most people are happy, so the upgrade cycle for the majority can easily be 4-6 years rather than 2 for phones.
I think we will start to see people keeping their iPhones longer, (in the US at least), now that the subsidies are gone. The current iPhones are fantastic and should last a long time, so is there really a need to upgrade every two years going forward? There is Apple Care + which is limited to two years, so that could be a determining factor, but what percentage of users actually purchase Apple Care +. I always do, but I take really good care of my phones. I did have one occasion to use the coverage though, when one of the microphones went out preventing Siri from working.
I wonder how many of those iPad 2 models are devices that have been handed down to the kids or handed up to the elderly parents...as the primary earner upgraded to a retina display. Hard to see many people sticking with the non-retina display with the low prices I've seen for iPad Air and iPad Air 2 models.
Still use my iPad2 everyday although it is frustaitingly slow due to IOS upgrades!!! One of the reasons I went to apple products was to get a better product with LONG LIFE not like Microsoft crap that you have to replace every 2 years or so... I do really like all my apple products but I'm still upset with them over the op sys upgrade that did everything but kill my ipad2.. With that said, I'm not interested in the pro but looking to maybe upgrade to the next iPad "air3%u201D? Release...
My thoughts exactly. I would have plunked down cash for an "Air3" on launch day if it existed to replace my aging iPad2. I liketo buy on top of the curve and am reluctant to buy an Air2 a year into its life cycle. Hopefully this Spring.
We cycled through older iPads in our house and are fortunate enough to be on current generation models. The older ones are good for a lot of things. I have kept a few around though...use one as a remote, one for a teleconference robot and another for golf cart GPS...at work we use old ones for room boards and other functions...when we sold our old ones we are getting 60-70% of original price which is crazy to me. The main benefit for upgrading to me has been performance. Even back to the original iPad the screen was top notch.
I think we will start to see people keeping their iPhones longer, (in the US at least), now that the subsidies are gone. The current iPhones are fantastic and should last a long time, so is there really a need to upgrade every two years going forward? There is Apple Care + which is limited to two years, so that could be a determining factor, but what percentage of users actually purchase Apple Care +. I always do, but I take really good care of my phones. I did have one occasion to use the coverage though, when one of the microphones went out preventing Siri from working.
Actually that's more of an incentive to turn them over every year: no longterm contract to punish for "early termination", just pay for what you've used, turn in the phone and get a new one. That the Apple plan includes AppleCare just ups the incentive, no need to apply for a refund for that unused portion, you've again only paid for what you sued with a rest for the coming year.
Well they released the iPad 4 just 7 months after the iPad 3.
The iPad 3 has been slow to use for me since iOS 7 whereas my friends iPad 4 runs along beautifully.
So yeah, I feel a tad screwed. My iPad works, I suppose, but it's no joy to use.
I was one of the first people to own an iPhone in the UK and have always felt that I've had excellent value from the iPhone line.
But my iPad experience has been soured which stopped me buying another, even though I could afford one.
So you're holding onto something that you don't like because you don't like it and so won't get something you know you would like?
You must really like that screwed feeling. Which is, of course, a legitimate option. Me? I get rid of things that displease me, perhaps especially when I can afford doing so.
Wow! ...and I thought I was behind, hanging on to my 3rd gen iPad. For me, the simple truth is that I stopped using my iPad when I got an iPhone 6 Plus. I never intended for my 6 Plus to replace my iPad though. It just happened.
Not sure about ipad 2 but my engineering college student son uses ipad air 2 and he loves it lot. He said so much you can do on this ipad air 2 and it is the best in world.
Actually that's more of an incentive to turn them over every year: no longterm contract to punish for "early termination", just pay for what you've used, turn in the phone and get a new one. That the Apple plan includes AppleCare just ups the incentive, no need to apply for a refund for that unused portion, you've again only paid for what you sued with a rest for the coming year.
That is one way to look at it, but turning it in every year means you are making monthly payments forever. I suppose iPhones are much more important to people than iPads are, but clearly people are getting along just fine on 3-4 year old iPads.
Proud iPad Air owner here. Don't think I'll ever replace it, even if it breaks. Only use when I'm away from home, which is rare, so find it marginally useful. The piechart shows the trend, iPad waning in popularity. iPad Pro may have relevance in enterprise but is also a play to convert users of MS Surface Pro IMO.
Well, you certainly fall into the 2nd category of my post above.
As for your anecdotal evidence of not wanting to replace, I will counter that in our household, we have 3 iPads (mine, wife's and older one shared by the kids). The are all in use every day, far more than computers. All will be replaced at some point in the future, though could be years from now given how well they last & get upgrades. For me, I would rather use an iPad when home than my iPhone. In fact, since having the Apple Watch, it is more the iPad + AW with me while at home, with the iPhone in a charger.
Value is of course very personal. I read a lot - magazines, newspaper, books & web - plus video viewing, gaming & work related activities - so for me iPad is the perfect device - and saves a lot of trees:)
I'm rather surprised at these figures. I have an iPad 3 at 10% and a mini 1 at 18%. Looks like almost everyone who was in the market for an iPad bought in by the time iPad Air was released. The single digit percentages for the newer models is shocking.
One thing though, the Ipad 2 sold for a very very long time and is still supported. That kind of cumulative sales coupled with the slow replacement rate is what your seeing now.
Also, people owning a Ipad 2 are unlikely to go for a $50 tablet,, so they're still inside the ecosystem and everything.
I also wonder about the dumbass Wallstreeters which don't seem to understand how building loyalty works.
I still use an iPad 2 as well. I haven't upgraded from iOS 6 though. That's getting to be more of a pain as more and more apps are requiring iOS 7 . I'm curious what the iPad 2 users above think of upgrading%u2026 stick to 6 or bite the bullet and go to 9?
Sold my iPad 2 to get the Air because of Retina and weight. The rest is the same package: a giant screen. I don't care about speed improvements as I don't play games, so for watching videos, reading books and listening to music you don't need the latest iPad. And I suppose most people are content consumers, just like me, and casual games that don't need the latest and greatest. The iPad Pro will sell a few units, but no-one should expect it to revive the overall sales of iPads. Apple is just upping the ASP for iPads to satisfy Wall-Street to offset declining consumer demand for a products that is not revolutionary year after year. What Apple is doing is following the iPhone success story: hey, if they like a bigger screen phone, maybe they'll like a bigger screen iPad. Even if the iPad Pro will be a huge success, it will be temporary, just as the new bigger screen iPhones. Demand will start decreasing sooner or later and Apple will need to find something else to excite consumers. This is the same problem PC manufacturers are facing, people are increasingly satisfied with last year's model and not so enticed to upgrade.
That is one way to look at it, but turning it in every year means you are making monthly payments forever. I suppose iPhones are much more important to people than iPads are, but clearly people are getting along just fine on 3-4 year old iPads.
Will be interesting to see for certain. Some are predicting more frequent upgrades with the different mobile carrier & Apple upgrade plans. But those used iPhones generally go somewhere, which offsets potentially a new purchase. Maybe the two balance out and things remain roughly where they are now. At some point, it would seem that replacement cycle will lengthen, like all products eventually do. That might reduce temporarily Apple's growth rate.
What it seems that (what I call) the "media/bloggers/analysts (MBAs:)" on the anti-Apple side don't seem to consider is that the "smartphone" is the most important "product" (not just tech product) in many people's lives (more than cars, computers, TVs, specific clothing items, etc). Those that can afford the best (upfront, or via monthly instalments), may think that spending $30-40/month on that product is worth it to upgrade each year, since they use it all day, every day! With Apple owning, and growing, this segment, it is hard to believe that as the global middle class grows, Apple isn't the best positioned to benefit. Yet they think the opposite...
I have an original iPad along with the iPad 2 my employer provided. I will be purchasing the IPad pro and planning on giving the work Dell Latitude back. If it goes well, I may never end up using the iMac which is primarily for back up and archiving purposes anyhow.
The iPad pro is really going to hurt the laptop market. With the next CPU upgrade to the A10X, the market for the Surface Pro and Windows laptops is going to tank.
Apple announcement that the iPad 2 is relegated to "obsolete status" in 3...2...1....
Due to AppleCare obligations they wouldn't be able to do that to a product until at least 3 years after they stop making it. Their official policy is 5 years after they stop making it, it becomes "vintage", then after 7 years it is "obsolete". Vintage is almost a meaningless distinction, it means the product can still be repaired in areas where law requires Apple to make repair available and service providers can still get parts, while obsolete means no parts are available, period. Apple Stores in the U.S. and most of the world won't repair products in either classification.
What the stats tell me is that the iPad is primarily a viewing/consumption device rather than a creation device. Maybe the iPad Pro changes things. Maybe not.
No matter, the iPad will not disappear. Apple will continue to offer the full range of screen sizes and form factors to satisfy its customers full range of computing requirements.
Comments
For home use I still prefer my iPad Air to my 6sPlus phone. On maybe a 3 year cycle rather than 1 though.
most people are happy, so the upgrade cycle for the majority can easily be 4-6 years rather than 2 for phones.
I think we will start to see people keeping their iPhones longer, (in the US at least), now that the subsidies are gone. The current iPhones are fantastic and should last a long time, so is there really a need to upgrade every two years going forward? There is Apple Care + which is limited to two years, so that could be a determining factor, but what percentage of users actually purchase Apple Care +. I always do, but I take really good care of my phones. I did have one occasion to use the coverage though, when one of the microphones went out preventing Siri from working.
Still use my iPad2 everyday although it is frustaitingly slow due to IOS upgrades!!! One of the reasons I went to apple products was to get a better product with LONG LIFE not like Microsoft crap that you have to replace every 2 years or so... I do really like all my apple products but I'm still upset with them over the op sys upgrade that did everything but kill my ipad2.. With that said, I'm not interested in the pro but looking to maybe upgrade to the next iPad "air3%u201D? Release...
My thoughts exactly. I would have plunked down cash for an "Air3" on launch day if it existed to replace my aging iPad2. I liketo buy on top of the curve and am reluctant to buy an Air2 a year into its life cycle. Hopefully this Spring.
The iPad 3 has been slow to use for me since iOS 7 whereas my friends iPad 4 runs along beautifully.
So yeah, I feel a tad screwed. My iPad works, I suppose, but it's no joy to use.
I was one of the first people to own an iPhone in the UK and have always felt that I've had excellent value from the iPhone line.
But my iPad experience has been soured which stopped me buying another, even though I could afford one.
I think we will start to see people keeping their iPhones longer, (in the US at least), now that the subsidies are gone. The current iPhones are fantastic and should last a long time, so is there really a need to upgrade every two years going forward? There is Apple Care + which is limited to two years, so that could be a determining factor, but what percentage of users actually purchase Apple Care +. I always do, but I take really good care of my phones. I did have one occasion to use the coverage though, when one of the microphones went out preventing Siri from working.
Actually that's more of an incentive to turn them over every year: no longterm contract to punish for "early termination", just pay for what you've used, turn in the phone and get a new one. That the Apple plan includes AppleCare just ups the incentive, no need to apply for a refund for that unused portion, you've again only paid for what you sued with a rest for the coming year.
Well they released the iPad 4 just 7 months after the iPad 3.
The iPad 3 has been slow to use for me since iOS 7 whereas my friends iPad 4 runs along beautifully.
So yeah, I feel a tad screwed. My iPad works, I suppose, but it's no joy to use.
I was one of the first people to own an iPhone in the UK and have always felt that I've had excellent value from the iPhone line.
But my iPad experience has been soured which stopped me buying another, even though I could afford one.
So you're holding onto something that you don't like because you don't like it and so won't get something you know you would like?
You must really like that screwed feeling. Which is, of course, a legitimate option. Me? I get rid of things that displease me, perhaps especially when I can afford doing so.
Wow! ...and I thought I was behind, hanging on to my 3rd gen iPad. For me, the simple truth is that I stopped using my iPad when I got an iPhone 6 Plus. I never intended for my 6 Plus to replace my iPad though. It just happened.
Actually that's more of an incentive to turn them over every year: no longterm contract to punish for "early termination", just pay for what you've used, turn in the phone and get a new one. That the Apple plan includes AppleCare just ups the incentive, no need to apply for a refund for that unused portion, you've again only paid for what you sued with a rest for the coming year.
That is one way to look at it, but turning it in every year means you are making monthly payments forever. I suppose iPhones are much more important to people than iPads are, but clearly people are getting along just fine on 3-4 year old iPads.
Proud iPad Air owner here. Don't think I'll ever replace it, even if it breaks. Only use when I'm away from home, which is rare, so find it marginally useful. The piechart shows the trend, iPad waning in popularity. iPad Pro may have relevance in enterprise but is also a play to convert users of MS Surface Pro IMO.
Well, you certainly fall into the 2nd category of my post above.
As for your anecdotal evidence of not wanting to replace, I will counter that in our household, we have 3 iPads (mine, wife's and older one shared by the kids). The are all in use every day, far more than computers. All will be replaced at some point in the future, though could be years from now given how well they last & get upgrades. For me, I would rather use an iPad when home than my iPhone. In fact, since having the Apple Watch, it is more the iPad + AW with me while at home, with the iPhone in a charger.
Value is of course very personal. I read a lot - magazines, newspaper, books & web - plus video viewing, gaming & work related activities - so for me iPad is the perfect device - and saves a lot of trees:)
I'm rather surprised at these figures. I have an iPad 3 at 10% and a mini 1 at 18%. Looks like almost everyone who was in the market for an iPad bought in by the time iPad Air was released. The single digit percentages for the newer models is shocking.
One thing though, the Ipad 2 sold for a very very long time and is still supported. That kind of cumulative sales coupled with the slow replacement rate is what your seeing now.
Also, people owning a Ipad 2 are unlikely to go for a $50 tablet,, so they're still inside the ecosystem and everything.
I also wonder about the dumbass Wallstreeters which don't seem to understand how building loyalty works.
That is one way to look at it, but turning it in every year means you are making monthly payments forever. I suppose iPhones are much more important to people than iPads are, but clearly people are getting along just fine on 3-4 year old iPads.
Will be interesting to see for certain. Some are predicting more frequent upgrades with the different mobile carrier & Apple upgrade plans. But those used iPhones generally go somewhere, which offsets potentially a new purchase. Maybe the two balance out and things remain roughly where they are now. At some point, it would seem that replacement cycle will lengthen, like all products eventually do. That might reduce temporarily Apple's growth rate.
What it seems that (what I call) the "media/bloggers/analysts (MBAs:)" on the anti-Apple side don't seem to consider is that the "smartphone" is the most important "product" (not just tech product) in many people's lives (more than cars, computers, TVs, specific clothing items, etc). Those that can afford the best (upfront, or via monthly instalments), may think that spending $30-40/month on that product is worth it to upgrade each year, since they use it all day, every day! With Apple owning, and growing, this segment, it is hard to believe that as the global middle class grows, Apple isn't the best positioned to benefit. Yet they think the opposite...
Well they released the iPad 4 just 7 months after the iPad 3.
The iPad 3 has been slow to use for me since iOS 7 whereas my friends iPad 4 runs along beautifully.
So yeah, I feel a tad screwed. My iPad works, I suppose, but it's no joy to use.
I was one of the first people to own an iPhone in the UK and have always felt that I've had excellent value from the iPhone line.
But my iPad experience has been soured which stopped me buying another, even though I could afford one.
Really? I thought the only difference between 3 and 4 was the connector (30 pin to lightning). No? Maybe not.
Edit: looked it up, and indeed they upgraded the processor (A5X to A6X)
I have 9.1 on it and it seems ok to me. Not blazing or anything, but it is some 3 1/2 years old.
The iPad pro is really going to hurt the laptop market. With the next CPU upgrade to the A10X, the market for the Surface Pro and Windows laptops is going to tank.
Apple announcement that the iPad 2 is relegated to "obsolete status" in 3...2...1....
Due to AppleCare obligations they wouldn't be able to do that to a product until at least 3 years after they stop making it. Their official policy is 5 years after they stop making it, it becomes "vintage", then after 7 years it is "obsolete". Vintage is almost a meaningless distinction, it means the product can still be repaired in areas where law requires Apple to make repair available and service providers can still get parts, while obsolete means no parts are available, period. Apple Stores in the U.S. and most of the world won't repair products in either classification.
What the stats tell me is that the iPad is primarily a viewing/consumption device rather than a creation device. Maybe the iPad Pro changes things. Maybe not.
No matter, the iPad will not disappear. Apple will continue to offer the full range of screen sizes and form factors to satisfy its customers full range of computing requirements.