iPad Continues to Lead Declining Tablet Market in First Quarter

[QCassidy352]

Yes but are any of these products a new category in the last 5 years where everyone started buying their first device?

Computers have been around for decades, so have fridges, TVs, even flat screen purchases fell a lot after everyone got one.

I agree with this. It's not that the tablet market is going away, it's that most people who want one have one at this point, so it's turning into an upgrade market, more akin to TVs than smartphones (not that tablets last as long as TVs).

 

[KindredMAC]

I refuse to believe this is anything other than tablets don't get replaced very often. From what I've seen in just daily observations, people use their tablets like crazy. I see mostly iPads, but also Kindle Fires, e reader Kindles, and even a few Android tablets ALL OVER THE PLACE.

The last time we went out to Red Robin for dinner, I saw at least three families with iPads. Is it obnoxious to bring a tablet to dinner? Yes. But people do love these things, and use them all the time.

I don't think this declining sales story necessarily paints the whole picture. However, I will admit that ever since getting my iPhone 6, my iPad usage has declined.

I whole-heartedly believe what you say about iPads not getting replaced as often. I have the 4th Gen Retina iPad and it does exactly what I need it to do. Other than a slightly faster processor and being thinner, why would I upgrade to the iPad Air 2? The ports are the same, the storage is the same, the screen is the same, so meh!

Oh and one more thing.... I also agree with the fact that since getting the 6, my usage of my iPad has gone down significantly as well. The only thing I really use my iPad for anymore is to watch Netflix with headphones on in bed at night if I can't sleep and don't want to wake my wife.

 

[62tele]

how quickly the "post PC" era ended and we are now in the "PC Renaissance" era.

Where? PC sales are not growing. Post PC = Mobile which means phones and tablets.

Many in this thread seem to be "gloating" or wishfully thinking the iPad is dying. It's not. iPad revenue is not insignificant and, as many have stated, iPad's last and meet the needs of many, not to mention growing use of tablets in enterprise.

Also, I'm sure that iPad will acquire new functionality.

I, like many I know, use my iPad daily. My Air is awesome for doing what I need. I never use my MBA and only use my iMac for recording in Logic.

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the iPad hype is over, its a declining business



Image

LOTS of products "just last", but you don't see 25% declines quarter after quarter.

The tablet market is cratering. There's no two ways around that.

Wishful thinking?

 

[69Mustang]

The problem with that assumption is that Apple still sells 2.5 times more iPads than Macs.

It amazes me how people overlook this when they compare the desirability of iPads vs Macs.

Cheapest iPad sold as new is the original mini at $250. Cheapest current gen iPad is $400 (mini 3) / $500 (air 2). Cheapest Mac is the $500 Mini (byo k/m/m) or $900 (11" air).

That may have something to do with why iPads sell in such greater numbers.

You're answering a topic that was never broached. gnasher's comment was a response to this assumption:
"...but I think the real elephant in the room that no one wants to admit is that most people still prefer to use a Mac."

There's no empirical data to support that assumption. iPads are simply well built devices that don't require frequent replacement. I'm still on an iPad 2 that can do 95% of what the latest iPad can. As a consumption device? That moves closer to 100%.

Tangent: This will never happen. If Apple intro'd an iPad Pro (OSX) with the capability similar to Continuum (sweet tech), I would get rid of my iPad and MBA in a heartbeat. <--- That's probably the main reason they wouldn't😉 One can dream though.

 

[apolloa]

Reading the graph, it shows not all manufacturers have declining tablet sales, some have an increase in sales.
Not massively so but it does indicate some growth in the market still.

 

[cfedu]

It amazes me how people overlook this when they compare the desirability of iPads vs Macs.



You're answering a topic that was never broached. gnasher's comment was a response to this assumption:
"...but I think the real elephant in the room that no one wants to admit is that most people still prefer to use a Mac."

There's no empirical data to support that assumption. iPads are simply well built devices that don't require frequent replacement. I'm still on an iPad 2 that can do 95% of what the latest iPad can. As a consumption device? That moves closer to 100%.

Tangent: This will never happen. If Apple intro'd an iPad Pro (OSX) with the capability similar to Continuum (sweet tech), I would get rid of my iPad and MBA in a heartbeat. <--- That's probably the main reason they wouldn't😉 One can dream though.

I have had 5 iPads and I'm down to zero, i either sold them all or gifted them. After getting my 11" MBA is 2012 I don't think I could ever go back to an iPad. I have my nexus 5 for quick inquiries and use my MBA/Mac mini for everything. If I were to get another tablet, it would have to have a full OS like the S3.

 

[Kurri]

I refuse to believe this is anything other than tablets don't get replaced very often.

I agree 100%. I just don't see why I would replace mine when its running good & the battery is fine. I will say this, they are not cheap. If it was a few hundred cheaper for the version I want, I would have replaced mine a while ago. I just don't find for the price, I really have a reason to replace it as often as other things in my life.

 

[dexterbell]

iPads need to evolve into desktop replacements.
iOS makes a perfect platform for browsers and apps, paired it with a 21" LCD for a perfect desktop appliance.

No, no they don't. They are supposed to replace laptops, not desktops.

 

[576316]

Likely largely because the device has remained mostly unchanged for a few years now, save for internals upgrades. I've had an iPad Air since release day and I was looking into getting an iPad Air 2 recently because I've started doing more photo editing on my iPad. But with the iPad Air 3 likely kinda close (albeit when autumn comes around) it doesn't seem worth it right now. Plus, depending on whether this iPad Pro device is real and how much it costs, that might be a better choice.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I think the iPad is similar to personal computers when it comes to upgrades. There aren't enough changes from year to year to keep most people on a consistent upgrade path. As has already been mentioned, the iPad exploded onto the scene with huge popularity. Now that so many people have one or two models, there is less reason to update.

If Apple wanted to increase sales of new iPads, they just need to allow people to download new firmware that will slow their current 1GB RAM iPads to a crawl and then announce they will never update firmware on those iPads again. Similar to what happened with the Original iPad.

 

[Piggie]

iPad's hardware is great & matured.

Sorry, I 100% totally disagree with this statement.

The current iPad is exactly the same, in any fundamental meaningful way than the very 1st iPad.

Apple have had almost zero imagination, and lack of change since the very 1st viewing of the device way way way back.

You'd look at them a few feet away on a desk and not be able to see any difference.
The speakers are still in the same dumb position as they were places on day one, sending sound out sideways to the person sitting next to you, not to YOU the user.
No stereo.

They have tweaked it, fiddled with it, but basically it's the same.
I'm so disappointed as if you had of asked me on the day I opened my iPad1, what it would be like in say 5 years time I would have hoped for so much more.

It's the trouble with Apple when they feel there is little competition, they are so lazy and slow 🙁

Only reason for the new larger iPhones was because they felt forced into doing it, after saying how wrong such devices were just 12 months earlier.

 

[crsh1976]

Too good, too soon - all manufacturers painted themselves in the corner with tablets and Apple is the leader here. The market became saturated fast and there were no major innovation to carry it to the next level.

My iPad 2 from 2011 is still going strong, despite a failing battery - I never upgraded it to iOS 8 because it would be too slow, and it doesn't matter because the latest features wouldn't be available on it anyway. Other apps run slower, but they still run.. so I literally have no reason to upgrade.

 

[macduke]

I love my iPad Air 2. The extra RAM really helps things run smoother, especially when it comes to stuff like keeping open several tabs in Safari and quickly resuming apps. However, like many others have stated I think the software needs to mature and differentiate itself more from the iPhone. I'd like to do more productive things on my iPad. Split screen multitasking and improved file management with iCloud Drive for better managing projects would be a good start. I'd also like to see some new hardware features, such as a pressure sensitive display for drawing and accessories from Apple to enhance the experience like a keyboard Smart Cover that uses the new MacBook thin keyboard design with the butterfly mechanism. An Apple designed creative drawing stylus would also be welcome.

 

[spiderman0616]

I whole-heartedly believe what you say about iPads not getting replaced as often. I have the 4th Gen Retina iPad and it does exactly what I need it to do. Other than a slightly faster processor and being thinner, why would I upgrade to the iPad Air 2? The ports are the same, the storage is the same, the screen is the same, so meh!

Oh and one more thing.... I also agree with the fact that since getting the 6, my usage of my iPad has gone down significantly as well. The only thing I really use my iPad for anymore is to watch Netflix with headphones on in bed at night if I can't sleep and don't want to wake my wife.

99% of the time, my primary uses for iPad are 1) Exactly what you just described--watching movies/shows in bed with headphones, 2) my replacement for reading the paper on Sunday mornings with my coffee, and 3) my travel computer.

For me, it's a portable TV that can play pretty much any content I want to see, an e-reader that replaces all physical books/magazines/newspapers, and a computer for the occasional work I need to get done while on the go. The iPhone just isn't as good at those three things as the iPad is.

 

[darcyf]

The problem with that assumption is that Apple still sells 2.5 times more iPads than Macs.

Yup. It's a new and novel product that's significantly cheaper than a Mac. It should sell more units than Macs.

But now that people have a taste for it the interest is waning. Not so for the Mac.

There's still a market for iPads but it's not as essential an item as an iPhone or a Mac. Unless Apple does something especially innovative with the iPad soon, more and more people will realize they're better served with their Mac and those iPad sales numbers will continue to decline.

 

[DryHeave]

iPhone 6 Plus

Since I upgraded to an iPhone 6 Plus three months ago, the number of times I've picked up my iPad to do anything on it is exactly zero. I'm actually really surprised by this. I use my iPhone 6 Plus to read web pages and technical PDFs now, which are things I used to use my retina iPad for. The iPhone 6 Plus obviously isn't quite as high-res as a retina iPad, but it's very close. Anyway, the point is: If I didn't already have an iPad, I wouldn't go buy one. But if I was still stuck on a smaller, earlier iPhone, I'd want an iPad. So for me, at least, the iPhone 6 Plus has killed the iPad...totally.

BTW, you might be wondering, how the heck can I read such tiny print on an iPhone 6 Plus screen as easily as I could read content on an iPad? The reason is because I am nearsighted, and I can read the iPhone screen quite comfortably at a distance of 6"–8" as long as I take off my glasses. If I had normal vision or were farsighted, this would be impossible.

 

[Saturn1217]

Still love my iPad Air and the tablet idea in general but...

When I first got my iPad I would try to travel with only my iPad and a keyboard case, thinking it would be nice to save weight by leaving my macbook air at home. But I always run into situations where I wished I'd had the extra flexibility of the Macbook. (Needed to access a file that I forgot to put in the cloud, needed to work with a file that I couldn't on the iPad, needed to get a file from someone else etc.).

The mobile Safari browser also desperately needs an adblock function. I feel like I am browsing back in the 1990s with the amount of ads I have to continuously close to browse on the iPad. It makes the browsing experience which could be excellent actually worse in some ways than browsing on my phone (chrome on android does support some popup blocking and I think in generally just isn't targeted quite as much for mobile ads).

I am also waiting for active stylus support. I don't care if I have to pay extra. I've spent stupid amounts of money trying the styluses that exist for the current iPad and it is clear that the resolution of the touch sensors is just not fine enough for writing legibly without using software tricks (zoom boxes) even with the fine tipped battery powered styluses. If Apple can implement this correctly it would be a day one purchase for me.

 

[thefourthpope]

For me, there was no reason to upgrade my 1st generation Mini Retina to the latest Mini Retina or Air. Unless they do something major next fall, I can see myself continuing to use my Mini another year or two.

And if Apple does do 'something major,' people tend to come out of the Internet woodwork complaining about being forced to upgrade by a greedy company.

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Yup. It's a new and novel product that's significantly cheaper than a Mac. It should sell more units than Macs.

But now that people have a taste for it the interest is waning. Not so for the Mac.

There's still a market for iPads but it's not as essential an item as an iPhone or a Mac. Unless Apple does something especially innovative with the iPad soon, more and more people will realize they're better served with their Mac and those iPad sales numbers will continue to decline.

I don't know that this is right. Do we have similar charts for when the first truly accessible/affordable consumer desktops emerged? Laptops? Cell phones? I imagine there was a huge spike in purchases that then regressed and leveled out.

The iPad was effectively a new product. People flocked to buy it in record numbers. I was one of them. But once enough people have a tablet those raw numbers of new purchases will decline, in exchange for people updating when/if they feel the need. I am one of them. I bought the first retina iPad mini but don't see myself updating again any time soon. That's the same as with our desktop and our laptop, and I expect it is the same for many people.

iPhone numbers, I think, are a different story in large part because they are still mostly tied to contracts. ATT effectively incentivizes me to upgrade my iPhone every two years. There is no such incentive for upgrading my tablets or other devices beyond my own whims.

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...I am also waiting for active stylus support...

I get your specific concerns about zoom boxes etc, but I have to say that Notes Plus combined with the Jot stylus has made for a wonderful experience.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

I'm one of those people who desperately wants to love the iPad, but just can't find a proper use for it.

At home I use my Mac mini and MBP. On the road, I use my 6 Plus. I had an iPad 2 that sat on my desk collecting dust most of the time, simply because it didn't excel in anything. My Macs are far more capable and my iPhone is far more portable.

If the iPad had a file manager and a user interface that was optimized to take advantage of the bigger screen, I would consider going that route again. But as it stands now, the Mac simply offers far more flexibility than any iPad.

 

[Aluminum213]

When a product segment sees 20% declines quarter after quarter, its pretty much on its death bed.

The market is speaking loud and clear. "Everyone has one" doesn't cut it as an excuse. At some point you have to accept the reality of the situation.

iPad outsells MacBooks 2.5 to 1

 

[CANEHDN]

I was in the market for an iPad, recently. I bought my 6 plus and now have no desire to purchase an iPad. It's the perfect size between phone functionality and tablet functionality, at least for what I do.

 

[kironin]

still have an iPad 2, it's just fine, but getting a Mac Air killed my use of it. I don't really use at all anymore. The Mac Air replaced the iPad plus Macbook combination I was using for travel.

my next purchase will be a 6S when that comes out.

 

[0098386]

Tablets appear to have a longer replacement cycle than other devices. Of all the people I know with tablets (Samsung, Apple, Sony, Tesco). They only get replaced when they break, and because they're all built so well I don't know anyone who has ever upgraded. Heh. I don't really have any need to upgrade my 3rd gen iPad. 128gb would be nice, but not £600 for a new device-nice.

 

[FieldingMellish]

My Macbook Air has forever ruled out ever getting an iPad. Maybe when I'm a retired old fart and look forward to laying around on the couch to surf, I might consider one.

 

[FSMBP]

Sorry, I 100% totally disagree with this statement.

The current iPad is exactly the same, in any fundamental meaningful way than the very 1st iPad.

Apple have had almost zero imagination, and lack of change since the very 1st viewing of the device way way way back.

You'd look at them a few feet away on a desk and not be able to see any difference.
The speakers are still in the same dumb position as they were places on day one, sending sound out sideways to the person sitting next to you, not to YOU the user.
No stereo.

They have tweaked it, fiddled with it, but basically it's the same.
I'm so disappointed as if you had of asked me on the day I opened my iPad1, what it would be like in say 5 years time I would have hoped for so much more.

It's the trouble with Apple when they feel there is little competition, they are so lazy and slow 🙁

Only reason for the new larger iPhones was because they felt forced into doing it, after saying how wrong such devices were just 12 months earlier.

I totally agree actually. I guess I was more so trying to say software was a key factor holding iPad back. There's definitely much room for hardware improvement as well.

Like you said, lack of competition is a major factor. However, I feel that the Surface is making a dent (I have die-hard Apple coworkers who picked a Surface over iPad). So hopefully Apple will respond soon with a better product.