After peaking in 2013, the downward trend in iPad sales it is a fact. In this regard, there are many opinions, being the great offer of tablets on the market and the expansion in time of the renewals of the users already the most argued causes, however Seth weintraub de 9to5Mac It is much clearer: "Apple has done more damage to the sales of the iPad than any external factor, such as Microsoft or Google" and gives us ten solid reasons that we will explain next.
1.The iPhone 6 Plus makes sense of the iPad Mini
It is a fairly general opinion: the iPhone 6 Plus cannibalizes iPad Mini. Weintraub believes that this is only partially true and that the reason lies in the prices, since most users buy their iPhones subsidized by mobile phone operators, which ends up equaling the price of both devices which, together with their little difference in size, does its bit to the fall in sales of the iPad.
Phablets Vs. Tablets, A clear cannibalization | SOURCE IDC, Company Data
2.The poor last update
The latest update of iPad Mini it's been really limited. 100 dollars or euros more for incorporating Touch ID or having a gold case is not an incentive for users to change their iPad even more considering that, for 100 euros more, you can have the new one iPad Air 2, much faster, powerful, lighter. In addition, Weintraub adds that users happy with the iPad Air Nor is it an incentive for them to spend 100 euros to update their iPad just to incorporate Touch ID.
3.The MacBook
Another reason could be the impact of the new macbook, tremendously powerful, thin, light and, therefore, portable, and that could make many users, when choosing, opt for it since there are things that they will not be able to do with the iPad, but with the MacBook. This reason is strengthened when we refer to MacBook Air prices come into play even more: a 128GB MacBooks Air costs € 999 while a 128GB iPad costs € 689, a difference of € 300 that, given its greater utility, may encourage opting for the laptop in case of having to choose, even more so if we look at the offers that we frequently find in distributors.
4.Functions that do not arrive
Mainly a real multitasking that allows more than one app to be used simultaneously in the iPad, along with other features of a laptop that Apple has not yet implemented in its tablet, makes the advantages that the iPad could have over the laptop are reduced.
5.Microsoft's growth in the professional sector
The hybrid equipment that they are still tablets and do not take the form of a MacBook, are allowing Microsoft to penetrate among professionals who find this model simply more useful. It is also about good teams, we cannot deny it. Weintraub has something to ponder about this: "Yes, I know Apple's philosophy is not to marry toasters and refrigerators, but tablets and laptops aren't that different anymore."
6.Chromebooks in education
The teams Google Chromebooks are eating Apple's ground in education and ironically the appeal of iPad is partially responsible. Weintraub's account as a systems administrator for a large school district told him that the iPad trials went something like this: 100 iPads were given to 4th grade students. After a month, more than 50% of them were lost, others had been broken, while 10% were jailbroken. At the same time, with a similar Chromebook rollout, only 10% were lost, some of them broke, and none of them were hacked (although they are certainly hackable). "Give children free iPads and they will have a tendency to disappear or be manipulated for their own benefit."
7.The price
"Apple could sell the iPad at a lower price if it really wanted to". In fact, Weintraub points out how many retailers sell the iPad Air 2 from $ 130 cheaper than Apple and up to $ 200 for the higher capacity model. This is also a reality in Spain, sometimes it is just a matter of searching. We frequently find in chains like MediaMarkt and others that an iPad costs € 30-40 less; This difference does not compensate for not buying it directly from Apple (or maybe yes, that is personal matter of each one) however, I myself bought my iPad Air 2 just released for almost € 100 less, a discount that reached € 140 for the 128GB model. Why then does Apple not sell it at a lower price?
To this must be added his capacity: the base 16GB falls short for many users, however Apple, if it wanted, could effortlessly start offering for the same price a basic starting model of at least 32GB. Let's be realistic, 16GB of memory does not cost the € 100 that Apple charges for them.
8.Killer App
There are many applications for which you need an iPhone (an example that we all know, WhatsApp), and many others for which you need a MacBook, however, there are very few applications that require the use of an iPad.
9 Marketing and the Apple Watch
Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), has never devoted as much marketing effort to the iPad as it has to the iPhone, and now Apple Watch which was announced before Christmas evidently in order to slow down the sales of other smartwatches, however Weintraub wonders if this has not also caused many users to have chosen to reserve their annual budget for equipment improvement for the purchase of the new watch. This reason, personally I see it "caught with tweezers", the clock has nothing to do with the tablet and this decision by the users would not only affect the hypothetical renovations of the iPad.
10.Good quality
Interestingly, and although Weintraub points out that this is probably nothing more than his intuition, he points out that the good quality of the iPad Along with older devices can still update to iOS 8 and work properly, has made many users not see the need to update their iPad for the moment. He illustrates it like this: “My son can still use our original iPad and a lot of the apps he loves. I bought an iPad Air last year, and it's hard to justify buying a new one (although retailers are discounting large amounts). My wife uses an iPad 3, and from what it does on it, there is no reason to upgrade. " I add: totally agree then.
What do you think the reasons given by Wintraub on 9to5Mac to explain the fall in iPad sales and why Apple is primarily responsible? Perhaps there are more reasons, I do not know it, but I think it is impossible to subtract one iota of reason from any of their proposals.
Evolution of iPad sales | SOURCE KGI
SOURCE: 9to5Mac
