iPad Continues to Lead Declining Tablet Market in First Quarter

[0098386]

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 there's nothing I really use it for, but it comes in handy on holiday and taking photos to other folks houses. I imagine these devices are going to stick around forever, and eventually most people will have one... they just won't get used that much!

 

[vintimus]

I definitely think it's time for there to be a specific iOS flavor for the iPad. Apple has slowly started with the 6 and 6+, and UI differences compared to iOS 8 running on a 5S and below. So I wouldn't be surprised if this does happen.

 

[HarryWarden]

I tend to upgrade my iPad every other generation. Have the Air 1 now and plan on getting the 3 whenever it's released. I see little reason to upgrade every generation because apps are always made to work on older generations because if they weren't, the developers wouldn't be able to sell enough to make a profit.

 

[EightyTwenty]

And yet, iPad outsold MacBooks (and several other brands of laptops). And laptops outsold PCs. iPads are doomed! MacBooks are doomed! Apple is doomed! HP is doomed! PCs are doomed!

Where will it stop?

Funny enough, everyone claimed ipads would ensure that PCs and laptops were "doomed". Remember the "post-PC era"? Yeah, not so much.

You can try to spin it until you are dizzy, but the numbers speak for themselves.

----------

iPad outsells MacBooks 2.5 to 1

And let's see how long that lasts with 25% quarterly declines in sales.

 

[redscull]

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.

Uh, not just the Original iPad. They do that with nearly every product they make. iPad 2 is pretty slow with iOS 8. iPhone 4 was murdered by an iOS update (7?). Yosemite on any Mac without a SSD is a frustratingly horrible experience. Apple always "supports" older devices one more software generation than it should, crushing them to drive upgrades.

 

[Piggie]

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.

Oh yes, Many on these forums rubbished the Surface, though I am seeing more and more positive remarks recently, in the past year for sure.

I have said, even since the launch of iPad1 it's only a matter of time before Apple put a proper OS on the tablet.

I mean, what can you do?

You launch a low power device, and of course it needs a simple low power OS to run on it, that makes perfect sense.

But, what do you do, when in 5, 10, 15 years time, thanks to advancements in hardware it's then got so much power it can run a proper full OS with ease?

Do you deliberately simply hold it back year after year?

I know many won't agree, but I feel Microsoft have got it pretty dam right, in that, you can have one device, (and let's not focus on the hardware as that improves all the time) and you can run it in one of two modes. A finger friendly tablet mode, iPad, and a more advanced mode for creativity?

I don't think 1 OS with just 1 mode it a good idea. You cannot have an optimum experience with a 10" screen thru to a 30" screen, you need two ways of running.

Myself, I really would have liked to see Apple not frightened of trying new things, and I guess, damaging their other product sales.

I would of loved larger iPads ages ago.
I would of loved to see different models for different uses.

Perhaps a tough model for business use out in the field.
A multimedia one, with a wider larger screen and better speakers, for games and movies etc.
Perhaps stick with the 4:3 normal one for a every day model.

There could be a whole range of different iPads for different people's needs.

 

[MacsRgr8]

my iPad Air 2 is a great device, but functionality wise it does NOTHING that the iPad 2 can't do. And Apple wonders why iPad sales decline. Also the fact the iOS on my 10" iPad is the same as my 5.5" iPhone is laughable


Apple has done nothing to innovate the iPad except make it thinner and lighter and now they are paying the price for it

That's how I see it too.

I own an iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad Air 2:

The 1 became obsolete quickly, thus iPad 2.
iPad 3 had Retina thus iPad 3.
iPad 4... iPad Air.... iPad Air 2... well, just faster an lighter.
I bought the iPad Air 2 because I wanted 128 GB and 4G. Having a faster and lighter iPad definitely is (very) nice, but not necessary.

A larger (12"?) 16:9 iPad with some "pro-like" iOS features (dunno what though) would give the consumer new "needs" for a new iPad.

iPad+ anyone?

 

[Uofmtiger]

Uh, not just the Original iPad. They do that with nearly every product they make. iPad 2 is pretty slow with iOS 8. iPhone 4 was murdered by an iOS update (7?). Yosemite on any Mac without a SSD is a frustratingly horrible experience. Apple always "supports" older devices one more software generation than it should, crushing them to drive upgrades.

The iPad 2 is not nearly as much of a compromise as the Original. You can still use new apps that require iOS7 & 8. You cannot use new apps with the Original (non-jb'd) because it stopped being updated all together with iOS 5.1.

Get rid of backward compatibility for new apps for all 1GB iPads due to the "hardware limitation" and I think we will see the numbers improve.

In other words, there are compromises and there are COMPROMISES.

 

[Kavier]

Unless iPads or tablets in general become bigger and more powerful, there isn't much of a need to update. My iPad works perfectly well as movie watching/game playing/web surfing portable machine.

I agree. I have had my iPad for yrs now and don't see the point of updating other than to get more storage which I'll eventually need.

 

[mi7chy]

We're officially in the post-iPad era. iPad was once an adequate substitute that offers a subset of usability of a laptop while being lower cost, longer battery life, lighter weight and with touch input. The product hasn't evolved though with the time and has grown stagnant so now competing devices have far surpassed it in usability while being equivalent in virtually everything else including cost. The future is hybrid devices running a desktop level OS with access to the largest selection of professional software and with touch and pen inputs. Don't even use my iPad anymore other than to update iOS to what's potentially new and even my laptop has gotten less use ever since getting the Surface Pro 3 then Thinkpad Helix2 hybrids. iPad is fading away like the stand-alone GPS.

 

[Padaung]

this is because tablets were just a stage in the evolution to tablet/laptop hybrids like the surface pro. once companies get the form factor down to be both more comfortable and sturdy (for example, using on your lap), this is how we'll do portable computing. tablets are great, but their limitations (and long lifespans) tend to cause slight 'boredom' both with usage and proclivity towards future purchases, warranted or not.

it's my own opinion and prediction, of course, but i think there's enough evidence to conclude that tablets aren't quite enough for a lot of people, and touch screen laptops with keyboard docks are inevitable. desktops will become more like mac-minis and we'll eventually move on to internal computing - internal as in, your body and bloodstream. it's all 'going away' in terms of physical objects. tablets had a good run and probably some juice left in its existence, but not for too long.

Yup, this mirrors my thoughts too. Seeing the Microsoft demo of a phone driving a desktop display and apps at their recent developers conference made my jaw drop. One OS for all devices, apps which are cross platform and scale to work on all devices - INCREDIBLY impressive.

 

[rgarjr]

Apple needs to slow down the refresh rate that it currently has yearly.

 

[sracer]

Apple needs to slow down the refresh rate that it currently has yearly.

Macbooks have a yearly refresh rate and yet people don't upgrade their Macbooks every year. Slowing the refresh rate is NOT the answer.

They need to provide compelling reasons to buy an iPad. Those reasons have pretty much plateaued with the iPad Air.

To re-energize the iPad line, Apple needs to increase hardware/OS capabilities. (no, I'm talking about something more substantial than Touch ID).

The iPad Pro seems to be the next step. I'd love to see a breakdown of how many of those non-iOS tablets are hybrids... and the growth there.

 

[C DM]

Macbooks have a yearly refresh rate and yet people don't upgrade their Macbooks every year. Slowing the refresh rate is NOT the answer.

They need to provide compelling reasons to buy an iPad. Those reasons have pretty much plateaued with the iPad Air.

To re-energize the iPad line, Apple needs to increase hardware/OS capabilities. (no, I'm talking about something more substantial than Touch ID).

The iPad Pro seems to be the next step. I'd love to see a breakdown of how many of those non-iOS tablets are hybrids... and the growth there.

That's the thing, for one reason or another, as some have also pointed out, iPads are treated closer to what laptops/computers are treated like, compared to what iPhones are treated like. People don't run out to upgrade them as soon as they can basically (often as a result of contracts and similar things related to carriers when it comes to iPhones). It's a somewhat different dynamic that certainly plays into it all (not necessarily responsible for all of it, but certainly part of it).

 

[Xiroteus]

I would think about the mini, yet I want a better camera with flash and I have gotten used to expandable storage and a file system. Priced have gotten better do it is something to think about and once I do it is likely to last more then a year or two.

 

[Aluminum213]

And let's see how long that lasts with 25% quarterly declines in sales.

So in 5-6 years you think it will be even?

 

[newdeal]

I agree with this.

I can't see the hardware and form factor changing much at all for a long time. Thinner, big deal. Faster yes, greater resolution yes, maybe haptic feedback..., eye tracking perhaps...... But that tablet is what it is going to be for a while.

Tablets sans keyboard are the ideal surfing and entertainment consumption devices.

the hardware keeps getting faster, but there is no reason for it to get faster, my iPad 3 was fast enough, what it needs to better software to use the power. Regardless I went from using the iPad as my primary device to using it absolutely never as soon as the macbook air came out in 2013 with comparable battery life to the iPad. So one could say that if battery life was the key feature of the iPad, that Intel is actually killing the iPad with more power efficient chips for laptops

 

[Boomish69]

my iPad 2 works well, I have looked at upgrading but I don't see that much point, faster yes but really I can live with it being slower, now I have the iPhone 6 I suppose the finger print sensor would be nice I certainly don't care how thin it is..

 

[Billy95Tech]

So does this mean tablets like the Ipad won't no longer exist and disappear in 5 years time or they still be around??

 

[C DM]

So does this mean tablets like the Ipad won't no longer exist and disappear in 5 years time or they still be around??

More than likely they would be around at least for some time.

 

[taradene]

A HUGE reason why LG's tablets skyrocketed is because they were selling them for .99 and free with purchase of their smartphones, etc. It doesn't mean that the LG's are superior. iPads will always lead the game when it comes to innovation, usability and a lot less glitches than LG's or other non-apple branded tabs, but the problems could be their pricing. People will continue to purchase iPads, and more are finding the ability to when financing through their cellular providers, but hard to compare to the "cheaper" tablets because they can push them out at higher quantities faster because of their price points.

 

[Dorje Sylas]

my iPad 2 works well, I have looked at upgrading but I don't see that much point, faster yes but really I can live with it being slower, now I have the iPhone 6 I suppose the finger print sensor would be nice I certainly don't care how thin it is..

Agreed. Outside the echo chamber of the Apple Enthusiast with Good Chunks of Disposable Income, the iPad 2 (not Air) was and is a solid Tablet sitting on iOS7. And will be a solid tablet under a JailBreak once Apple pushes iOS on it too far.

They really do upgrade like Computers/Laptops of the Old School Apple, read as 5 year lifespans. And really what an iPad 2 can't do it can remote into a full desktop to do.

Which is where we are having issues. With the growth of cloud computing and at home remote access solutions, a Tablet of any kind only needs to be robust enough to handle the Internet and a few 'offline' productivity apps. And when you go looking the iPad 2 and beyond do that just fine.

Especially when they are asking 500 - 1000 dollars per device, and refresh them with slight upgrades every year. I can wait a two to three more years before even thinking about getting a new iPad. And in that time there may be a Windows driven tablet with BETTER features (and performance) and BETTER utility, for a lower price. The only thing it won't play nice with is Apple's echo system... however even as a long time Apple user I'm starting to get really sick of the way Apple is handling business and Desktop computer design. Apple has anorexic design issues, and its hurting their machines.

March 2016, that is likely the year or the year after that the iPad 2 will no longer be able to handle newer Internet driven applications and wireless technologies well, and its age will start showing. 2017 and 2018 for sure. Until then....

 

[taradene]

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.

Very true, I also have the iPhone 6 and a macbook, but I do also have an iPad mini. I definitely don't see the need for the iPads with the larger screens because I have my macbook, but my 4 and 2 year old share the iPad mini, so that is my main reason for keeping it. They play their ABC mouse apps/learning apps on their so it's perfect for them. For me, I don't seem to find the need for it as its just a larger "iPhone" really.

 

[Luscious]

Unless iPads or tablets in general become bigger and more powerful, there isn't much of a need to update. My iPad works perfectly well as movie watching/game playing/web surfing portable machine.

You nailed it! I use my iPad primarily to consume content. Browsing the web, checking e-mail, watching videos, playing the occasional game, etc. There really isn't a reason to upgrade the device more often than every 3 - 4 years. Apple would have to do something radical with the iPad Air 3 when it arrives in the fall to get me to ditch the first generation iPad Air that I've got now. I'm not unwilling to upgrade but at this point simply upgrading because the new model is lighter or has newer / faster hardware isn't a good enough reason. I'm sure by the time the 4th Gen Air (or whatever they call it at that time) is released iOS will run so badly on the first generation iPad Air that I'll have to upgrade but until then Apple would need to do something more than an incremental update to convince me to upgrade.

 

[EightyTwenty]

So in 5-6 years you think it will be even?

Skipped a few math classes in grade school, eh?