Old iPads are a staple in US homes, long after they've gone obsolete
While nearly every user gets rid of their old iPhone when they get a new one, iPad owners are more likely to repurposes older devices for uses beyond their original intended function.
Many Apple users keep their old iPads despite new releases
In the twelve months ending March 2024, 67% of repeat iPad buyers retained their old iPads, compared to only 41% of iPhone buyers who kept or handed down their previous iPhones. The behavior highlights unique aspects of iPad usage and customer loyalty.
Many old iPads find new life with family members or friends. Approximately one-third of old iPads are handed down, compared to about 10% of old iPhones.
The necessity of replacing old devices also differs between iPad and iPhone users. About 23% of iPad upgraders replaced their device due to loss, theft, or damage, compared to only 6% of iPhone upgraders. The new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) suggests that iPads are less frequently replaced out of necessity, further reinforcing their longevity and usefulness.
Previous iPad and iPhone Usage Trends (Twelve Months Ending March 2024)
The trend suggests that older iPads remain functional and desirable even as new models are released. For many, the need to upgrade to the latest iPad isn't as urgent, allowing the older devices to serve more roles in households.
Another critical factor is the trade-in and secondary market for iPads versus iPhones. Less than 10% of iPad upgraders trade in their old device, compared to almost half of iPhone upgraders.
The difference indicates that users value keeping their old iPads more than selling them. Moreover, the retained value and utility of old iPads often outweigh the benefits of trading them in for a small financial return.
Apple's iPad remains a versatile and valuable device long after its initial purchase. The tendency of users to keep or repurpose their old iPads highlights their lasting usefulness. Whether as a hand-me-down or a repurposed tablet, old iPads continue to find meaningful use.
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Comments
i don't jump IOS versions anymore
i had a perfectly working ipad 2, updated ios and it could not even load the yahoo homepage
sluggish and unusable
so now i go to the latest of the iOS that came on the device
so if i had iOS 15 i go the last version of that, say 15.9
and never jump to iOS 16
ipads works for ages as they have large all day batteries
so even when they get old, they still work for many hours
great for browsing, checking sports results, streaming etc
the majority of which don't really need the latest and greatest to work
other than gaming and maybe photo/video editing you don't really need an M4 super max ultra to work
i am still using my 2ng gen ipad pro 11" works great, cuz its still on iOS 15.7.2
i use FB, instagram , some silly games, and browsing.
i rarely, if ever, need to turn on my laptop now
While very old Macs can be "battery bombed" by their PRAM batteries (I am talking about 80's Macs mostly here), that doesn't happen if you keep the PRAM battery removed, and the Macs are still usable without it. This makes vintage Macs superior to devices like the iPad, when it comes to repurposing old tech for DECADES.
And so, the point here is that "repurposed for years" has the caveat of iPads being a ticking time bomb due to their internal battery, without which they cannot operate. Give us battery tech that doesn't swell and kill the electronics, or give us the means to more easily self-swap batteries without fancy tools or special technicals, and then and only then will battery-operated Apple devices like iPad have the ability to truly be repurposed FOR DECADES like very old Macs.
Finally, by positioning the iPad Pro as a high end productivity tool when it’s really a tweener device somewhere between the iPhone and the Mac, the iPad Pro is going to be constantly criticized for what it can’t do rather than praised for all of the things it does so magnificently.
You know...there is something to this, and it is something of a sore point with consumers. Why is it that something sold with some representation of being secure and safe, ages to the point of being unsafe to use? There are precious few consumer products sold with the representation that they become dangerous to use after some design lifetime. Some will understand the tech reasons for this (likely most of AI readers) but to most lay consumers, this is mere corporate money-grabbing. "You need to pay more now because this device can no longer be trusted to do what you bought it for because we want more of your money, and this is how we do it."
With two young kids (<6) now, there's no way I'm letting either of them play with my 12.9" iPad Pro... and with the massive market of kid-friendly "protective" iPad cases, the old ones make a great entertainment/learning device for them with Reading Eggs and Netflix/Youtube.
I wonder if people stop using iPads causing the number of active users to drop. I stopped using mine like 6 months ago after having used iPads from day 2 and created +30 apps for the platform. I'm just tired of the OS, the latest iPhones are fast and have large displays, and the battery time is much improved on Mac. iPad is the device I don't need.