iPad Declines Yet Again Amid Worst Tablet Quarter Since 2012

[gsmornot]

The drop in iPad sales is a small concern compared with a drop in iPhone sales. The bulk of the income comes from phones, then MAC's, then services, and then down near the end iPad's and other things like watches. Generally, I have slowed my drive to collect tech in these areas along with everyone else and have held on to things longer than I used to. My reason is hardware has reached the point for me that as I use it, I don't feel its holding me back. New features and more speed are nice but I don't need a sports car to grab a few things from the store if you get my analogy. I'm perfectly comfortable where I am. I do still plan to update my phone each year but not my iPad nor my MAC's.

 

[boccabella]

Says the company that predicted Windows Phone would surpass iPhone by 2016.

 

[soupcan]

Right, how many low-end $150 tablets are in there?

If you want to compare tablet market share do it in the category they fall in. iPads are high-end tablets, so compare it to other high-end tablets. Same with the smartphone marketshare. iPhones are high-end phones, so compare them to the high-end offerings of competitors and not the low-end junk that comprises of Android 4.0 $50 "smartphones".

 

[b0nd18t]

I really question how raising the price of the most popular size iPad and not adding many compelling features (after a long hiatus) was a good idea to boost sales

 

[dumastudetto]

Apple doesn't know what their doing. They take a product that's continues to downward spiral and they have the nerve to increase the base cost by $100 for the 9.7" just because they added the word pro to the end of the name. What a bunch of idiots!

They have accepted it has a longer upgrade cycle, so to make up for it a bit they have increased prices and gone even higher on the 12.9. Cook expects “to see our best iPad revenue comparison in over two years" in the next quarter. This suggests the strategy will start paying off.

 

[samcraig]

Lol, & can you give me even a single example of an instance where for a business application, it's better to have that full desktop OS running on a tablet which it's ill suited for, as opposed to a more traditional "real" laptop??
The convertible tablets are a solution in search of a problem... a notebook/tablet hybrid for ONLY (wait for it...) the price of both a tablet & a notebook put together!
Wow. Awesome.

A very narrow view. No one NEEDS a tablet either. These are luxury items. You can easily say that a tablet in general is a solution in search of a problem when you talk (only) about price.

Fact is - there's a market for a media consumption device and also a market for productivity. That doesn't make one a search for a problem vs the other. It just makes them different for people with different use cases

 

[cdmoore74]

i assume they expected it to drop either way so now they can make more money with a single purchase

Only a fool would do this. If that was the case a 32" LCD TV would be $1500.

 

[joueboy]

Since I've been using iPhone 6S Plus I never miss my iPad. I got the iPad Air 2 when I was using my iPhone 5. But since the upgrade I sold it because I hardly use it anymore.

 

[navaira]

The important news here for me is:
1. Huawei makes tablets?
2. I didn't expect that Microsoft would be in "Other" with less than 1.5m sales – guess reading MF where so many people can't stop talking about how good Surface is skewed my idea of how well it is actually doing.

 

[Statelymwhite]

My iPad is primarily used for Safari and the NYT crossword puzzle app. It wasn't always this way, but this is what it's been for the past year or so.

If I'm ever in the market for another tablet, I'll be looking for something much less expensive because my needs are so simple. Five years ago there were no other such tablets. Now there are plenty.

 

[iGeek2014]

Until the latest iPad does something appreciably different or better than an older model or a competitor, people aren't going to upgrade. My folks have an iPad 2 they got in 2011. Yes, it's slower and heavier than my Air 2, but it still does all the same things (web, email, movies, etc). The pencil support in the latest iPads might change things for some people. But the high starting price for the 12.9" version and the $100 price increase for the 9.7" version is going to deter a lot of people (myself included).

At the end of the day, Apple's iPad is being handicapped by its own superb hardware coupled with its utter lack of innovation in software, meaning there isn't much incentive to upgrade. Newer iPads don't really do anything new, only faster. The new strategy of increasing prices on everything from cases to the iPads themselves is only going to hurt sales more (as it rightly should). I guess Apple has decided they're better off trying to wring as much money out of the few people who are buying new iPads rather than innovating to drive more people to buy the product. Not a good strategy long term.

I agree with the software part. It's taken Apple this long to add features such as "side by side" and "picture in picture".

On the recent Sam Beckett/MacStories iOS 10 concept they'd demo'd some great features iPad would be great with; know it's a concept and Apple will be working on the next version already but they appeared to be useful.

I'm very happy with my iPad Pro and like many others it'll be a couple of years before I upgrade again.

Given that tablets are ten a penny then it's no real surprise market share is stalling.

 

[ssgbryan]

I am not surprised. My family are still using iPad 2s that I purchased for us on launch day. Apple hasn't come up with a single reason to upgrade.

 

[Soccertess]

without a file system and inability to run a full OS, it's definitely not worth it.

You are better off getting a macbook air or a silly macbook. Personally I think the reason why the macbook air hasn't had it's screen and form factor updates is that it would destroy macbook sales.

Just imagine a macbook air without the silly benzels!

 

[trifid]

iPad has too little, too late, too expensive.

USB 2? Still 1 port, no storage expandability, 32GB default on a true "Pro" device is a joke.

iOS is stuck in the past, handicapped and inadequate for Pro use and larger screens.

Apple played it safe, was arrogant and greedy and they are paying the price.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I don't know what table you are looking at, but the data presented here in this article shows that Microsoft is pretty much dead in the water for tablets.

Their current 'tablet' is more of an anemic desktop wannabe, rather than an 'iPad killer'.

For one, you basically have to have the keyboard, and two, you almost have to have a mouse. Try juggling a 'tablet' with a keyboard AND a mouse, on your lap, or while standing/lying down/living...

And, their adverts make it seem like THEY invented touchscreen tablets. Um, no...

 

[seatton]

Tim Cook has repeatedly claimed that there is plenty of innovation to be had in iPad, and yet we've seen none of it.

1) First, now they have a new color in Rose Gold
2) Now it is "Air 3" to the "Pro" moniker

I think this is innovative enough. Can't you see? /s

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

1) First, now they have a new color in Rose Gold
2) Now it is "Air 3" to the "Pro" moniker

I think this is innovative enough. Can't you see? /s

AND they don't do the Lightning ports anymore. Progress, right?

At some point, they will have to acknowledge the yearly march they are on of releasing a 'new' product each year is just nuts.

Another troubling thing I'm seeing is that multiple industries are saying that their sales are down. From computers, to bicycling, to clothes, it's looking like people are not feeling very confident about the future, or they have just plain run out of money. It's going to be a rough next few years I'd wager.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I guess I see this differently. I love my iPad Pro 12.9". I edit pictures, create blog posts, and write novels just fine. I do also have a desktop, but the iPad has completely replaced any need for a laptop. Try to create some content and you might just be surprised.

 

[mw360]

without a file system and inability to run a full OS, it's definitely not worth it.

You are better off getting a macbook air or a silly macbook. Personally I think the reason why the macbook air hasn't had it's screen and form factor updates is that it would destroy macbook sales.

Just imagine a macbook air without the silly benzels!

Turning tablets into laptops is no solution to anything. We already have laptops. Tablets beat laptops for ease of use in certain tasks precisely because they don't have a file system or a 'full' OS. The problem is that set of tasks isn't getting any bigger or more professional.

 

[ghost187]

If there is one thing my iPad might not be able to do, than I must carry my MacBook as well. Therefore, if I must choose, it's my MacBook every time.

The good news Tim is that you can literally fix iPad sales with an OTA update. (Though it has to be a hefty update with significant amount of new features)

 

[Traverse]

Tim Cook has repeatedly claimed that there is plenty of innovation to be had in iPad, and yet we've seen none of it.

Apple Pencil

 

[samcraig]

Their current 'tablet' is more of an anemic desktop wannabe, rather than an 'iPad killer'.

For one, you basically have to have the keyboard, and two, you almost have to have a mouse. Try juggling a 'tablet' with a keyboard AND a mouse, on your lap, or while standing/lying down/living...

And, their adverts make it seem like THEY invented touchscreen tablets. Um, no...

On the flip side - for someone that wants great portability whether they are traveling or in an apt where they don't want to take up real estate, the Surface is a fine piece of tech even having to use a keyboard/mouse. Different use cases for different people. Why would you think a tablet is only for lap computing?

Also, Microsoft can claim touchscreen tablets if they want. It's not too far from the truth: http://www.businessinsider.com/here...w-badly-microsoft-blew-it-with-tablets-2013-5

Apple certainly makes it sound like they've invented a lot of things they haven't.

 

[Stella]

I'd use my iPad more if apps were more functional.

Also, I find I use my iPhone over the iPad. It's the screen size that is more usable than previous iPhone.

 

[goobot]

Kicking out Forstall is really biting Apple in the ass.

 

[niun]

Their current 'tablet' is more of an anemic desktop wannabe, rather than an 'iPad killer'.

For one, you basically have to have the keyboard, and two, you almost have to have a mouse. Try juggling a 'tablet' with a keyboard AND a mouse, on your lap, or while standing/lying down/living...
.

Funny. I can't remember when MS marketed the Surface as an iPad killer.
It was always put up against the MacBook Air / MacBook.
Because. You know. It's a fully functional laptop that can also be a tablet.
Best of both worlds with the restrictions of neither.