It was billed as a ‘revolutionary device’ when it was first unveiled back in 2010. But the latest financial results from Apple suggest that this could be the beginning of the end for the iPad. While the tech giant raked in a staggering $23 billion quarterly profit – an increase of 11 per cent – this was largely down to rising iPhone sales, which were up by 2.8 per cent. In contrast, iPad sales slumped by 10 per cent, marking the fourth quarter in a row of declining sales. So, is the death of the iPad really imminent?
MailOnline spoke to experts to find out.
First launched in 2010, the iPad was a pioneer in the tablet market, described by Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, as a ‘magical and revolutionary device.’ The iPad aimed to fill a gap between smartphones and laptops by offering a new portable option for consumers. Speaking at its launch, Jobs said: ‘iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.’
The iPad was hugely popular in the years following its launch, generating a record $32 billion in revenue in 2013 – about a quarter of Apple’s total global revenue. Speaking to MailOnline, Rebecca Crook, Chief Growth Officer at CI&T, said: ‘When it was launched, the iPad created a name for itself as the accessible go-to tablet for consumers. However, this was a time when smartphones were nowhere near as advanced as they are now. ‘Today, smartphones have much larger screens and can be used for content consumption,’ Ms Crook explained.
Furthermore, iPads don’t support many apps, which means you still need your phone, and they aren’t ready to replace laptops either. ‘Even for reading books, there are much lighter, easier, and most importantly, cheaper alternatives on the market such as the Amazon Kindle.’ Ms Crook claims that the iPad needs a ‘total overhaul’ to win back consumers. ‘Unless Apple does a total overhaul and goes back to basics on why consumers would need an iPad when their phones can do everything, I predict the market sales of iPad’s will continue to decline,’ she added.
So, why exactly are consumers choosing not to buy iPads?
According to Paolo Pescatore, Founder of PP Foresight, there are ‘many factors’ to consider. ‘There are too many factors to consider including seasonality, people relying more on than smartphones, the challenging macro-economic environment and cost of living crisis,’ he told MailOnline. ‘People are now more wary of their disposable income and are keeping devices for longer as well as giving them to other members of the family.’
As we’ve seen with many consumer electronic products, the price of the iPad has soared in the 13 years since its launch – particularly in the UK. For example, in Britain, the 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro costs £1,249 for a Wi-Fi model with 128GB storage. In the US, it costs $1,099. Meanwhile, the now discontinued 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro also cost $1,099 in the US, while in the UK it was priced at £999. That’s a £250 increase over the previous model for UK buyers.
Despite these rising prices, Dr Bipin Patel, CEO of electronRx says that the iPad ‘offers nothing new’, and claims that Apple has become ‘complacent’. ‘Apple has achieved its incredible success through technological innovation,’ Dr Patel told MailOnline. ‘They have delivered technology with the ‘wow’ factor that mobile phone and tablet users could have only dreamed about. ‘The recent decline in sales of the iPad could be down to a decrease in innovation. The iPad offers nothing new to the user. ‘Apple has become complacent and has left the door open for other manufacturers to lead the way in product and technological innovation.’
Dr Patel agreed with Ms Crook’s claims that a huge update is needed to entice customers back in. ‘If they don’t refocus their efforts on innovation, we could see further revenue decreases in the future,’ he added.
THE TRILLION DOLLAR RISE OF APPLE
1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1 1976 as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak. The first product was the Apple I.
1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, which was the first PC made for the mass market.
1981: Jobs became chairman.
1984: The Macintosh was introduced during an ad break for the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled during a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the firm.
1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first colour Mac.
1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal that involves Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took the role in 2000.
2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first-generation iPod. The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs.
2007: Apple unveils the iPhone.
2010: The first iPad was unveiled.
2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, handing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October from pancreatic cancer.
2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones – the 6 and 6 Plus.
2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services.
2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the firm is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, involving the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.
2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with just the owner’s face.
2018: In a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move was spawned by a strongly worded letter from shareholders that urged the firm to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among kids and teenagers.
2019: In January, Apple reports its first decline in revenues and profits in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed steep declines in revenue from China.
2020: In March, Apple closes all its bricks and mortar retail stores outside of China in response to coronavirus.
2021: In an online virtual event in April CEO Tim Cook declared Apple’s goal of becoming carbon neutral for Earth Day. Later in the year the iPhone 13 was announced.
2022: In September the iPhone 14 was announced. One of the new features included a new sensor to detect if a user had been in a car crash as well as an improved camera system.
2023: So far this year Apple has brought back its ‘Home Pod’ after the first generation was discontinued. The ‘Home Pod’ can be seen as an alternative to Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home as it is powered by voice commands.
