Apple's iPad Sales Up 15% Year-Over-Year in 3Q 2017

[JPack]

That had little to do with it. The fact is when iPad first came out here where mannerly adopters on a devices that wasn't exactly there yet. it literally took a few revisions to get to the point where performance justified holding onto the device for more than two generations. Now we are seeing a hardware releases that is compelling thus driving sales above the base level for iPads. Once the upgrades are done sales will slip back down a bit. It simply is the way of tech gadgets.

The A8 and A8X processor in the mini 4 and Air 2 were not compelling in 2014 and 2015? Those tablets had a laminated display and 2GB RAM.

Yet a rehashed 9.7" iPad using an old A9 with 2GB RAM and non-laminated display is suddenly compelling for 2017?

Let's be honest. Apple ditched the iPad mini and focused on making cheaper 9.7" iPads. People wanted cheap 9.7" tablets, not an expensive mini 4 or Air 2. The financial results today speak for themselves.

 

[TMRJIJ]

I'm sure everyone is purchasing based on features that aren't available to regular users. Very sure.

Not hard to figure out the upcoming features. iOS 11 was trending on Twitter and Snapchat.

 

[lec0rsaire]

I don’t know what you guys are talking about. The Air 2 was an absolute beast of a tablet and it wasn’t really expensive considering the specs at that time. iPad 2, Air 2, and the new 10.5 iPad Pro are among the best Apple has offered in the tablet market.

I second the iPad 2. It's one of the longest lasting products I've ever had. I feel really bad for the iPad 1 buyers. The iPad 2 went all the way from iOS 4 to 9.3.5. Sure iOS 8 and later dramatically slow it down but it is still useable 6 1/2 years after release. I can't say the same for most computers. The 4s was another great product with a long useable life span. I retired it in 2014 with the intro of the 6 but I gave it to an older relative who was using it until this year. Like consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360, this is what happens when a company makes the hardware and software. This has always been and will always be Apple's advantage.

 

[btrach144]

but will people keep buying the iPad? Or were many of those sales because people were holding out for new iPads, which Apple gave us, except the iPad Mini.

 

[lec0rsaire]

The A8 and A8X processor in the mini 4 and Air 2 were not compelling in 2014 and 2015? Those tablets had a laminated display and 2GB RAM.

Yet a rehashed 9.7" iPad using an old A9 with 2GB RAM and non-laminated display is suddenly compelling for 2017?

Let's be honest. Apple ditched the iPad mini and focused on making cheaper 9.7" iPads. People wanted cheap 9.7" tablets, not an expensive mini 4 or Air 2. The financial results today speak for themselves.

The $329 9.7" iPad is the perfect device for K-12 whom can longer afford to buy MacBooks. The MD101 was the last "affordable" mac for education and now that textbooks are digital and the tablets offer so much functionality it's a home run for Apple both for the educational and consumer markets.

 

[BWhaler]

Great news. I love the iPad.

My hope is this bump in sales pushes apple to invest more in software innovation and encourage 3rd party developers to support the iPad platform. The keys to sustain and meaningful growth for the iPad is in the software.

 

[JPack]

The $329 9.7" iPad is the perfect device for K-12 whom can longer afford to buy MacBooks. The MD101 was the last "affordable" mac for education and now that textbooks are digital and the tablets offer so much functionality it's a home run for Apple both for the educational and consumer markets.

Agreed.

In the con-call today, Maestri was talking about school districts that buy iPads en masse.

 

[Loismustdie1]

This is encouraging to see. I bought the 10.5 inch day one before returning it for the 12.9 inch version. This iPad is an absolute joy to use and with the beta installed, I'm able to get serious work done. I can have two apps open in SplitView and a video in PiP and still maneuver with ease. Apple struggled with the post-pc narrative for years but it seems like it's finally found its stride.

 

[eoblaed]

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"

- iPad

 

[Sean4000]

Apple in June introduced new 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with new features like a faster processor and an improved ProMotion display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it appears these new tablets are appealing to consumers.

Apple sold over 11.4 million iPads during the third quarter of 2017, according to today's earnings results, bringing in nearly $5 billion in revenue for the company.

That's up 15 percent from the third quarter of 2016, where Apple sold just under 10 million iPads. Compared to the second quarter of 2017, iPad sales are up an impressive 28 percent, indeed suggesting the new iPad Pro models have been a hit.

Apple also released a low-cost revamped "iPad" earlier this year, and its $329 price tag combined with a speedy A9 processor may also be driving iPad sales. iPad sales may climb even higher next quarter as the new iPad Pro models were introduced towards the end of the third quarter in June.

At 11.4 million iPads sold, Apple far exceeded analyst expectations. Many analysts forecasted a decline in sales, predicting Apple would sell only 7 to 9.8 million iPads during the quarter.

Prior to mid-2016, Apple saw a 10 quarter decline in iPad revenue, but numbers have climbed since the introduction of the iPad Pro and Apple's effort to position it as a full PC replacement.

Article Link: Apple's iPad Sales Up 15% Year-Over-Year in 3Q 2017

[doublepost=1501635605][/doublepost]I bought the new 9.7" iPad to replace my iPad 3. It has been a fantastic little machine thus far.

 

[gotluck]

Bought an iPad mini 4 last month but would have gladly paid more for an updated model. Gave up waiting after these latest pros were announced.

Loving it coming from iPad Air gen1

 

[adnbek]

Well, no. The old strategy of adding Touch ID to the mini 3 and calling it a 4, adding a chip to the Air and calling it and Air 2 was killing sales. Most people are not going to spend hundreds of $ to update to essentially the same device. This year's crop of iPads is really the first "all new" line up since the Air and Mini 2.

You got your numbers mixed up. It was mini 2 to mini 3 that was the ripoff. All they did was add Touch ID. 3 to 4 was a real upgrade, hardware wise. As was Air 1 to 2.

But yeah, not giant leaps like the current crop that's for sure.

 

[oclor]

I bought the first iPad, second, and third. Didn’t see a need or desire to buy another one...until the 10.5. I have been using it for the past 5 days with iOS 11 and love it

 

[canesalato]

For the first time in years the iPad has, at the same time:
- A simple, understandable product line.
- Prices that goes from affordable to expansive, but no expensive + crippled model (ram, flash storage), and no zombie-model from 6 years ago.
- significant software enhancements.

And...boom! Sales are up.
I really hope Apple has learned something from these bad years.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I’m going to get a 10.5 inch iPad too, I saw it in store and the new display is breathtaking. I was skeptical of how much pro motion would make a difference, but it’s dramatic.

Whilst I believed in the iPad as a tablet I was skeptikal about it being anything more than usable for content consumption. Well I was proved wrong at WWDC and iOS 11. It prompted me to upgrade from my iPad Air 2 to the 10.5 inch iPad Pro. I was planning on keeping My air 2 for a few New Years before WWDC.

Gear to see Apple finally break the iPad slump it's been in for the last few years.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Good news as they where down for so long.

 

[mytdave]

This should be the "duh" moment. Apple *finally* released iPads worth upgrading to (plus the new low price leader), so yeah, sales should be up. iOS 11 is going to be fantastic and even more incentivizing.

I just bought one of the new iPads for mom. I have plans for one more (for the kids), and a new iPad Pro for me. That's 3 units, just from me. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[GoodWheaties]

Well, no. The old strategy of adding Touch ID to the mini 3 and calling it a 4, adding a chip to the Air and calling it and Air 2 was killing sales. Most people are not going to spend hundreds of $ to update to essentially the same device. This year's crop of iPads is really the first "all new" line up since the Air and Mini 2.

It was the mini 2 that they added TouchID to and called it a mini 3. And if the Air 2 wasn't a big upgrade from the Air I don't know what would be.

 

[Mainsail]

I agree. The $329 iPad is the best value Apple offers. The A9 is extremely capable and it can handle nearly anything except drawing with the Apple Pencil. That's the only deal breaker but only really applies to artists. It's been a while since they offered this kind of value for so little. The old upgradeable mac mini is the only other product I can think of.

Yep. The 2017 iPad (5th gen) is to the iPad product line what the MBA is to the MacBook product line. A well tested reliable device that has the essential capabilities that most consumers look for in a tablet at a reasonable price.

 

[BritishApple]

I wish they broke the overall sales out, by device. I'd be curious to see if the driving force really is the "Pro" models, or if it's people deciding to purchase the new, lower price iPads at the low end.

I'd be interested to see that too, because I think while the majority will be the 10.5' Pro, I love my new 9.7' 2017 iPad which I replaced my iPad Air 2 with. The thing screams on iOS 10.3.3, and I made the change to a white/silver model with red smart case after having owned black/space grey iPads since day one.

If iOS 11 runs as well on the 9.7' iPad as iOS 10.3.3 does (and in time I'm sure it will, perhaps not right away though) then I'll be very happy. The additional thickness to the body of the device doesn't bother me since I get superior battery life and the screen gap simply doesn't bother me either, and I was a week one Air 2 owner.

The iPad line up is now extremely robust. Pros for all screen sizes and a powerful entry level device at an insanely low price.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Swooped my 9.7" for a 10.5" and love it. It's an amazing bit of kit. The smooth scollibg and screen refresh rates are astoundingly good. When ios11 is released it's gonna be even better.
Apple don't always get things right but the new iPads and AirPods shows what they can do when they focus on technology and not just profit margins

 

[usarioclave]

Now we know what the refresh cycle is for iPads: 3-4 years. They're like laptops.

The 32-bit death will force everyone to move up as well.

 

[Brenster]

Bought the 2017 iPad 128GB as an upgrade to my old day 1 iPad Mini 2. The old iPad was an occasional web browser and e-reader. The new iPad? 90% of my computing gets done on it now. Ridiculously capable for the price, great e-reader, my companion at work, do the banking & budgeting on it, rented a few films on it to watch when Mrs. has the TV in the lounge. Side by side apps works fine and will only get better with iOS 11.

Now giving very serious consideration to the Pro and letting my son have the current iPad. The 'laptop replacement' is starting to feel viable rather than just as a marketing line.

Both new iPad lines, 5th gen and Pro, are fantastic good devices in their own right leave alone good iPads. Glad to see this is translating into an uptick in sales for Apple.

 

[HardRain]

I wish they broke the overall sales out, by device. I'd be curious to see if the driving force really is the "Pro" models, or if it's people deciding to purchase the new, lower price iPads at the low end.

A Magician never reveals his 'tricks'

 

[Bacillus]

Sorry, but I do not see the excitement.
The PostPC-era - if it has started - hasn't translated into a success for iPad yet at all.
Overall, there is a tablet market lull that Apple (and others) haven't been able to fight.
iPad as the Mac replacement is a failure, whether by itself a success is a different discussion (depending on your expectations) but 15% increase on a modest rate is still a modest rate.
https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2017/01/line.png

Killing the mini's may have little effect on turnover, but may (have) impact(ed) market share as it isn't a very popular decision (market share did fall since 2012, 57 => 25 %, IDC/Business Insider)

(yes,yes, I like the newest iPads but that doesn't make up for benchmarks)