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iPad Sales May Decline to Lowest Quarterly Level Since 2011
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My tablet is is now more than 5 years old. It still works fine although there are noticeable (and sometimes bothersome) lags and stutters. However, it still serves the purpose very well - carrying multiple PDF documents, reading PDF documents, light word processing, streaming movies, storing movies, etc. I am planning to use it until it no longer functions at all. I, and many others in my social circle with older tablets, don't just feel enticed to upgrade to newer tablets. And shockingly, quite a number of them gradually stopped using tablets...
I travel to Europe 3 to 4 times a year and I find my cellular iPad to be invaluable - I swap out the sims in both my iPad and iPhone and everything is good to go for the time I'm there.
I've been an iOS fanatic back since before it was even called iOS (first iPhone back in 2007). I loved it so much that it inspired me to get into software development which is now my full time job.
But recently I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and it is far superior to the iPad. It is significantly cheaper ($350), thinner (believe it or not), has a much better looking display (AMOLED), and comes with 32GB storage AND a microsd slot.
Best of all, Android is so much better for power users like myself, we can do SO much in Android that we simply can't do in iOS. I can understand the security aspect, which is why I won't stress this point too much. But I can use torrent apps, the apps can get hardware level access to WiFi to show me excellent WiFi statistics, I can even program on ANY computer (unlike Xcode which only runs on OS X). All of these things simply arent possible in iOS.
I could forgive that, after all, less savvy users can have problems with malware in Android (rare but it happens) so I can forgive the walled garden. But what I can NOT and will not forgive is the fact that Apple has held back technological progress for the majority of their users because of pure and simple greed. While the rest of the industry is bringing the benefits of technological advances to their users (either by dropping prices or increasing capscity), Apple has kept the iPad at 16GB for SIX YEARS RUNNING! It would quite literally cost pennies to move to 32GB (literally, we're talking pennies now). NAND storage technology has improved dramatically over the past few years.
But somehow, the incompetent, clueless MBA executive types at Apple can't quite figure out how to keep their profit margins high without making the base model completely and utterly useless. Seriously, a 16GB tablet in the year 2016 (for $500!!!!) Isn't just wrong, it's downright inexcusable and unforgivable.
If Apple really cant understand why people arent buying this garbage they call an iPad, then they need to get their collective heads examined. The iPad Air was dead on arrival. I was sick of paying $100 extra to get a functional iPad 2 years ago. But it's the year 2016 now, and there's simply no excuse. I will not be buying an iPad for a very, very long time.
But recently I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and it is far superior to the iPad. It is significantly cheaper ($350), thinner (believe it or not), has a much better looking display (AMOLED), and comes with 32GB storage AND a microsd slot.
Best of all, Android is so much better for power users like myself, we can do SO much in Android that we simply can't do in iOS. I can understand the security aspect, which is why I won't stress this point too much. But I can use torrent apps, the apps can get hardware level access to WiFi to show me excellent WiFi statistics, I can even program on ANY computer (unlike Xcode which only runs on OS X). All of these things simply arent possible in iOS.
I could forgive that, after all, less savvy users can have problems with malware in Android (rare but it happens) so I can forgive the walled garden. But what I can NOT and will not forgive is the fact that Apple has held back technological progress for the majority of their users because of pure and simple greed. While the rest of the industry is bringing the benefits of technological advances to their users (either by dropping prices or increasing capscity), Apple has kept the iPad at 16GB for SIX YEARS RUNNING! It would quite literally cost pennies to move to 32GB (literally, we're talking pennies now). NAND storage technology has improved dramatically over the past few years.
But somehow, the incompetent, clueless MBA executive types at Apple can't quite figure out how to keep their profit margins high without making the base model completely and utterly useless. Seriously, a 16GB tablet in the year 2016 (for $500!!!!) Isn't just wrong, it's downright inexcusable and unforgivable.
If Apple really cant understand why people arent buying this garbage they call an iPad, then they need to get their collective heads examined. The iPad Air was dead on arrival. I was sick of paying $100 extra to get a functional iPad 2 years ago. But it's the year 2016 now, and there's simply no excuse. I will not be buying an iPad for a very, very long time.
This was resolved in a Surface Pro 4 firmware and driver pack today on Windows update. The problem was in part due to poor Intel SkyLake Drivers.
https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/surface-pro-4-update-history
File access or a sandboxed area where you can copy files to that are accessable by all apps. Ability to change defaults like Safari or Music..or Youtube etc.. A usb port or microsd that allows copying or moving files to and from. It would be nice to have a movie collection on a usb stick if the iPad had a port and allowed access. I don't really use a keyboard but I imagine some might like mouse support as well and I can see that being handy at times. My iPad as it is is only used for media consumption. If I need to do anything serious I'm still stuck using my computer. Apple would do well if they allowed some customizing I think. Anyway thats all I can think of atm.
Now that the novelty has worn off the "magical and revolutionary" claim made by SJ isn't so magical. A handy device but certainly not essential. Flagging sales will continue to diminish.
Ship it when it's ready! The Surface Pro 4 is 999 EUR minimum for crying out loud.
You make some good points. I'll be surprised if Apple does any of this in the near future, but we can always hope. I think Microsoft did a good job with the Surface Pro 4 and it may be a while before Apple does something similar.
Apple has sold less fewer than 10 million tablets in a single quarter six times.
Sorry, couldn't let it slide. *grammarnazi*
Sorry, couldn't let it slide. *grammarnazi*
yes market saturation is always a problem - plus they are lot harder to loose than an iPhone
There is just no compelling reason to upgrade unless the screen cracks... Maybe they should make the screen a bit more brittle to encourage more frequent upgrades.
Can you say market saturation? That's a good thing. Hopefully Apple iOS the ante with more storage for less, price drops (not counting on it), etc.
To get me to replace my 4 year old iPad 3 Apple needs to entice me more. I'd consider buying an iPad Pro 2 if they add A10X chip, make it lighter, make 64 GB the new 32 GB, and add USB Type-C. Throwing in 3D Touch wouldn't hurt.
Otherwise, I'm fine with my iPad 3 and Surface Pro 3.
Otherwise, I'm fine with my iPad 3 and Surface Pro 3.
If it was iPad specific in regarding declining sales sure, but tablets all around seem to be down. Explain that?
I was never interested in an iPad , they just seemed like larger iPhones. iPad pro seems interesting with the amout of power it has and pencil but honestly it's still not as compelling as a mac book pro .
I recently upgraded to a 6S+ and I feel that this huge screen is fine . iPads don't have 3D Touch or Live Photos and not something I can put in my jeans pocket . I remember many people where saying the same thing with 6+ that it made iPad less relevant and the 6S+ is more so a iPad killer with more features. I can read books and watch movies on my 6S+ and it's a great phone.
For iPad to be more successful they need to stand out more .
I recently upgraded to a 6S+ and I feel that this huge screen is fine . iPads don't have 3D Touch or Live Photos and not something I can put in my jeans pocket . I remember many people where saying the same thing with 6+ that it made iPad less relevant and the 6S+ is more so a iPad killer with more features. I can read books and watch movies on my 6S+ and it's a great phone.
For iPad to be more successful they need to stand out more .
My take is that "nobody" upgrades iPads and it shows. Nobody does that because of iOS.
I still think that iOS number one problem comes from the lack (or difficulty) to access files. I can easily live with less featured apps (in fact most people don't use all the features), I can leave with full screen (anyway, it's too small to multi task) and I can even live with the expanded phone interface (I can still launch my apps)
I can not live with jumping hoops to move work from one app to the other and similar situations.
Without confidence on the iPad some this light work I won't buy a keyboard and will keep using it for Netflix. When it breaks It will be replaced be some other tablet that has a good enough screen. Unless Apple does something about iOS...
I still think that iOS number one problem comes from the lack (or difficulty) to access files. I can easily live with less featured apps (in fact most people don't use all the features), I can leave with full screen (anyway, it's too small to multi task) and I can even live with the expanded phone interface (I can still launch my apps)
I can not live with jumping hoops to move work from one app to the other and similar situations.
Without confidence on the iPad some this light work I won't buy a keyboard and will keep using it for Netflix. When it breaks It will be replaced be some other tablet that has a good enough screen. Unless Apple does something about iOS...
You are speaking an unfortunate truth.
I've got a nice setup with my Air 2 + Belkin Qode Ultrathin keyboard cover + DotPen stylus, iOS 9 splitwindow (and apps that support it). I have re-arranged my workflow to use the latest versions of the iWork apps so that I can easily go between iPad/MBA/iMac via iCloud. For the short time that iCloud drive works, it's beautiful. But it never fails that after a few times a file syncs, it no longer syncs ANY files. That's when I give up and try alternatives (that don't work as well as iCloud does when iCloud works). I then go back to try iCloud again... works fine for a while, then stops.
You can already do that. I keep movies on sd cards, and then use a wireless sdcard reader, the RavPower Filehub. Their app is a full file browser, and it launches the movies in the native iOS videos app. Works great.
The last thing the iPad needs is USB jacks. You have to move your thinking on computing forward about 20 years.
This in a nutshell, is the entirety of the problem right here. People are myopic and unable to understand forward thinking progress. If these people were in charge, we would still be using cassette tapes and floppy disks
