iPad How can Apple increase iPad sales?

[maflynn]

With Apple's quarterly results in, iPad sales are out of line compared to Apple's other product lines

Quote from a cnet article.

iPad sales posted their fifth consecutive decline to 12.6 million units, from 16.4 million a year earlier

I'm not bashing the iPad but rather looking to see what apple could do to reverse the trend.

First the problem.
It seems people don't upgrade their iPads like they do with their phones. Add in the increased competition seems to equate slowing sales.

Solutions?
Apple thinks its partnership with IBM is one step in the right direction.
The rumored 12" iPad Pro is another, though I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas on the overall appeal to a larger iPad.
Perhaps integrating a touch sensitive stylus may help.

any other thoughts, or ideas on what may help?

 

[960design]

With Apple's quarterly results in, iPad sales are out of line compared to Apple's other product lines

Quote from a cnet article.


I'm not bashing the iPad but rather looking to see what apple could do to reverse the trend.

First the problem.
It seems people don't upgrade their iPads like they do with their phones. Add in the increased competition seems to equate slowing sales.

Solutions?
Apple thinks its partnership with IBM is one step in the right direction.
The rumored 12" iPad Pro is another, though I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas on the overall appeal to a larger iPad.
Perhaps integrating a touch sensitive stylus may help.

any other thoughts, or ideas on what may help?

There are many things apple can do to increase iPad sales. Apple has contacted many organizations asking that very question. We get a tour, they get our ideas. Will they listen?

They haven't implemented anything exactly as I've recommended ( close variations probably based on the mean of several group suggestions ).

I'm heading back in just a bit for another tour and giving further suggestions on how to better implement the iPad ( great tech ) as a supervised device for companies and educational institutions. Right now, IMHO, iPads are still too consumer devices. We have everything we need to 'flip a switch' and turn them into commercial devices, only a few more steps to go.

Apple thinks VERY hard on changes before implementing them, which makes me happy. They rarely half ass something, just to do it.

PS!!! NO TO THE STYLUS!

 

[tkukoc]

Seems a bit easy to do at this point, stop releasing them yearly.

iPad's are a 2 year product not yearly. Drop the 16gb model and focus on 32gb as their new standard for all devices. Allow split screen multitasking and add force touch. These are all easy changes that if they moved to a 2 year cycle would see drastic sales increases. Problem with technology is it changes so quickly some people don't purchase anything as they can't make up their minds. Of course the most obvious choice, drop the price of all iPads by 50-75.00.

 

[Number-Six]

Seems a bit easy to do at this point, stop releasing them yearly.

iPad's are a 2 year product not yearly. Drop the 16gb model and focus on 32gb as their new standard for all devices. Allow split screen multitasking and add force touch. These are all easy changes that if they moved to a 2 year cycle would see drastic sales increases. Problem with technology is it changes so quickly some people don't purchase anything as they can't make up their minds. Of course the most obvious choice, drop the price of all iPads by 50-75.00.

About the bolded part, I think it would be great but I would bet they will not drop 16gb anytime soon, especially not if they keep the same 16/64/128 configuration as the iphone

If the iPad started at 32, not as many people would make the jump to a higher capacity model

 

[MilleDav01]

If apple made a product similar to the surface pro 3, mainly with an ACTIVE digitizer i would buy it instantly. The one thing that I absolutely love about the Surface is that you can have wonderful handwriting recognition. I have a rMBP but will be getting the Surface 3 for class and written notes.

 

[Closingracer]

There are many things apple can do to increase iPad sales. Apple has contacted many organizations asking that very question. We get a tour, they get our ideas. Will they listen?

They haven't implemented anything exactly as I've recommended ( close variations probably based on the mean of several group suggestions ).

I'm heading back in just a bit for another tour and giving further suggestions on how to better implement the iPad ( great tech ) as a supervised device for companies and educational institutions. Right now, IMHO, iPads are still too consumer devices. We have everything we need to 'flip a switch' and turn them into commercial devices, only a few more steps to go.

Apple thinks VERY hard on changes before implementing them, which makes me happy. They rarely half ass something, just to do it.

PS!!! NO TO THE STYLUS!

Yes to the stylus ... You don't have to use it

 

[Mliii]

Instead of talking about specific features, I think there needs to be a shift in philosophy at Apple regarding the iPad.
I think this is one place where their incremental approach to upgrades doesn't work as well because the existing iPads are able to perform solidly for longer than their iPhone counterparts.
So instead of a 'little more of this' and 'a little more of that', Apple needs to add some features that consumers really want in their tablets to incentivize upgrading from existing units to new ones.
Some of the things talked about in this thread are important, but I also think a more robust OS is critical for the iPad's success- not just a slightly different version of the current iPhone OS.

 

[GGJstudios]

It seems people don't upgrade their iPads like they do with their phones.

I can only speak for myself, but I haven't upgraded from my original iPad Mini because Apple hasn't introduced any features in newer models that are compelling enough to induce me to upgrade. Instead of minor improvements, if they had offered something significantly different, I might have upgraded by now. Perhaps Apple has diverted its efforts to other products, such as the Apple Watch, and abandoned significant further development of the iPad, at least for now.

 

[Rodster]

With Apple's quarterly results in, iPad sales are out of line compared to Apple's other product lines

Quote from a cnet article.


I'm not bashing the iPad but rather looking to see what apple could do to reverse the trend.

First the problem.
It seems people don't upgrade their iPads like they do with their phones. Add in the increased competition seems to equate slowing sales.

Solutions?
Apple thinks its partnership with IBM is one step in the right direction.
The rumored 12" iPad Pro is another, though I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas on the overall appeal to a larger iPad.
Perhaps integrating a touch sensitive stylus may help.

any other thoughts, or ideas on what may help?

I was about to buy a Mini 3 yesterday for $249 during Best Buy's flash sale. I decided not to. Why? Safari is just plain bad and Apple in my view has run out of tricks and is allowing the iPad line to become the iPod line. There is nothing they have done to the iPad other than gimmicks to push sales along.


What I would like to see?

1) A web browser that actually works and is RELIABLE like Chrome on Android.

2) Multi-Window split screen apps

3) iOS designed to take advantage of the iPad's screen size. The stretched out iPhone UI has gotten old. Something we accused Android for so many years.

4) Allow me more flexibility to clear/delete cache and data like I can with Android.

5) Customizable screen icons so I can place them where I want to.

6) Widgets like Android uses.

7) And for gods sake get someone who knows what the hell they're doing software wise. Jony Ive is turning me off to iOS.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think the market is saturated with tablets. A two year old iPad works near as good as the current Air 2. If they want to increase sales, give us a reason to upgrade like a USB port and SD card slot!

 

[sracer]

Seems a bit easy to do at this point, stop releasing them yearly.

iPad's are a 2 year product not yearly.

That seems like an arbitrary cycle. Any data to support that belief? The first few iterations of the iPad introduced significant improvements over the previous generation. Each offered some incentive to upgrade, or to join the ranks of iPad ownership. By the time that the iPad Air was released, the differentiators were basically weight and thinness. Hardly reasons to upgrade. The Air 2 didn't really add anything substantive to the mix. (Most would not have known or be interested in RAM/CPU upgrades) Touch ID is of marginal value.

Even the Mini 3 was a bit of a yawner.

Apple upgrades their macbooks every year. Certainly those aren't a yearly product.

Drop the 16gb model and focus on 32gb as their new standard for all devices. Allow split screen multitasking and add force touch. These are all easy changes that if they moved to a 2 year cycle would see drastic sales increases. Problem with technology is it changes so quickly some people don't purchase anything as they can't make up their minds. Of course the most obvious choice, drop the price of all iPads by 50-75.00.

A 2 year cycle would have a detrimental effect on sales during the 2nd year.

I believe that the slowdown in sales is in part related to reaching a plateau in functionality. Expand the functionality (hardware/OS) and watch sales increase... there's a variety of ways to do that, most of which Apple is not inclined to do. The market may force them to.

 

[Attonine]

I can't offer any suggestions for Apple, what I can do is give my experience. January I bought my first iPad, a 128gb Air 2. I've been surprised because I hardly use it. I still use my MBP. For a quick check of something app based, I tend to go to my iPhone.

I wonder how many people have the same experience. I feel that perhaps, after the initial growth phase, people are realising that tablets just aren't as useful or used as much? I wonder how many people are making decisions not to upgrade because the devices simply aren't used enough?

 

[Breaking Good]

I can't offer any suggestions for Apple, what I can do is give my experience. January I bought my first iPad, a 128gb Air 2. I've been surprised because I hardly use it. I still use my MBP. For a quick check of something app based, I tend to go to my iPhone.

I wonder how many people have the same experience. I feel that perhaps, after the initial growth phase, people are realising that tablets just aren't as useful or used as much? I wonder how many people are making decisions not to upgrade because the devices simply aren't used enough?

I love my iPad. But I agree that with iPhones getting larger and MacBooks getting smaller, the iPad is starting to get squeezed out.

The gap between smartphones and ultrabooks is growing smaller. So there is less need for tablets.

One thing that I think would help spur sales is to reduce the upcharge for the cellular models.

 

[Aspasia]

I have a cellular iPad 2. It still works perfectly, is heavily used, but I've never been one to buy the latest and greatest just to to claim I can, so I haven't "upgraded."

Maybe the slowdown is because Apple makes a quality product and there's no real need to replace it in most cases.

On the other hand, also have an iPod Touch 5G - but I am thinking of "upgrading" that to a cellular iPad mini. Screen is too small on the Touch. It isn't cellular and I don't want to haul my iPad around while shopping, etc. so am thinking the mini will fit that need. It certainly will fit into my purse or pocket much better than my iPad 2.

 

[mrex]

How can Apple increase iPad sales?

PS!!! NO TO THE STYLUS!

ehmmm... having an option actually do some real productivity and use a stylus doesnt remove the option not to use a stylus. i dont write or paint with my fingers anymore, im too old for that... i can do much more with my couple years old Note 10.1 than with my few months old Air2.

 

[AKRowdy]

Seems a bit easy to do at this point, stop releasing them yearly.

iPad's are a 2 year product not yearly. Drop the 16gb model and focus on 32gb as their new standard for all devices. Allow split screen multitasking and add force touch. These are all easy changes that if they moved to a 2 year cycle would see drastic sales increases. Problem with technology is it changes so quickly some people don't purchase anything as they can't make up their minds. Of course the most obvious choice, drop the price of all iPads by 50-75.00.

A Mac is generally a 5 year or more upgrade cycle, but they still update the Mac yearly…

 

[Traverse]

Aside from adding proper stylus support, I think it's a software issue.

I returned an iPad Air 2 because ultimately, it didn't do anything my iPad 3 didn't. Yes, my 3 is very slow and not fun sometimes, but the Air 2 ran the same apps, in the same way, only a few seconds faster.

Unfortunately, to really push software and to push developers to enhance their apps, Apple will have to drop support for old devices. You can't make an app take full advantage of the A8X if it still has to support the A5 with 1/4 the RAM and a fraction of the processing power.

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I wanted to add that I also think market saturation plays a part.

Everyone who wants a tablet has one and then the lack of software development fails inspire existing users to upgrade.

 

[960design]

ehmmm... having an option actually do some real productivity and use a stylus doesnt remove the option not to use a stylus. i dont write or paint with my fingers anymore, im too old for that... i can do much more with my couple years old Note 10.1 than with my few months old Air2.

You have the option of purchasing a stylus. I'm not stopping you. In keeping this on topic, I'm sure many people purchase their iPad for the stylus options. They cannot use them without it.

The iPad is NOT a creation tool, it is a consumption tool.

Yes, yes, cars are meant to get you from place to place, but people put a million watt stereo in them, some even add wings. I don't want the car manufactures building cars that by default come with a million watt stereo or wings ( well, maybe wings ).

 

[BruiserBear]

There are obviously lots of education based opportunities waiting to be exploited, but that's a whole other conversation.

On the consumer side, I don't really see all that much that can be done. People are only going to upgrade so often, and each iteration of these devices gets better. I've had my iPad 4 for over two years now, and it's still a very good iPad. It runs the OS well, it does what I need. For the vast majority of people, once they hit a point where the device does 95% of what they want, they just sit on it. They don't feel a need to upgrade.

Styluses and 12 inch iPad's are not going to help sales in a significant way. I've never once heard a person in my personal life suggest either of those things are desirable. Those are niche requests.

 

[madat42]

With all the rumors of an iPad Pro coming, not sure if a Pro model would do very well UNLESS they have an iOS Pro version to go with it with exclusive features.

 

[JoeRito]

I think the market is saturated with tablets. A two year old iPad works near as good as the current Air 2. If they want to increase sales, give us a reason to upgrade like a USB port and SD card slot!

Absolute truth here.... Need a way to connect storage directly to the device. Cloud is not an option for everyone. USB PLEASE!

Also, better file management in iOS! I realize there are solutions, but a true file manager allowing multiple apps to share a document stored in an app neutral space would be amazing.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Absolute truth here.... Need a way to connect storage directly to the device. Cloud is not an option for everyone. USB PLEASE!

Also, better file management in iOS! I realize there are solutions, but a true file manager allowing multiple apps to share a document stored in an app neutral space would be amazing.

A real file management system would turn my Air 2 into a real work horse! I hear great rumors about the iPad Pro but fear it will also be hand cuffed to itunes.

Then there is the Surface 4 Pro around the corner

 

[JoeRito]

A real file management system would turn my Air 2 into a real work horse! I hear great rumors about the iPad Pro but fear it will also be hand cuffed to itunes.

Then there is the Surface 4 Pro around the corner

Seriously, being hamstrung by iTunes to transfer files is a real issue. I believe the iPad hardware is amazing! The software (OS) needs to improve more to reach the productivity people!!

 

[Bananas Ananas]

Currently iPad seems to be more like a device for consuming media rather than producing it. In order to increase sales it could be helpful to concentrate on increasing iPad's productivity factor.

As a student myself I'd hope Apple to provide improvements to iPad for education segment. Apple could introduce pen/stylus that works with iPad as well as note taking app or updated Pages. I would like to be able to draw down graphs (very important for economics...) and other things easily and efficiently, and perhaps have a keyboard built into a smart cover for faster typing. Also, a pen is almost essential for working on math problems. Bigger size of a rumored iPad Pro could be helpful too.

Although it is important that iPad performs well as an independent device, I would still like to see tighter integration with Mac OS X. For example, while doing research work, I'd like to be able to copy content on my iPad and then be able to instantly paste in on Mac OS X. Thus I could use iPad to roam through research content and have the Mac OS X device's screen estate entirely for productive activities. Because at least to me, if I have 13" Macbook screen, it is not very good for going through articles, databases, ebooks, or other content, while also having Pages open for writing.

Some Amazon Kindles have free cellular network for life to access your content and download books, etc. Could Apple provide similar feature to access my documents and files on iCloud?

Lastly, I would like to be able to delete some apps from iPad that I never use, such as Game Center, Videos, Podcasts, Tips, Newsstand, Photo Booth...

 

[nj-morris]

Seems a bit easy to do at this point, stop releasing them yearly.

iPad's are a 2 year product not yearly. Drop the 16gb model and focus on 32gb as their new standard for all devices. Allow split screen multitasking and add force touch. These are all easy changes that if they moved to a 2 year cycle would see drastic sales increases. Problem with technology is it changes so quickly some people don't purchase anything as they can't make up their minds. Of course the most obvious choice, drop the price of all iPads by 50-75.00.

I would say that they are more 3 year products. I have an iPad 4 and have never considered upgrading. And with the storage, agree wholeheartedly. Get rid of 16GB!

----------

I was about to buy a Mini 3 yesterday for $249 during Best Buy's flash sale. I decided not to. Why? Safari is just plain bad and Apple in my view has run out of tricks and is allowing the iPad line to become the iPod line. There is nothing they have done to the iPad other than gimmicks to push sales along.


What I would like to see?

1) A web browser that actually works and is RELIABLE like Chrome on Android.

2) Multi-Window split screen apps

3) iOS designed to take advantage of the iPad's screen size. The stretched out iPhone UI has gotten old. Something we accused Android for so many years.

4) Allow me more flexibility to clear/delete cache and data like I can with Android.

5) Customizable screen icons so I can place them where I want to.

6) Widgets like Android uses.

7) And for gods sake get someone who knows what the hell they're doing software wise. Jony Ive is turning me off to iOS.

1) How is Safari unreliable? I think it's the best and easiest to use out there.

2) Yes this will come

3) So will this.

4) Sorry, don't know what this means.

5) Why would you need this?.

6) Widgets in notification centre just need to be evolved that's all.

7) I don't see everyone's problem with Jony Ive.

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i think the market is saturated with tablets. A two year old ipad works near as good as the current air 2. If they want to increase sales, give us a reason to upgrade like a usb port and sd card slot!

usb-c ftw

----------

I love my iPad. But I agree that with iPhones getting larger and MacBooks getting smaller, the iPad is starting to get squeezed out.

The gap between smartphones and ultrabooks is growing smaller. So there is less need for tablets.

One thing that I think would help spur sales is to reduce the upcharge for the cellular models.

You saying phones and laptops will be the same size?

1. There is a huge gap between phones and laptops already
2. Phones won't get much bigger and laptops won't get much smaller
3. What is stopping a tablet from being bigger than a laptop?

----------

You have the option of purchasing a stylus. I'm not stopping you. In keeping this on topic, I'm sure many people purchase their iPad for the stylus options. They cannot use them without it.

The iPad is NOT a creation tool, it is a consumption tool.

Yes, yes, cars are meant to get you from place to place, but people put a million watt stereo in them, some even add wings. I don't want the car manufactures building cars that by default come with a million watt stereo or wings ( well, maybe wings ).

It has the potential to be a creation tool...why would it not be?