Strong 10.2-inch iPad Sales Extended Apple's Global Market Lead, According to IDC

[PickUrPoison]

I just hope they don’t take three years again to update the iPad Air.

Not sure. There was definitely no point in a bump to A13 last year. Maybe A14 this fall?
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I seriously didnt like the ipad family mess, ipads......ipad airs.......ipad pros11.....ipadpros12.....kind of appears as a mess. i hope they simply.

Is it really a mess? If you want a small iPad, you only have one choice. If you want a large one, again, there’s only one choice.

Sure, in the 10-11” display size, there are three options, as mentioned:

Good, better, best.
$329, $499, $799.
iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro

Which model(s) would you eliminate to simplify the lineup?

 

[Dwalls90]

I recently bought a 10.2 on sale. My iPad 2 was limiting what I wanted to do. The iPad 7 was perfect for my usage and I love the size. So I don't care if the hardware is inferior to a 2016 iPad Pro.

Again, as indicated in my original post, I wasn’t commenting on what makes an iPad great, but rather helping folks understand why it can be priced so cheap. The tech is 4+ years old.

 

[I7guy]

Again, as indicated in my original post, I wasn’t commenting on what makes an iPad great, but rather helping folks understand why it can be priced so cheap. The tech is 4+ years old.

I understand, but this is my observation on top of the commentary in your post.

That this is four-year old hardware doesn’t make a difference for my use case (and for some it may), and it does support the keyboard and pencil. I would have liked the anti-glare screen though.

 

[smulji]

The entry level iPad is a good device, and often on sale for quite a bit less. (It’s $250 right now at Amazon, Best Buy and Target.) It’s a really good iPad at a great price, and I’m not at all surprised it sells so well. It’s an excellent value, and suitable for most users.

But those who can spend more get more. The Air is definitely a better iPad, but whether the various upgrades are “worth it” depends on who you talk to.

For some, especially those who had an Air previously, the screen alone is a must have. An A12 vs. an A10 is not a big deal with respect to processing power, but will give you at least two additional years of OS updates a few years from now, and has the neural processor which enables certain capabilities.

Other upgrades for the Air include a 7 MP front camera vs. 1.2 MP, 64 GB vs. 32 GB of base storage, and the faster second generation TouchID. Other small upgrades, like faster WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0, wouldn’t really be noticeable.

But it’s hard to look at the base iPad and say it’s not good enough—because it is. It’s a big reason why Apple grew their market share 22% in 4Q2019 year over year (according to IDC, anyway). And at $250, it’s a steal. Or at $329, really.

If Apple wants to do justice to the iPad Air model, they should make it more compelling:

Same form factor as iPad Pro
11"
A13 SoC
LCD Display w / True Tone (no Pro Motion)
FaceID
Quad-speakers
Pencil 2 support
$599 Starting price

It would be what the iPhone 11 is to the iPhone 11 Pro => a modern design but with less high-end specs.

 

[PickUrPoison]

If Apple wants to do justice to the iPad Air model, they should make it more compelling:

Same form factor as iPad Pro
11"
A13 SoC
LCD Display w / True Tone (no Pro Motion)
FaceID
Quad-speakers
Pencil 2 support
$599 Starting price

It would be what the iPhone 11 is to the iPhone 11 Pro => a modern design but with less high-end specs.

You’re describing a cheaper Pro much more than you are a better Air. Taking into account its cannibalizing effect on iPad Pro, that’s a $699 or even $749 device. And there’s basically no (marketing) differentiation between that and the Pro; just ProMotion? Not worth $200.

Sure as a customer I’d love a cheaper Pro but I don’t think it works for Apple.

 

[smulji]

You’re describing a cheaper Pro much more than you are a better Air. Taking into account its cannibalizing effect on iPad Pro, that’s a $699 or even $749 device. And there’s basically no (marketing) differentiation between that and the Pro; just ProMotion? Not worth $200.

Sure as a customer I’d love a cheaper Pro but I don’t think it works for Apple.

ProMotion Display is one. A much faster processor is another. Plus there's the rear camera. The Pro more than likely would get the 3D ToF AR-based rear camera. The Air would not.

The situation would be no different than iPhone 11 / iPhone Pro. The only features separating those two devices are the screen and the camera and yet the base Pro model sells for $300 more than the iPhone. And yet it hasn't hurt the popularity of the Pro or has Apple worried about cannibalization. I think it can work. As it stands now, the iPad 7 is seriously cannibalizing sales of the iPad Air 3.

 

[The Game 161]

The iPad is the best tablet - yes.
Doesn’t help the fact that Tablets just suck. I like MacBooks.

why do they suck? I could argue iPads are apple's best product. tablets are needed for almost everybody.

 

[PickUrPoison]

ProMotion Display is one. A much faster processor is another. Plus there's the rear camera. The Pro more than likely would get the 3D ToF AR-based rear camera. The Air would not.

The situation would be no different than iPhone 11 / iPhone Pro. The only features separating those two devices are the screen and the camera and yet the base Pro model sells for $300 more than the iPhone. And yet it hasn't hurt the popularity of the Pro or has Apple worried about cannibalization. I think it can work. As it stands now, the iPad 7 is seriously cannibalizing sales of the iPad Air 3.

iPad 7 isn’t seriously cannibalizing iPad Air 3, the Air was brought out after the $329 iPad to peel off some of its customers. They came up with a series of differentiating features that made it “worth” the extra $170 to maybe 10% of iPad buyers to move up.

Between Air and 11” Pro they have another set of features that make it worth it for again maybe 10% of iPad buyers to pay an extra $300—same as iPhone 11 vs. 11 Pro.

You can’t take 90% of the feature set from the Pro and migrate them down-model without taking 90% of the buyers with it. A13 vs. A13X and rear camera that few use vs. camera few still use, plus ProMotion, isn’t worth a $200 premium.

Who would buy that Pro? Most would buy the hypothetical $599 Air, which Apple would make less profit margin than the current Air by far. You’ve taken all the most attractive features of the Pro—and costly ones at that—and given them away for $100. Apple would never do that. That’s at least a $699 iPad.

And now your left with a Pro that has a slightly faster processor that few need, a rear camera upgrade that few want, and a display feature like ProMotion that’s a marginal upgrade to an already excellent display? No volume at your highest price point and no uptake of the AR camera package Apple wants to proliferate. Sorry but it’s a product management disaster.

 

[Mainsail]

Last Spring, I bought a new iPad Air 3 plus Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. I used it until Fall and then gave it to my wife. She had an old iPad that used every day, so it was a great upgrade for her. She just uses it as a regular tablet, without pencil or keyboard. Anyway, I bought a 2019 MBA, so I figured the iPad plus accessories was kind of redundant. My wife told me I was being stupid and that I would miss the iPad. I told her I knew what I was doing.

Apple releases the 10.2.
It goes on sale for $250 during the holidays
I buy one for myself as a Xmas gift
My wife rolls her eyes

So, now I am back to using an iPad with ASK and Pencil, since the ones I bought for the Air 3 are compatible with the 10.2. Bottom-line: I honestly don’t notice much difference between the Air 3 and the entry iPad. I know there are differences in specs, screen, Touch ID, etc... But, they have yet to be a noticeable to me. The base iPad has 32GB storage vs 64GB for the Air 3. So far, it’s not an issue, but it could be a problem down the road. Anyway, in my case, I think the $250 sale price definitely pulled me away from buying a replacement Air 3 For $500.

 

[smulji]

Last Spring, I bought a new iPad Air 3 plus Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. I used it until Fall and then gave it to my wife. She had an old iPad that used every day, so it was a great upgrade for her. She just uses it as a regular tablet, without pencil or keyboard. Anyway, I bought a 2019 MBA, so I figured the iPad plus accessories was kind of redundant. My wife told me I was being stupid and that I would miss the iPad. I told her I knew what I was doing.

Apple releases the 10.2.
It goes on sale for $250 during the holidays
I buy one for myself as a Xmas gift
My wife rolls her eyes

So, now I am back to using an iPad with ASK and Pencil, since the ones I bought for the Air 3 are compatible with the 10.2. Bottom-line: I honestly don’t notice much difference between the Air 3 and the entry iPad. I know there are differences in specs, screen, Touch ID, etc... But, they have yet to be a noticeable to me. The base iPad has 32GB storage vs 64GB for the Air 3. So far, it’s not an issue, but it could be a problem down the road. Anyway, in my case, I think the $250 sale price definitely pulled me away from buying a replacement Air 3 For $500.

Considering that 65% of people who purchased an iPad last quarter got the iPad 10.2, you're far from the only who thinks that.