I use my iPad all day, almost every day. Top uses: Entertainment, emails, writing, sketching. So it is slightly skewed to non-work activity but I do presentations on it as well and no longer carry a laptop. I work each day on a big ol' iMac and have a Mac Pro that is seriously hamstrung because of the lack of upgrades and limits on Ram. But we have 3 or 4 iPads in our house that are used all the time. I'm happy with mine, not sure there is anything that could be done that would make it 'more useful'. But I don't upgrade every year, every 2 or 3 actually. But I'm the same with phones. Just replaced an iPhone 5s. So I guess I'm older and not in the replace every 6 months demographic anymore. But selling 30-40 million devices a year doesn't seem like a bad business.
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Apple Sold Fewer iPads Year Over Year for 13th Straight Quarter as Tablet Market Shrinks to Five-Year Low
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Well... in our household we certainly cherish our tablets, and they are by far the most used devices when we're at home. There's only one smartphone in the house, and that's a phone provided by an employer, while the two Macbooks just don't see as much use.
BUT - we definitely fall into the category of users who don't upgrade often. Actually, we prefer to run the devices to (slightly beyond) the bitter end, which so far has been after roughly 4 years of heavy (ab)use, and I really see no reason to do an upgrade to something which works just fine.
BUT - we definitely fall into the category of users who don't upgrade often. Actually, we prefer to run the devices to (slightly beyond) the bitter end, which so far has been after roughly 4 years of heavy (ab)use, and I really see no reason to do an upgrade to something which works just fine.
I think part of the reason for the decline in sales is a) iPads last a long time. b) other devices were cheaper than iPads. You see, when the iPad first came out, it was cheaper or the same price of netbooks. But now ChromeBooks and other devices can be had for around $300 or less.
Regarding the longevity of iPad, in the last month, our app's most active device is the iPad 2. I've attached a chart so you can see the popularity of an app that is used primarily on an iPad that is a "killer app" for many musicians.
I believe that many in the iPad 2 camp will be upgrading shortly, especially with iOS 11 around the corner. Price is a big factor in this decision-making process and Apple, by releasing a low-cost new iPad is gunning specifically for iPad 1-4 users which make up about half of our user base. This low cost now allows iPad to be price-competitive with other products on the market. Sales of these iPads have not been reflected in this last quarter's financials.
Regarding the longevity of iPad, in the last month, our app's most active device is the iPad 2. I've attached a chart so you can see the popularity of an app that is used primarily on an iPad that is a "killer app" for many musicians.
I believe that many in the iPad 2 camp will be upgrading shortly, especially with iOS 11 around the corner. Price is a big factor in this decision-making process and Apple, by releasing a low-cost new iPad is gunning specifically for iPad 1-4 users which make up about half of our user base. This low cost now allows iPad to be price-competitive with other products on the market. Sales of these iPads have not been reflected in this last quarter's financials.
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Cook and his cronies should be locked up in gitmo for robbing families and children with lies. Even a $25 Raspberry Pi SBC can do foreground and background multitasking that a much more expensive iPad or any iOS device for that fact can't do.
I would love to upgrade my 1st gen Air but Apple simply has not given me a reason yet to shell out $600+ on a tablet. Hoping the next update will be the one that pushes me to open my wallet! Fingers crossed 
The hardware has plateaued (features and specs).
The only way to generate interest in this category of devices is to develop and release a form-specific OS(or just the UI) to take advantage of the hardware and make it easier to use.
An upscaled phone UI or desktop UI will not suffice. WebOS on the TouchPad seems to have had, at least IMHO, the right balance of ease of use and power for the tablet form factor.
But alas, I doubt Apple really cares enough to bother these days.
The only way to generate interest in this category of devices is to develop and release a form-specific OS(or just the UI) to take advantage of the hardware and make it easier to use.
An upscaled phone UI or desktop UI will not suffice. WebOS on the TouchPad seems to have had, at least IMHO, the right balance of ease of use and power for the tablet form factor.
But alas, I doubt Apple really cares enough to bother these days.
As long as I'm satisfied with my old Air 2,I see no point in replacing it,and I think that I'm not alone. Why replace a fully functional device with the latest iOS version? Of course the pro is faster,better and a great choice,but if I need that power,I prefer my MBPr 13 inch,that does all an iPad Pro can do,but faster.
Based on the Apple earnings call this week, I think it's pretty safe to assume that lost revenue due to diminished iPad sales is being recouped by record sales in the "other" category. Welcome to the age of the dongle.
So have MacBooks. Whats your point?iPads haven't evolved so this shouldn't be a surprise. They basically still do what they've always done since day 1 though in a thinner package with Touch ID and more colors
I don't see ipads going into iPhone sales at all. iPhones have functionality iPads do not, not the other way around. People who want a larger iPhone want one that is attached to their hip at all times to access anytime they want. I personally don't see people waking around with a small iPhone in one pocket and an iPad mini in their fanny pack happening if Apple were to update the mini.
Allowing tablets to have multiple accounts means that the devices can be shared; obviously. Shared machines reduces the need to purchase fewer machines for a household family. Apple wants each person to have his/her own device since that means more sales.
its all about the money.
Yes, the vast swaths of technologically illiterate consumers are just clamoring for a form specific OS....because the vast majority of users could even tell you what an OS is....
feels good to know someone else is infuriated. I wasn't going to admit it, but yep. "Maddening" is the word I would use. The first time I looked at my new 12.9 iPad I almost laughed at how far apart the icons are... then it went downhill from there. (Don't get me wrong, the device is amazing. It's just gimped by iOS)
Ofcourse not, that is a niche.
I would love it, but it won' t revive the ipad sales numbers.
I love my iPad Pro 12.9-inch, mostly love the Smart Keyboard (I still wish there were dedicated Fn/shortcut buttons similar to my Logitech K811) and while I love my Apple Pencil, I hardly ever use it. I don't draw very much as part of my day to day work, and I stopped taking paper notes or trying to type them up during meetings because it's simply not feasible to do so and stay involved in the meeting. I should really use Dictation software for this, instead I use a Zoom H1, store the resulting MP3 file in the cloud and type up notes from the audio when necessary.
I agree with MacDuke and many others that Apple needs to make iOS for the iPad much more distinctive in terms of how it works with actual files and how apps communicate with each other. I have tried multiple times to substitute my iPad Pro for my rMBP and once my tasks become the least bit complex and the jumping through the hoops begins, I realize I am not working smarter. and in the bag the iPad Pro goes. For 80% of my tasks a MacBook would actually be enough, the other 20% requires something with a Core i7 and multiple displays, I would be ecstatic if the iPad Pro could handle the 80% at this point in time. I admire those who have been dedicated enough to the iPad to create custom workflows and workarounds, but for most of us trying to get work done day in and day out, the iPad ends up becoming more frustration than liberation. If Apple can solve this particular conundrum they might actually reverse the slide in sales. If not, I expect that slide to continue as a long-term trend. In the immediate future, the 5th-Gen iPad is going to sell like gangbusters.
The 5th-generation iPad is a great start - powerful, capable and still thin and light. But I get the sense that Apple resents the fact that they even had to produce this product. I came to that conclusion after visiting Apple's web page for the 5th-Gen iPad and comparing how sparse it is versus the iPad Pro's detail pages expounding all it's virtues and the tasks it can handle, as though the 5th-gen iPad isn't just as capable (see the iPad Pro's "Experience" web page)! Huh? It feels like someone threw together the 5th-Gen iPad's product page at the last minute to appease end-users who might actually be interested in purchasing one. Also, the sheer lack of Apple cases (or any cases) for the 5th-gen iPad on the Apple Store website seems downright petty...a Smart Cover, that's it? No Silicone Case, no leather Smart Case? Where are the third-party cases? Right now, there are none listed if you filter by iPad compatibility. Really, Apple?!? The iPad has been on sale for over six weeks! The 9.7" iPad Pro had case options galore on day one.
I know Apple is trying to push people to buy the 9.7" iPad Pro, but the cost differential is just ridiculous...I can get two 32GB 5th-Gen iPads for not much more than the cost of a single 32GB iPad Pro ($658 vs $599). Yes, Apple is a premium brand, but it almost always seems to see the most positive responses from consumers when it creates products that have a really good value proposition. The iPhone SE, the Late 2012 Mac mini, the Mid 2102 through Mid 2015 MacBook Airs and the 5th-Gen iPad all spring to mind. Inevitably, the products that Apple receives the most backlash from such as the Late 2014 Mac mini, the Late 2016 MacBook Pros, the Early 2015 MacBook, the Late 2013 Mac Pro and the 32GB 12.9" iPad Pro all arrived with much fanfare and premium pricing (or increased pricing from their predecessors) for what you actually got out of the box - I'm looking at you, Late 2014 Mac mini!
My overly long point is that Apple has a horrible track record of making those customers who purchase it's more value-oriented offerings feel as though they are second-class citizens in their ecosystem. If Apple wants to see the iPad grow and thrive as an alternative to the Mac as Tim Cook has expounded, they need to listen to end-users and how they are using the iPad, where the frustrations and points of friction are and then iOS has to rise to the occasion. Otherwise, iPad sales will continue to suffer, because most people are not willing to pay $599 for a tablet they perceive as a glorified content consumption device...I can get most of that functionality with an Amazon Fire HD 8 for $119.99, less if I wait until Black Friday.
I agree with MacDuke and many others that Apple needs to make iOS for the iPad much more distinctive in terms of how it works with actual files and how apps communicate with each other. I have tried multiple times to substitute my iPad Pro for my rMBP and once my tasks become the least bit complex and the jumping through the hoops begins, I realize I am not working smarter. and in the bag the iPad Pro goes. For 80% of my tasks a MacBook would actually be enough, the other 20% requires something with a Core i7 and multiple displays, I would be ecstatic if the iPad Pro could handle the 80% at this point in time. I admire those who have been dedicated enough to the iPad to create custom workflows and workarounds, but for most of us trying to get work done day in and day out, the iPad ends up becoming more frustration than liberation. If Apple can solve this particular conundrum they might actually reverse the slide in sales. If not, I expect that slide to continue as a long-term trend. In the immediate future, the 5th-Gen iPad is going to sell like gangbusters.
The 5th-generation iPad is a great start - powerful, capable and still thin and light. But I get the sense that Apple resents the fact that they even had to produce this product. I came to that conclusion after visiting Apple's web page for the 5th-Gen iPad and comparing how sparse it is versus the iPad Pro's detail pages expounding all it's virtues and the tasks it can handle, as though the 5th-gen iPad isn't just as capable (see the iPad Pro's "Experience" web page)! Huh? It feels like someone threw together the 5th-Gen iPad's product page at the last minute to appease end-users who might actually be interested in purchasing one. Also, the sheer lack of Apple cases (or any cases) for the 5th-gen iPad on the Apple Store website seems downright petty...a Smart Cover, that's it? No Silicone Case, no leather Smart Case? Where are the third-party cases? Right now, there are none listed if you filter by iPad compatibility. Really, Apple?!? The iPad has been on sale for over six weeks! The 9.7" iPad Pro had case options galore on day one.
I know Apple is trying to push people to buy the 9.7" iPad Pro, but the cost differential is just ridiculous...I can get two 32GB 5th-Gen iPads for not much more than the cost of a single 32GB iPad Pro ($658 vs $599). Yes, Apple is a premium brand, but it almost always seems to see the most positive responses from consumers when it creates products that have a really good value proposition. The iPhone SE, the Late 2012 Mac mini, the Mid 2102 through Mid 2015 MacBook Airs and the 5th-Gen iPad all spring to mind. Inevitably, the products that Apple receives the most backlash from such as the Late 2014 Mac mini, the Late 2016 MacBook Pros, the Early 2015 MacBook, the Late 2013 Mac Pro and the 32GB 12.9" iPad Pro all arrived with much fanfare and premium pricing (or increased pricing from their predecessors) for what you actually got out of the box - I'm looking at you, Late 2014 Mac mini!
My overly long point is that Apple has a horrible track record of making those customers who purchase it's more value-oriented offerings feel as though they are second-class citizens in their ecosystem. If Apple wants to see the iPad grow and thrive as an alternative to the Mac as Tim Cook has expounded, they need to listen to end-users and how they are using the iPad, where the frustrations and points of friction are and then iOS has to rise to the occasion. Otherwise, iPad sales will continue to suffer, because most people are not willing to pay $599 for a tablet they perceive as a glorified content consumption device...I can get most of that functionality with an Amazon Fire HD 8 for $119.99, less if I wait until Black Friday.
This, more than any other reason. Incremental performance and screen improvements are not very compelling reasons to upgrade.
Typical Lifespan of an iPad is around 3 years until they upgrade the iOS to a point the older devices run slow....simply no need to buy new ones even 12-36 months. The iPad 2 is slow and unbearable to use on iOS 9 ;-)
Also the iPad Air 2 hit a sweet spot with performance, storage, size and weight...simply do not need to shell out the ridiculous extra money for iPad Pro.
Also the iPad Air 2 hit a sweet spot with performance, storage, size and weight...simply do not need to shell out the ridiculous extra money for iPad Pro.
This is the main issue. Once you get an Ipad, there isn't a reason to upgrade within 3 -4 years. (if that)
I think everyone needs to calm down and think about the fact that tablets are already replacing computers since people are upgrading them at the same rate now. Average upgrade time for iPads and Macs is roughly the 5 year mark. The problem is that iPads took off so fast in the first two years they're just now finally replacing their iPad 2/3.
My iMac hasn't been used regularly for almost 3 years and I finally demoted it to the closet and got rid of my computer desk. Everything I need I can do on my iPad Pro.
My iMac hasn't been used regularly for almost 3 years and I finally demoted it to the closet and got rid of my computer desk. Everything I need I can do on my iPad Pro.
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.
Apple shipping an older and thicker iPad at a lower cost. Maybe they feel they can increase sales with that solution rather than come out with something brand new.
Keep using that device you have. The more you use it the better the "Return on Investment" you get. Which is as it should be.I would love to upgrade my 1st gen Air but Apple simply has not given me a reason yet to shell out $600+ on a tablet. Hoping the next update will be the one that pushes me to open my wallet! Fingers crossed