dailyO
Technology

Five reasons why the Apple iPad is not selling

Advertisement
Sahil Mohan Gupta
Sahil Mohan GuptaJan 29, 2015 | 15:16

Five reasons why the Apple iPad is not selling

Yesterday, when Apple announced its latest earnings report, the media went into frenzy over its record-breaking revenues and sales of the iPhone. The iPad went rather unnoticed, despite it being its fifth anniversary. Five years ago, the late Steve Jobs had unveiled the tablet, which went on to become the fastest selling consumer electronics in history, and yet today no one is talking about it. The fact is that last year saw the consistent drop in the sales of the iPad. In its record-breaking quarter, Apple revealed that the slide is not only continuing but is, in fact, accelerating. Sales of the iPad are down by 18 per cent, but why is this happening? The iPad is still a great product, and the latest iPad Air 2 is wafer thin and boasts Apple’s fastest mobile processor. So what’s the problem? Well, the answer to that question is complex and nuanced.

Advertisement

1. For starters, it has lots of competition today. Lots of it. For the first two years, it literally had zero competition. Android for the first year of the iPad existence was not designed for tablets. Windows took even longer as Windows 8, with a touch optimised interface, was only launched in late 2012.

2. Smartphone screens are becoming bigger and many people are now opting for phablets. Phablets are bridging the gap between the iPad and smartphone. This year Apple also released its own phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple does not mind cannibalisation, so along as sales of the iPad are now eaten up by the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone did the same to the iPod, and now people barely talk about it.

3. The iPad has slower upgrade cycles than say a phone. It is more like a PC as it faces a slower rate of wear and tear as it stays mostly at home and is not carried around all the time like a smartphone. Since it is mainly used for consumption of videos and text, people do not usually upgrade to newer models as the older models function well enough.

Advertisement

4. It is not a PC. Even though the iPad does some tasks better than a PC, and some tasks better than a smartphone, it is not an all-rounder per se. It does not support USB, and users do not have access to the file system, like on a Windows machine or even Android. In this age of multiple gadgets, the iPad is the prime example of a gadget that is bought not out of necessity but vanity. Frankly, no one needs an iPad. There is no one task an iPad can do that a smartphone or PC cannot.

5. It is expensive. While it does not have the capabilities of a PC, it is as expensive as one. Android tablets, on the other hand, offer a good enough tablet experience for less than half. Windows tablets may not offer the sublime library of tablet apps or simple user interface; but they do double up as great all-rounders. It is also not subsidised like an iPhone in Western markets, so people have to dole out a bare minimum of $500 to get the latest iPad Air 2 base model.

Last updated: January 29, 2015 | 15:16
IN THIS STORY
Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy