The beginning of the end for the iPad? As sales slump by 10%, experts claim Apple’s devices could soon go EXTINCT as consumers ditch their tablets in favour of smartphones

It was billed as a ‘revolutionary device’ when it was first unveiled in 2010.

But Apple’s latest financial results suggest this could be the beginning of the end for the iPad.

While the tech giant raked in a staggering quarterly profit of $23 billion – up 11 percent – ​​this was largely due to surging iPhone sales, which rose 2.8 percent.

In contrast, iPad sales fell 10 percent, marking the fourth straight quarter of declining sales.

So, is the death of the iPad really imminent? MailOnline spoke to experts to find out.

It was heralded as a ‘revolutionary device’ when it was first unveiled in 2010. But Apple’s latest financial results suggest this could be the beginning of the end for the iPad.

While the tech giant raked in a staggering quarterly profit of $23 billion – up 11 percent – ​​this was largely due to surging iPhone sales, which rose 2.8 percent. In contrast, iPad sales fell 10 percent, marking the fourth straight quarter of declining sales

First launched in 2010, the iPad pioneered the tablet market and was described by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as a “magical and revolutionary device.”

The iPad aimed to fill the gap between smartphones and laptops by offering consumers a new portable option.

At the launch, Jobs said, “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users to 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 record sales of $32 billion in 2013 – about a quarter of Apple’s total global sales.

In conversation with MailOnline, Rebecca Crook, Chief Growth Officer at CI&T, said: ‘When it launched, the iPad established itself as the accessible go-to tablet for consumers.”

However, this was a time when smartphones were not nearly as advanced as they are today.

“Today, smartphones have much larger screens and can be used for content consumption,” Ms Crook explains.

First launched in 2010, the iPad pioneered the tablet market and was described by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as a ‘magical and revolutionary device’

‘In addition, iPads do not yet support many apps, so you still need your phone, and they are not yet ready to replace laptops.

‘Even for reading books, there are much lighter, easier and above all cheaper alternatives on the market, such as the Amazon Kindle.’

Ms Crook claims the iPad needs a ‘total overhaul’ to win back consumers.

“Unless Apple does a total overhaul and goes back to basics and why consumers need an iPad when their phones can do everything, I predict iPad sales in the marketplace will continue to decline,” she added.

Why exactly are consumers choosing not to buy iPads?

According to Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, there are “many factors” to take into account.

‘There are too many factors to take into account, including seasonality, people being more dependent on smartphones than smartphones, the challenging macroeconomic environment and the cost of living crisis,’ he told MailOnline.

‘People are now more wary of their disposable income and are keeping devices for longer and also giving them to other members of the family.’

As we’ve seen with many consumer electronics products, the price of the iPad has risen dramatically in the thirteen years since its launch, especially in the UK.

For example, in Britain the 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro costs £1,249 for a Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage. In the US it costs $1,099.

The iPad aimed to fill the gap between smartphones and laptops by offering consumers a new portable option.

Meanwhile, the now-discontinued 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro also cost $1,099 in the US, while in Britain it cost £999.

That’s an increase of £250 over the previous model for UK buyers.

Despite these rising prices, Dr. ElectronRx CEO Bipin Patel says the iPad ‘offers nothing new’, claiming 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 only dream of.

‘The recent decline in iPad sales could be due to a decline in innovation. The iPad offers nothing new to the user.

“Apple has become complacent and has left the door open for other manufacturers to take the lead in product and technology innovation.”

Dr. Patel agreed with Ms Crook’s claims that a massive update is needed to lure customers back in.

“If they don’t refocus their efforts on innovation, we could see further sales declines in the future,” he added.

THE RISE OF APPLE BILLION DOLLARS

1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded the company on April 1, 1976 when they began selling computer kits to hobbyists, all built by Wozniak.

The first product was the Apple I.

1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, the first PC made for the mass market.

Steve Jobs unveils the new Macintosh from Apple Computer Corporation on February 6, 1984 in California.

1981: Jobs became chairman.

1984: The Macintosh was introduced during a commercial break before the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled at a launch event. A year later it was discontinued and Jobs left the company.

1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first color Mac.

1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal, with Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took on the role in 2000.

Apple’s then CEO, Steve Jobs, with the iPhone

2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS

The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001 at an event in Cupertino and could 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, passing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October of pancreatic cancer.

2014: Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones: the 6 and 6 Plus.

2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr. Dre launched Apple 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 company is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, with the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who was killed in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was lifted on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.

2017: Apple introduces the iPhone

Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

2018: In a first for the company, Apple is introducing new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage their devices and spend less time on them. The move came in the wake of a strongly worded letter from shareholders urging the company to tackle the growing problem of smartphone addiction among children and teens.

2019: In January, Apple reports its first sales and profit decline in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed the sharp decline in sales from China.

2020: In March, Apple will close all its physical stores outside China in response to the coronavirus.

2021: During an online virtual event in April, CEO Tim Cook stated Apple’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by Earth Day. Later that year, the iPhone 13 was announced.

2022: The iPhone 14 was announced in September. Among the new features included a new sensor that detects if a user has been in a car accident, and 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.

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