iPad Momentum Falls Flat as Tablet Market Experiences First Year-Over-Year Decline

[bbeagle]

This is all about lack of innovation at Apple, a concern that has reportedly been discussed as high as the Apple board level. Milking profits out of their current products is a great short term strategy, but a failure as a long term strategy. And no, a watch that displays time for less than 3 hours a day won't solve the innovation problem.

Name any company competing with Apple that actually has used 'innovation' to sell products and create profit.

Why are you talking about Apple's watch only lasting 3 hours a day? It's the same (or better) than all other smart watches. (Excluding the Pebble which is using different technology). How is Apple NOT innovating while the others are? Makes no sense. It's just an easy straw man that means absolutely nothing.

 

[JAT]

Here is my blunt assessment of the tablet market.

The tablet form factor's main value was, from the start, to be a secondary or tertiary remote screen to a far more powerful desktop PC.

I don't understand your post. The iPad has always done this via Home Sharing. People don't seem to want this that much, they would rather consume directly from the internet because that can be anywhere. And it is a one-step process instead of 2 like you suggest.

 

[KdParker]

Well duh, it's because the iPhones are about as big as the tablets now.

This is more related to the fact that people aren't going to refreash the iPad every 2 or even 3 years. At the rate things are changing no i could see using the same iPad for 3 -5 years.

 

[wizard]

I think you are partly right here. The extra RAM only allows apps to stay active or tabs stay cached longer, it offers no truly new capabilities.

Well yes and no. More RAM does add new capabilities to the iPad because app can not swap data to backing store. So apps that need lots of RAM become possible or atleast far easier to implement. Effectively IPad has been opened up to a new class of apps due to the extra RAM.

It's faster. It runs the same apps in the same way as the iPad 3.

Faster is important especially if you sit in front of an iPad 3 waiting for refreshes to happen. It is a valuable feature because it is something people look for.

Your second statement is true. Apple has failed at creating really amazing first party apps for the iPad Air 2. Really, I think they need to cut A5 and A5X device support so developers can start moving forward.

The problem here is that many of these features don't need a huge boost in processor performance.

The one example here is the notes app. On Mac OS you can create basic lists real easy. On IOS this isn't supportted, even though the Mac OS app arrived much later than the IOS app. I use this as an example because one it is obvious and two the need should be easy to justify. Let's face it when you create notes you are often creating lists.

Touch ID is indeed new, but not a HUGE deal for me (personally).

You should see the problem here though, IPad Air 2 is the biggest IPad update in years but people go out of their way to say nothing worthwhile is in the new machine. I'm sitting here with an IPad 3 lusting after that power wonderin if people are blind. I just don't get the nothing new attitude when virtually nothing was left untouched in IPad Air 2.

 

[2IS]

Competition is tough. But good for customers as long as the manufacturers innovate.
no 1 wishlist for iPad : split-screen multitasking.

And about a $100-150 price drop across the models.

 

[dannyyankou]

iOS 9 should be mostly iPad focused, especially with the Pro tablet coming out.

 

[Carlanga]

tablet update cycles are longer similar to PC cycles, once the main base of users gets filled, momentum becomes driven by updates alone.

I think this is good news IMO, it might make tablets cheaper to drive update cycles.

 

[Michael Goff]

I'll bet this data includes very cheap tablets that aren't used for much more than watching video.

And the people who mainly use their iPad to watch video?

 

[trip1ex]

Tablets are the odd man out. Caught between a pc and phone. They are a luxury item.

When I think tablet I think a couch surfer that is easier on the eyes that is harder to find around the house than the remote control.

IF Apple can somehow let you magically plug an Ipad into a large monitor, keyboard/mouse and external storage then the consumer would have a reason to keep on top of the upgrades.

But as it is the tiny screen and lack of keyboard are detriments to productivity unless you a special use case so it's not a pc replacement.

Virtually no one is going to dump their phone for a tablet either.

The Ipad might be good for Jobs and Cook to type one word replies to email but not good for the rest of us.....except for the kid market. I bet a huge chunk of these are used by kids. Kids too young for a phone. We have a family iPad and it is my kid who uses it most.

Also I bet the other big chunk is old people who welcome the bigger screen and can hunt and peck type all day.

 

[wizard]

This is what I think Innovation means. Features we haven't thought of or a combination of features in an arrangement that hasn't been done before. Change in screen size- simply change. Touch id and Apple Pay- innovation.

Yep I agree which is why I ask what those mystery feature are and never get an answer. By the way IPad Air 3 is full of innovation so why people knock it for that is unknown.

In any event what a tablet is, is pretty well defined by IPad. So we come back to the question what is the innovation that is missing from IOS especially on an iPad? That is the questin I wish people would answer

 

[thekeyring]

I completely think they should add functionality. If you consider a macbook air, the macbook air is light, with USB ports, and can do so many other things it really doesn't make sense to have an ipad (for a generic user).

The surface 3 is quite the machine also in comparison (if you exclude price points). While it only took microsoft a couple of tries to get it right, but I think Microsoft might finally be learning to put out good hardware. Hololens with the next xbox??

It's worth nothing that the Surface Pro 3 is heavier than a MacBook Air, so I don't think it's possible to quite match laptop performance within a tablet, so it will always be a balancing act.

Edit: The Surface is lighter than the current MacBook Air, but I stand by my point: Much heavier than an iPad Air 2.

But, yes, I want Apple to do something that means developers look upon iPad as equal to Windows and OS X. You'd go to Adobe's website and see Creative Cloud for Windows, Mac and iPad. Or to Autodesk's website and see Maya for Windows, Mac and iPad. Or to Apple's Website: Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, Logic Pro, Compressor 4, MainStage 3 for Mac and iPad.

I'm hoping, if the iPad Pro is real, that Apple introduces all of this for the iPad Air 2 and then unveils iPad Pro, rather than using it as a selling point for the iPad Pro.

This will help it compete with Android tablets, and differentiate the iPad from iPhone.

 

[2IS]

You should see the problem here though, IPad Air 2 is the biggest IPad update in years but people go out of their way to say nothing worthwhile is in the new machine. I'm sitting here with an IPad 3 lusting after that power wonderin if people are blind. I just don't get the nothing new attitude when virtually nothing was left untouched in IPad Air 2.

The Air 2 was indeed a nice (and much needed) spec bump to the iPad, but iOS is still not a very productive OS compared to OSX or Windows. Yes, I know it was never intended to be, but it's not even close. For many people, myself included, dropping another $800+ for a new iPad that does the same thing as their older iPad, just a little bit faster, is out of the question.

 

[Michael Goff]

It's worth nothing that the Surface Pro 3 is heavier than a MacBook Air, so I don't think it's possible to quite match laptop performance within a tablet, so it will always be a balancing act.

But, yes, I want Apple to do something that means developers look upon iPad as equal to Windows and OS X. Go to Adobe's website and see Creative Cloud for Windows, Mac and iPad. Go to Autodesk's website and see Maya for Windows, Mac and iPad.

This will help it compete with Android tablets, too.

Since when is 2.42 (that's with keyboard) more than 2.96?

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

I'll bet this data includes very cheap tablets that aren't used for much more than watching video.

This is part of the problem..... most iPads are used in the same way, that's why lot's of people save $400 and go with the cheap tablet.

 

[nfl46]

Honestly, I have no need for a tablet, when I can purchase another iPhone 6 Plus.

 

[Traverse]

The one example here is the notes app. On Mac OS you can create basic lists real easy. On IOS this isn't supportted, even though the Mac OS app arrived much later than the IOS app. I use this as an example because one it is obvious and two the need should be easy to justify. Let's face it when you create notes you are often creating lists.

That is an excellent point and I have wondered the same thing. I wasted 30 minutes trying to figure out how to make lists in the iOS app not believe they'd leave such a basic feature out of the iOS app when it is in the Mac app.

You should see the problem here though, IPad Air 2 is the biggest IPad update in years but people go out of their way to say nothing worthwhile is in the new machine. I'm sitting here with an IPad 3 lusting after that power wonderin if people are blind. I just don't get the nothing new attitude when virtually nothing was left untouched in IPad Air 2.

The difference arises from how you view "new." If you view new in terms of physical device then you're right. It's thinner, it's faster, it has a nicer screen, it's lighter, and has touch ID. It is an impressive upgrade.

However, some people view new in terms of capabilities and as of right now the iPad Air 2 can't do much more than the previous generations. That is more a software problem and a developer stalling issue. This is why I think Apple should drop A5 devices. Yes, the extra RAM offers a new playing field of potential, but developers can't support JUST the iPad Air 2. As long as developers have to support 2011 hardware they will not be able to leverage 2014 hardware affectively. This is a larger issue when tech is evlovling as fast as it has been in the mobile field recently. Unfortunately, this would also create fragmentation problems that Apple tries to avoid.

 

[2IS]

Since when is 2.42 (that's with keyboard) more than 2.96?

Since people heard someone on the internet say it (probably about the original Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2) and they just carry that information with them to all the new models. That would be my guess.

 

[MaxinMusicCity]

Probably didn't help that the ipad mini 3 is the same exact thing as the ipad mini 2

THAT was the screwup. The Mini 3 SHOULD have had the same bumps as the Air 2. I would have upgraded if THAT had been done. The fingerprint feature alone just wasn't enough to make me move up

 

[scott911]

Tim: Be carefully of the chicken and egg analysis.

It may be easy to say," Look ipad mini sales have fallen- people don't want that size."

But for me, I didn't buy the mini because you didn't give me an upgrade remotely worth buying.

This is the third apple product in a row that I ended up NOT buying:

#1 above mentioned Ipad mini 3.
#2 Mac Mini (I was waiting for YEARS to buy a sweet mac mini on launch day - and decided against it - you know why.) And no - it didn't drive me to get a Pro or imac.
#3 Apple tv (I went with Roku because I couldn't stomach the apathy & lack of progress in the apple TV device - and discovered roku's pretty darn great BTW...

Where's the excitement with apple products, the innovations? Frankly, I'd be happy if you just kept up...

 

[jsagurton]

It's been echoed by a lot of other people here, but I think part of it is the market becoming saturated, and another part of it is that it's a luxury item. I bought the 1st gen and used it for a little while, and very quickly I often realized it was just sitting in a drawer for weeks or months at a time. Finally I just gave it to my mother.

I've been considering picking another one up now that I'm in grad school since most of my books are PDFs, but I can read them on my MBP, and while it's not as good of an experience, I also think an iPad is awfully expensive for something that doesn't add new functionality for me, just convenience.

I also feel they haven't done much in terms of software features to differentiate the iPad. It's still essentially a big iPod Touch. If I could multitask or write/compile code on it, I would probably consider it, but as it stands now, if I pick one up it'll be for pure convenience. It's not like my iPhone or Mac that I consider essential or adding new functionality otherwise not possible.

 

[2IS]

However, some people view new in terms of capabilities and as of right now the iPad Air 2 can't do much more than the previous generations. That is more a software problem and a developer stalling issue. This is why I think Apple should drop A5 devices. Yes, the extra RAM offers a new playing field of potential, but developers can't support JUST the iPad Air 2. As long as developers have to support 2011 hardware they will not be able to leverage 2014 hardware affectively. This is a larger issue when tech is evlovling as fast as it has been in the mobile field recently. Unfortunately, this would also create fragmentation problems that Apple tries to avoid.

Apple has never really been afraid to implement this type of fragmentation though. They introduced SIRI with the 4S but didn't make it available on the 4. The iPhone 6 Plus has features that the 6 does not also. Just seems like they are getting exceedingly lazy and stubborn with iOS development. There are tons of ideas out there for them, they just aren't doing anything with it. I don't know if it's because they don't want to appear to copy Android, or if they're being stubborn by trying to adhere to the SJ mentality of they know what consumers want better than consumers know what they want. Whatever the case may be, they aren't coming up with any original ideas for the last several years.

 

[Lotusman]

Wrong, and please show me where to buy a 9.7" iPhone

It's just possible he was being ironic...

 

[redhawk87]

Looks like to me, cheap android tablets are on the rise. Just my two cents, but this tells me that people do not want a tablet to replace their laptop. They just want something bigger than their phone to play games on and do not want to spend $300+ to do so. I think apple will need to come out with an iPad that can truly replace a laptop. This will ultimately redefine the tablet market once again and increase the iPads market share. The iPad pro might be that kind of tablet.

 

[bobr1952]

I still use my iPad Air at home more than my new iPhone 6. Just the right size for me to read the news and Kindle books. And now I can answer and make calls--and send SMS messages. Laptop is not suitable to do those things for me--and iPhone is still a bit too small. But I have no intention of replacing my iPad unless something goes wrong with it or it just gets too sluggish. It is only a year old now--so I expect to keep it for some time--and I'm sure I am not alone here--hence the decline in sales.

 

[Technarchy]

I don't see a huge concern.

People don't have a year over year need to upgrade iPads, less people are buying iPads because the pool of customers is smaller than previous years.

We will see a spike in sales when people see a reason to not fence sit on upgrades, and that would require Apple to create a compelling reason to cause a mass grab for new devices.