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

[Zdigital2015]

Well when you essentially ignore a product what other result could one expect? I'm an iPad fan -- I have 3, two minis and a Pro 9.7. But they are too expensive for not really being a laptop replacement. Apple keeps making 1/2 assed PR attempts to make people think it is without making concrete updates. A "meal replacement" bar is not a meal. One can't sustain themselves long term just eating those. At some point you need a full balanced meal. I can't do any real work on my iPad. It's just too painful.

It's not that iPads are too good to need frequent replacing -- so are Macs and iPhones. It's that Apple doesn't make a case why anyone should do that. When Mac was suffering in the early 2000s because MS and Adobe were slow to update software Apple designed it's own suites of office, video, and photo applications. Apple does nothing of the sort for iPad with game changing software or hardware. iWork for iOS is an antique toy not even useful enough for a high school term paper. Every iPad update since the Air has essentially become a speed bump, save the niche 12" model -- which Apple has also let languish.

ROFLMAO - "A "meal replacement" bar is not a meal. One can't sustain themselves long term just eating those. At some point you need a full balanced meal. I can't do any real work on my iPad. It's just too painful." - EXACTLY! Such a succinct way of driving the point home! Sadly, I think Tim, Jony and Phil are still on a water and yogurt diet...while Craig is cooking steaks, potatoes and veggies on the grill just outside their offices.

 

[Stella]

I repeat, TWICE as many iPads as Macs sold, even with iPad sales falling and Mac sales rising. Even if the trend continues, I don't see a scenario where Mac sales will ever be higher than iPad sales.

Yes, I know what you said and there is no need to repeat yourself.

Mac sales will never be higher than iPad unless market completely crashes, which I don't will happen.

In years to come ( sooner rather than later ) I expect tablets in their current form won't exist. Perhaps there will be a merge between smart phones and tablets or some other existing product. Similar to what happened with PDAs and cell phones - they became the smartphone. Or existing laptops will evolve to a point where tablets are pushed out.

 

[Gix1k]

I never use my iPad's anymore. My kid uses hers everyday.

 

[coolspot18]

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

Microsoft Surface is very tempting considering it can run real applications and still be quite portable.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

I want to be able to load audio and video onto the device (and have access to it) without needing desktop iTunes. I want to be able to edit metadata without needing to use desktop iTunes.

If you are using a Mac you can mount your iCloud drive on to your desktop. You can then drag media files to what ever directory you create in iClound. You can then view those multimedia files on your iOS device. If you are using windows you can open iCloud in your browser and upload files that way. No need to use iTunes.
Directions are here: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21250?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

 

[jonnysods]

Not to fragment things too much, but iOS on the iPad should be a little more than just a huge iPhone.

 

[usarioclave]

My kids would be on their iPads 24x7 if we let them. They really do last forever. We have 4: an iPad 4, air, air2, and a big pro. I probably won't get another one for a few more years. My old iPad 2 is still in use as a Facebook live streamer, and will probably be useful for another few years.

 

[ValO]

Fewer people are buying the mini largely because Apple has basically ignored it since 2015. I have been waiting for an update for the last year and a half but held off because i didn't want to buy a 2 year old model (Getting to be an issue with Apple as the MacBooks updates haven't been super compelling either). At least upgrade the processor so the model I buy today goes end-of-OS-support at the same time as the current Pro line - buying a mini with an A8 means I would likely buying a device with a significantly shorter lifespan as to iOS updates.

I think apple is missing the boat with the mini as they place their entire focus on the power users trying to replace a laptop with larger Pro models. The mini is a great size for a number of people. Whenever I hand mine over to someone to use, they often ask what model it is and note how it is a great size for reading. I find this particularly true for Baby Boomers - especially women. They like the size and weight* compared to the larger ones. The Mini is just proper "book-sized" and closer to the Kindle's and other e-readers that don't do as much than the larger models are. As the population ages, having a model that is lighter and easier for seniors to hold could be a huge benefit. My parents likely won't ever buy another laptop but will keep buying ipads.

Reading on a phone isn't the same as reading on an mini. I can read much longer on an my iPad mini than I can on my 7+.

* Weight is quite subjective as the perception of it is often relative and cases often affect what one perceives.

Don' t you think that a " bean counter" like apple would make a new ipad mini in a second if they think that it would be a hit, and enhance their profits?
They have the actual salenumbers of the mini , did market research, etc. Fact is thad the ipad mini probably is end of life, because it didn' t and can' t bring in enough profits.
I know a lot of people over here have great ideas and know what they need, but that doesn' t make it a good idea for everyone or the entire market. And in one thing you can trust apple:They know how to make money, and they don' t pass up a chance to make more money.

 

[0111587]

Is iPad pro 12.9" still delivered with 12W power supply?
29W is minimum to keep the charge from falling when in use.

 

[robertosh]

So, Is there any product line that is growing at Apple (in terms of sales)? If the iPhone 8 fails, the things will turn very tough for Apple!

 

[RickInHouston]

I thought apple wasn't worried about cannibalization of tablets with larger screen phones?

 

[jonnyb098]

Update the 12.9" with what? Hardware isn't the problem with iPad, software is. One thing I wish Apple would do is require every iPad app to support split view. And find a way to make drag and drop work between apps when in split view mode. Also finally give us a file manager so we don't have to use itun3s on the desktop to load media or other files onto the device. There has to be a way they can do this and still protect people from messing anything up. I want to be able to load audio and video onto the device (and have access to it) without needing desktop iTunes. I want to be able to edit metadata without needing to use desktop iTunes. My guess is it's not a technical issue but management being stubborn in how locked down they want iOS to be.

You hit it spot on. Apple needs to require all iPad apps going forward to have split screen or they don't get approved ( other than games). I'd also add to your list the ability to make the widget screen the home screen because unlocking to a grid of icons is just plain getting ridiculous especially on larger iPads. Finally I'd add some better app switching capibilities during multitasking so we don't have to eternally scroll to find an app we want.

 

[BootsWalking]

No, they won't replace computers for everyone. But they still sold 2x as many iPads (8.9M) as they did Macs (4.2M).

How many of those iPad purchases are from users who also own and use a computer? You can't extrapolate anything from that relative stat without more information about the purchases.

 

[PaladinLV]

When a product is well made, fits the needs of the buyer and has no substantial changes from year to year sales WILL DROP!
It is a fact of ALL products not just an iPad.
Depending on what is released later this year I myself MAY decide to finally upgrade my own iPad.
Personally, I do not believe pad USAGE is down at all but only sales.
I also believe there is a pent up desire for this of us with significantly older machines to upgrade.
Come out with a killer product a MUST HAVE product and sales WILL rebound.

 

[iapplelove]

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.

This. I love my iPad and for me it's the most used device by far. No need to update year after year as Apple makes one of the best.

I cannot kill my first gen air. Still has amazing battery life. Still is fast, and does everything I need.

 

[SoN1NjA]

1.)That's definitely an opinion.

2.) Yes, the iPad is a median. It serves nicely for when you don't want or need to use your laptop for certain tasks.

When you "Need a big screen" to do real work? The 12.9 Pro offers a large display for viewing. However, You're saying you can't do "Real work" unless you have a big screen?

I view the iPad as device for convenience and portability. I can complete most of my tasks on my iPad if necessary, but there are times a laptop is more appropriate.

I know it's my opinion? Didn't state it wasn't; I don't think I presented it as a fact, but sorry if I did

I can't afford a 12.9 Pro, and I can't do real work on a small screen, but that's me, I need my custom fonts in Word, and a $800 12.9 Pro can't offer that (among other things I would need when spending that type of money)

and the iPad has a place for me, would be nice to use for YouTube videos, idk, maybe the iPad is useful, I'll wait until I get a mini 5, I just don't see the iPad as useful when it's so laggy (again, my mini 3 experience) but I'm sure the mini 5 won't be

 

[theluggage]

I find it funny that their iPad ads are attacking laptop battery life, when Apple is the one with the obsession of thinness and has reduced laptop run time in the latest round of MBP's. Advertising against yourself... wow.

Don't forget that Tim loves his iPad Pro and can't see why anybody would want a PC (at least he didn't say "laptop" but he might have gone belt and braces and prefixed that with "Windows" - oh, and, by the way, the answer is that some people want proper keyboards and decent screen real estate).

Apart from Apple sold more iPads than Macs.

I repeat, TWICE as many iPads as Macs sold

...and I repeat, on average, iPads are a fraction of the cost of Macs.

The vast majority of people I know who use computers for work have a Mac/PC *and* an iPad. iPads are nice and convenient in some scenarios, but unless your computer needs are very basic they're an extra rather than an essential.

 

[69650]

I had the money ready and waiting to upgrade my iPad Pro's in April but it never happened so I spent the money on something else instead.

 

[DogHouseDub]

Built like a robust appliance and designed to stay that way. Hard to maintain growth when your product is built to last.

 

[gotluck]

waiting to buy the next ipad mini - make one apple!

 

[elistan]

I would have purchased a new iPad last year, except Apple didn't release a new one with an A10 processor, they simply chopped $100 off the old one with the A9X processor. And then in March, they released a 'new' iPad that, although cheap, uses an even slower processor than the A9X... No thanks, Apple, when I declined to purchase a $800 iPad (128GB 9.7 Pro) it wasn't because I was waiting for a slower $430 iPad (the new 128GB 9.7.) Give me the chance to purchase an A10 iPad - or even better, an A10X.

This, by the way, is to replace my aging 3rd gen iPad from 2012, the first of the retina ones. It's been working fine, but now Apple doesn't support the latest iOS on it, and its performance is quite lacking now. So one reason that I'm waiting for a speedy iPad is because I'm looking for one that'll keep me satisfied for another five years. Offering a cheaper, slower iPad doesn't entice me. (Although I guess I can buy the cheaper iPad, then in another three years, buy another cheaper iPad, and kinda come out ahead...?)

(ps - is it odd that a 128GB iPod costs nearly as much [$400] as a 128GB iPad? What are Apple thinking?)

 

[sledgehammer89]

Easy: enhance iOS for iPad and don't sell new devices with old hardware or lower specs. iPad mini 4 got an A8 when A9 was available and iPro 9.7" got only 2GB RAM instead of 4GB RAM. And you stole us the covers, but give 2 piece covers for double the price. I really like Apple, but don't like cheating in that way.

 

[JackieInCo]

Give us a Macbook-Pro with the Ability similar to a MS Surface.



Cheers!

And just because you add keyboard functionality and the ability to draw and write with a pen doesn't make it a Surface Pro competitor.

As far as the iPads future is concerned, I have now seen two apps where the devs have stated that they will no longer produce an iPad version. The old versions still work and one of them hasn't seen an update since March 2016.

 

[69650]

Selling old and new models together is confusing and please stick to one annual refresh of all new iPads in April.

 

[28monkeys]

iPad should be integrative to the mass consumers more than what it is able to do now.