Apple did amazing things in 2014, but when it comes to growth, the iPad wasn’t exactly a blockbuster success. In fact, they’ve been slumping. Although Cook views slowing iPad growth as a “speed bump,” iPad upgrades are inarguably closer to the upgrade rate of laptops than smartphones.
Cook’s optimistic. “Because we’ve only been in the market for four years, we don’t know how long the upgrade cycle will be for people,” Cook said during the October earnings call. “So that’s a difficult thing to call.”
So what does 2015 hold for the iPad? Sadly, it’s not clear.
According to new forecasts from market intelligent firm ABI Research, tablet growth is expected to continue over the next 5 years, reaching 290 million units by 2019.
But will these be iPads, Android tablets, or others? ABI just isn’t sure. They say that they think the iPad only shipped 68 million units in 20154, compared to 74 in 2013.
“The tablet outlook for 2015 paints a better picture for OEMs,” ABI says, noting that worldwide branded shipments will grow 16% year-over-year to 194 million.
Still, ABI thinks that Apple may reverse its iPad slump in 2015. Perhaps the rumored 12-inch iPad Pro could do just that?
Source: ABI
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
12 responses to “Will the iPad slump cease in 2015?”
hey apple! I have an apple tv, an iPhone 5s, my spouse has a macbook and iPhone 6. I’m a potential buyer of an iPad… you know when I’ll buy one? When you stop price gouging on storage and quit wasting all our time and release a damn hybrid “tabtop” already. Until then, I’ll keep holding out my phone works fine. A pad is a luxury purchase, you need to make it an affordable necessity; the iphone when purchased on contract is an affordable necessity.
Ok Timbo Slice, give me a job!!!
Most likely not going to happen for awhile. For people that want Macs, take your pick, if you can get by on just a tablet (based on what most people use computers for IE email, surfing, light games), then get an iPad (you can configure your Airport or other routers with either an app or a browser). Other than Microsoft doing it, what possible incentive is there for Apple to release a hybrid iOS/OS X tablet? That doesn’t mean they can’t add in some regular features from the Mac. Like multiple sign on or icon/pointer support, and a decent file system would be nice though some of this can be done with 3rd party hardware or software but it isn’t as easy as it could or should be.
I honestly do not think Apple is all that worried about Microsoft, but they should be worried about Google’s Chrome OS.
Well, as I was saying, a phone is a necessity, a laptop is mostly a necessity but I’ve been without one for 2.5 years now exclusively working off my iphone so maybe it’s not. A tablet has not really made a strong argument to me that it too is a necessity. As a millennial we’ve been conditioned to be a frugal generation courtesy of maturing in a recession, we question “do I really need to add cheese on my burger if it’s $2.00 extra?” We’re also not buying stocks, or investing but we are hoarding our money in savings. Getting us to spend our money on nick-knacks and luxuries is a lot harder than it was to motivate my parents. So until apple can make the iPad a necessity it’s an expense I can live without. Everything a tablet does I have in my pocket already, so why do I need a tablet?
Agreeably, I don’t think I’ll get what I want lol
Microsoft have gone down that path with the surface and it’s been a disaster. Maybe it’s because windows 8 is rubbish or that there is little application support, but one thing is clear, hybrid tablets are not a marketplace winner. I think Apple know what they’re doing. They don’t bend to suit the cries of the minority to build a camel designed by consensus. If you want a hybrid, get a surface, if you feel that strongly about it.
FYI, the base model iPad Air costs $274 US to manufacter while the iPad costs $331, all things considered. What price do you want it to be?
Well the article is about slumping ipad sales, I offered why I’m not buying one even though I’m in the target market(25, metropolitan, already Apple invested). I’m not buying it because it’s price is extraordinary, and it’s more of a toy than a need. If it can be turned into a “need” rather than a “want” then I’m in.
I was also making note of the fact that I, and many others in my generation, matured and learned money management during the recession. This has effected how we spend money, “want’s” are luxuries we learned to live without.
And you brought up the notion of a hybrid. No one is selling tablets by the massive numbers of the past anymore because they’ve neared saturation point.
What Apple do is everything about making things that people will want, not what they think they need, its what distinguishes them from the rest of the pack. A smart person can identify a “want” but can only justify its need if it suits a practical use and they can afford it. Those with money to burn will always fulfil the want without justifying the need. They’re the market base.
The iPad is neither a toy or a powerful computer, yet it has sold its ass off. You clearly underestimate its practical use as many use it in very powerful situations. The Gorillas, for instance (and many other artists) have produce whole albums from recording, mixing to cover art design only using an iPad. I use it in my business and its far easier to carry, pull out and use than a laptop in meetings.
If you see no practical use for yourself, then don’t get one, but don’t moan about your perceived shortcomings of the device while never using one in the first place, you come across as bitter because you do want one but can’t afford one.
lol, alright, you’re just way too over the top all about iPad for me to continue in any form of sincerity and all responses from my end would only be pissing on flames at this point.
I agree to disagree, if I ever need iPad advice I know who to contact
Well if you want to use inflammatory language, what else would you expect? A pat on the back? Sorry you don’t like some home truths, but they are what they are.
And I question the maturity of a person who begins a conversation with, “lol” and “hey Apple!”.
Have a nice day.
“the iPad only shipped 68 million units in 20154” I didn’t know we were that far ahead in time! I need to get me a hovercraft ASAP!
Where we’re going we don’t NEED hovercrafts….
most of these articles claiming to know interest levels etc are done based on sketchy sampling groups. So who knows if they are correct or not
Well, I don’t know. As was said, iPads, as currently constituted, are really just big, more expensive, harder-to-carry, phones.
They need to have features that are better at doing the more non-standard things, so that more people will use them for things that now not everybody does. I’d love to work exclusively on my iPads, but am still confined to my Macs, a lot by the lack of apps suitable for my owrk, but mostly by the inability to customize the iPad like I can my Macs (I have five of those, which I’d love to replace with idevices).
For something I work on all day, every day, it has to be able to made to run the way that is most efficient for me to accomplish what I need. Why not let me pick the iOS version that I want? Why not let me customize more gestures and everything else that’s restricted on idevices? Until then, I have no use for iPads over phones. And, everyone has different needs, they’ll want to customize their device their way.
Until then, why would I buy an even harder-to-carry 12″ iPad? A phone goes in my pocket. Since I need a Mac anyway, my MacBook Air is almost as easy to lug around.
I don’t predict that many sales for the larger iPad, and not all that much increase in the iPad market until it can fulfill needs that a phone can’t that are currently confined to Macs.