, trying to get students hooked on their systems early, duplicating what Apple did successfully with the Apple II decades ago.

I think Apple should create a new, 2 in 1 "iBook", which looks and acts like a clamshell laptop running iOS, but the screen can be detached and turned into an iPad. Price this right, along with a renewed focus to iBooks Author, Swift Playground, and maybe purchase somebody who makes software for education, and they can get back into growth mode.

 

[danielwsmithee]

I was ready to buy a new iPad Pro this year. Then Apple just released essentially the previous version at lower cost...

 

[citysnaps]

Once again, I can certainly understand that point. However, I suppose it ties back into my original comment; iOS is not for tablets, at least anymore. Obviously, for reasons you described above, it's a very different product than the iPhone. For this reason, I think it's fair to say that the OS needs to be catered to provide more utility to the iPad that differs from the way people use their iPhones. I'm not asking to port OS X to iPad, but clearly people use these products very different ly and as such, an OS that can prove to people the usefulness of a tablet, I truly believe will change people's minds.

What extra OS utility do you propose for the iPad?

It's primarily a consumption device, with a bit of productivity thrown in (email, writing, photo editing, garageband, etc) - an excellent balance favoring consumption. Pretty much excels at that. For sure would not want to see macOS on it.

 

[ajistewart]

Due to the "over engineering" of the device, the reason the tablet market is shrinking, is not due to people not buying them, its because they don't die. the iPad 2 was seriously the best device. As an IT Administrator working in the education sector, i have worked at schools that have over 300 iPads, most of them iPad 2, and they just don't die. they are used every day by students, batteries are still great. If a screen cracks, i just replace the digitizer, and its back up and running.

 

[Count Blah]

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.

Congrats for you.

What about people who have an iPad that is 4-5 years old? Should they buy an 18 months old iPad model, when another MIGHT be a couple months away? This "accept less" mentality really is anti-consumer. Why shouldn't consumers expect the best, instead of having to settle?

 

[2IS]

iPads have a great deal of functionality. My employer issued me a desktop rather than a laptop and use my ipad with a bluetooth keyboard in meetings all the time. I use Pages to type my notes because i find the interface simpler than many other apps and like that I can quickly select a format style when necessary. When someone draws a diagram on the whiteboard i quickly take a photo within the Pages app of the diagram. To do that with a laptop would be more challenging. While I could also take a photo with my iPhone and then send it to myself for integration into typed notes if I had a laptop, using the iPad is much quicker with fewer steps. By the way; i am using my 4 year old iPad 3. it still keeps a holds a full day's charge. No need to buy newer.

I said "iPhones have functionality iPads do not"

Not, "iPhones have functionality, iPads do not"

There's a difference.

 

[zosokm]

The iPad pro 9.7 inch is probably the best device that I owned. The screen estate of the iPad makes it much more likely to be productive than the phone. However Apple made it way to expensive. To really be productive you need the keyboard and pencil and the cost is astronomical. It has replaced my MacBook air and I rarely use my laptop anymore. IOS 10 was a disappointment for the iPad through. Split view is great but needs polish. It's the third party apps like documents, iCab, pdf expert and airmail that make my iPad shine and useful. I too thought that when the larger screen plus device was released that the iPad would die out. The plus range is great but you still can't use iPad specific apps. The screen estate is still much better on and iPad. Ipads are built to last however and there is little reason to upgrade them as frequently as phones

 

[ColdShadow]

tablet is becoming what it really should have been : a niche product.
I won't be missing iPads, and I've had many of them, last one being Pro which only lasted 1 month and I sold it due to lack of real purpose and use.

it's all about ultra portable laptops now..proper computers that are very slim and light not limited tablets..also big phones.

deal with it folks, iPad is retired.it's 70% dead.
it's almost bizarre to see people with iPads or any tablets in public now.

 

[Martyimac]

tablet is becoming what it really should have been : a niche product.
I won't be missing iPads, and I've had many of them, last one being Pro which only lasted 1 month and I sold it due to lack of real purpose and use.

it's all about ultra portable laptops now..proper computers that are very slim and light not limited tablets..also big phones.

deal with it folks, iPad is retired.it's 70% dead.
it's almost bizarre to see people with iPads or any tablets in public now.

For the most part I agree but not with the last sentence. I live in a senior community and every week at our MUG meeting, the ipads outnumber the laptops 3 to 1. Keep in mind this is a bunch of retired folks who no longer have to work for a living. But it's also interesting to see some of the things these folks are doing, some on ipads some on laptops.
Not saying you are wrong, just that I think it depends on the demographic you are observing.

 

[ChasInVictoria]

I have an iPhone, and I love it, but I also love my iPad Air 2. I might feel differently if I had one of those super-light MacBooks, but I use my iPad primarily for writing and researching, as it is sooooo much lighter and in need of fewer accessories than my MacBook Pro, which mostly serves as a desktop.

For a day's productivity outside my house, I need an iPad, a keyboard, and headphones. That's it. It all fits in a small satchel. The MBP needs a full backpack of stuff, but I readily admit I can do more with it. But it's like asking people who own a van why they also own a scooter. Because scooters are lighter and more fun, and often all you need.

 

[jkozlow3]

Make them a lot lighter and improve iOS for iPad dramatically and i might buy one.

The iPad Air is roughly the same weight as a bottle of water. Somehow that's not light enough?? Wow. First world problem for sure.

 

[Rocketman]

It does not take a rocket scientist to understand this:

I hate it when people say this crap!

I use my iPad much more lightly than predicted. My elderly friends love theirs.

 

[Mr Staunton]

That's because people now want to do more with them instead of playing stupid games, but the iPad cannot do more.

 

[xxray]

The iPad (pro) really does fill a niche for artists that nothing in Wacom's lineup does (I say this as a cintiq and intuos owner who loves Wacom's stuff) Even if it was marketed as a niche product for artists I'd want one. It really is a wonderful drawing tool with great battery and portability.

There's always going to be a lot of space in the market for variety in productivity machines. I've been making music on the iPad with a midi keyboard, painting in procreate, etc, it's a great productivity machine if you dont mind adapting to new workflows. Adobe are doing a great job at slowing rolling out modular CC apps too. (supporting photoshop's brush files etc!) It is lacking in some areas, software-wise - for sure, but there are other areas where the software is in one way or another subjectively better in certain circumstances than the more broad desktop style apps. (I'd take the simplicity and speed of procreate over PS for sketching.) It's not being the defacto industry standard for anything while also being decently supported makes it exciting as a creative who's into software in general, as you get weirder tools.. Reminds me of my time on the Amiga when almost everyone else had jumped ship to other platforms, making stuff regardless - not suitable for everyone, and certainly not going to replace everyone's laptops, or even be viable for many people - but definitely strong on it's own merits.

Thanks for the insight! I've tried tried arranging my personal workflow for iOS/iPads and found it made everything more cumbersome and slowed my pace, and I saw some reviews from professionals that said the same thing or said it couldn't really benefit their workflow compared to a traditional computer. But I'm not an artist or a creative, so I'm happy to hear a different perspective. I'm glad to hear it has filled a niche and can enhance workflow for some. I still do think, overall, tablets and touch input have been overhyped though. Apple (mainly Tim Cook) and a lot of people in tech and in general seemed to anticipate them to be the future of computing and replacement of traditional computers/laptops, but I don't see that being the case. Obviously, you pointed out that they do fill some niches and can be better than the traditional laptop/computers for some, they can replace laptops for those who just do basic web browsing, email, and photo editing, and they are good for consumption, but I have yet to see them being the future of computing and replacement for most people and professionals.

A lot of people think that iPads could be the future once software that is powerful/capable enough to compare to desktop applications is created, but look at the Surface line. It has desktop applications paired with touch input, but it still don't really be changing/enhancing many people's workflows. Maybe I'm just ignorant and unaware, maybe these touch-screen laptops and 2-in-1s are changing/enhancing quite a few people's workflows. But from what I've seen and experienced, they haven't for the large majority. Maybe there will be iPad applications that are developed that can match the capability of desktop applications while enhancing workflow and productivity at the same time. I think that would be very cool if that ever happened. I admit I was one of those people who did think and hope that tablets would be the future. I loved the portability of it, the versatility that touch-input added, and the battery life and efficiency. However, once I tried to actually use it to replace my computer and workflow, I found it to be more cumbersome, slower, less capable, and didn't add anything beneficial to my productivity or workflow. This fact, along with other professionals saying similar things and seeing how it really hasn't changed anything for the large majority of people, is what makes me think that whole "tablets + touch-input are the future of computing" was overhyped. Sorry for the novel.

 

[Cloudkicker]

As much as they want to build one. It would cannibalize macbook sales. They wont do that.

Just as no cellular on iPad because it would somewhat (at minimum) cannibalize iPhone sales. Just as no FM radio in your iPhone, or even iPod Touch, because it would cannibalize both Apple streaming music sales & tick off cellular providers who want you to use up data to stream music you could otherwise get for free.

It's collusion of big game players & Apple's a big cog in that machine.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Personally I think the iPad would be doing a lot better if Apple hadn't been dropping the ball on Powerful desktops. In my opinion a Desktop and a iPad Pro is a great combination. It would be even better if they found a way to use the iPad Pro as a drawing tablet for a desktop.

If Apple came out with a reasonable 6-8 core iMac and an updated iPad Pro I'd buy both. My 2009 27" iMac and iPad 2 are ready to be replaced... what is out now really isn't that compelling. Apple just need to get back to focusing on delivering all their products and not just one or two. It is an ecosystem.

 

[rizzo41999]

What extra OS utility do you propose for the iPad?

It's primarily a consumption device, with a bit of productivity thrown in (email, writing, photo editing, garageband, etc) - an excellent balance favoring consumption. Pretty much excels at that. For sure would not want to see macOS on it.

Definitely a consumption device, but I think that's the problem. It needs more enterprise application. I believe, you should be able to walk into work, plug in your iPad (like a laptop/dock) and be able to do your whole job, on an iPad. Access full fledged Salesforce for an example, access network drives, Oracle services, and be able to quickly multitask via multi screen support.

I realize I just described a laptop and the iPad can do some of these things already, but in it's current state, it's not enough. Something is missing. With more of an enterprise focus, I believe IT and education customers are going to gobble it up in volumes. But, in order to get there, I think iOS for iPad needs a fundamental change in terms of how it can be managed by IT folks, and how easily it can integrate with customers' existing enterprise programs and operations.

The iPad doesn't need more consumers, it needs enterprise and education customers. iOS for iPad needs to change to attract these types of customers.

 

[kironin]

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

Definitely.
When I chose the more portable Mac Air, the reasons I had a iPad 2 for or to get a newer iPad, just have become less and less. Even more so now with large screen iPhones. Travel with with a Mac Air and iPhone 6S+ , just no need take along a tablet.

 

[6foot5foot]

macOS is what needed on iPad not limited iOS

Apple and their customers are eternally grateful that you're not making design decisions at Apple.