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Are Tablets Dying?

I have a Samsung tablet with data connection through my cell provider. It sits dead most of the time, and I really only use it when I'm traveling nowadays. I took a risk and went with the Chromebook 2 for my daily at-home computing needs and to be honest, after I got used to using Google Docs and Office Online to do any real work, I have not missed having a Windows based PC at home at all.
 
I use my Nexus 7 every day. Likely would never have gotten one if it didn't come with the Google Fiber, but it gets used a lot.
 
CAA_Beat said:
I may change if and when I get a i6 but for now. The IPad is my go to web surfer.
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I got the iphone6 and still use my iPad for surfing, it's easier to use and see.
 
it looks like the slow death continues. Sales are way down and expected to continue, including the $35 Amazon tablet.

20151029_tablet_bi.png


And then add that retailers are already reporting that tablet sales, are down in their stores for holiday shopping as well.
 
I think the "big phone" has done a lot to make tablets redundant. My iPhone 6 is a lot more tolerable to read on than my old phone and I find myself reaching for my iPad mini less often.

Additionally, I think we are seeing laptops start to catch up to tablets in battery life. I'd probably go for a Surface Pro over an iPad were I to buy one. I know it's a tablet, but it's more of a computer than what I think of when I hear "tablet".
 
mpeterson said:
I think the "big phone" has done a lot to make tablets redundant. My iPhone 6 is a lot more tolerable to read on than my old phone and I find myself reaching for my iPad mini less often.

Additionally, I think we are seeing laptops start to catch up to tablets in battery life. I'd probably go for a Surface Pro over an iPad were I to buy one. I know it's a tablet, but it's more of a computer than what I think of when I hear "tablet".
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That is a big part of it and of course the idea that they dont need upgrading very often at all, since they are perceived to be consumption devices. Where the growth can still be there is a big marketing push with POS systems. They are there, but the marketing is quite small in terms of effort and it doubles the marketing because Apple Pay can be used. Its also many times cheaper in the end for the business and inventory software is readily available (although not as available as on Windows).

I agree on the Surface, and for starters it runs a real OS rather than a mobile OS.
 
I converted my iPad 2 into a traveling movie screen for my kiddo. Attaches to the head rest, load up a movie and he's good for 90 minutes. Do we use it for anything else? Nope.

Will I need a replacement in the near future? Nope.
 
Was the tablet designed to be replaced every year or two like a cell phone, or was it designed to be used until it died like a PC? I do not own a tablet, but I think if I did, I would use it until it died before purchasing an upgrade.
 
jt2929 said:
Was the tablet designed to be replaced every year or two like a cell phone, or was it designed to be used until it died like a PC? I do not own a tablet, but I think if I did, I would use it until it died before purchasing an upgrade.
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They are consumer goods that get refreshed every year. If it were up to the companies, they would be replaced every year. Lets say every two years even. The problem is people are not replacing them. Look at it like golf clubs. Each year companies put out more clubs, and soe golfers scream "Already?". You dont hear too many people complaining that the new iPad or Samsung tablet is coming out shortly after they bought theirs.
 
JB said:
They are consumer goods that get refreshed every year. If it were up to the companies, they would be replaced every year. Lets say every two years even. The problem is people are not replacing them. Look at it like golf clubs. Each year companies put out more clubs, and soe golfers scream "Already?". You dont hear too many people complaining that the new iPad or Samsung tablet is coming out shortly after they bought theirs.
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I think there is a little bit of a difference, if you take upgrades into account. My iPad mini 2 is not as useful after upgrading to iOS 9 - it's a lot slower. But my irons still work as well as the day they were released. The obselecense (if you want to call it that) comes at a longer time period, with big changes to things like the ball and large scale design changes in the segment.

But I've heard from some people in the industry that they view the tablets on the same page as the phone - 2 years of use. But they won't complain if people buy the new one every year.
 
I think the iPad Pro may change the sales trend of tablets. Analysts are predicting the Pro adding $2.4B in revenue for Apple in just its first 3 months. Their iPad revenue last quarter were $4.3B, so this could be quite a reversal.
 
mpeterson said:
I think there is a little bit of a difference, if you take upgrades into account. My iPad mini 2 is not as useful after upgrading to iOS 9 - it's a lot slower. But my irons still work as well as the day they were released. The obselecense (if you want to call it that) comes at a longer time period, with big changes to things like the ball and large scale design changes in the segment.

But I've heard from some people in the industry that they view the tablets on the same page as the phone - 2 years of use. But they won't complain if people buy the new one every year.
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I mean to be fair, your irons are a current product.
But you were not forced to upgrade software until recently (or ever really). All consumer goods products have the same goal. To sell. Changes to each product at its new life cycle might determine what one considers a worthy upgrade vs the other, but the goals of each of these companies is to sell products. People not upgrading their tablets have shown a segment of the tech industry that is dying quickly and this holiday season is showing it faster than anybody anticipated.

FWIW, most golf companies dont consider irons a 1 year life cycle in terms of those buying. Its closer to 5 years than it is 1. Driver is a different story.
 
tahoebum said:
I think the iPad Pro may change the sales trend of tablets. Analysts are predicting the Pro adding $2.4B in revenue for Apple in just its first 3 months. Their iPad revenue last quarter were $4.3B, so this could be quite a reversal.
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No chance it changes the trend of tablet sales as a whole. Price says that immediately.
It will do well, because its the first innovative tablet they have put out since the first one and they need to compete with others that are launching products that can be replacements, but the tablet trend as a whole wont be changed.

Its already being reported that holiday sales are beyond sluggish to borderline non-existent for the category.
 
JB said:
They are consumer goods that get refreshed every year. If it were up to the companies, they would be replaced every year. Lets say every two years even. The problem is people are not replacing them. Look at it like golf clubs. Each year companies put out more clubs, and soe golfers scream "Already?". You dont hear too many people complaining that the new iPad or Samsung tablet is coming out shortly after they bought theirs.
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Interesting. I wonder what the numbers are as far as people upgrading vs. sticking with what they have.
 
JB said:
I mean to be fair, your irons are a current product.
But you were not forced to upgrade software until recently (or ever really). All consumer goods products have the same goal. To sell. Changes to each product at its new life cycle might determine what one considers a worthy upgrade vs the other, but the goals of each of these companies is to sell products. People not upgrading their tablets have shown a segment of the tech industry that is dying quickly and this holiday season is showing it faster than anybody anticipated.

FWIW, most golf companies dont consider irons a 1 year life cycle in terms of those buying. Its closer to 5 years than it is 1. Driver is a different story.
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Ah yes, I should have specified my old set of irons :alien:

The tricky thing with updates on I-things these days is that developers are almost immediately using the latest SDK and the old versions are no longer available in the App Store. Another win for the Surface there.
 
My iPhone 6s has replaced my ipad for the most part ... I have a surface and mac air @ work ... love the mac air for travel and meeting use, but I need the surface because of the office suite, especially Outlook for reading exchange emails ...

So for some home and travel, give me the 11 inch mac air for internet browsing etc, and my phone for reading my books,and listening to music and I am a happy camper ... a tablet just does not have a place in my goodies these days.

I also do a some work with photoshop, and I use 15 inch mac book pro ...

I guess I have turn into an Apple geek in the last 2 years ...
 
JB said:
No chance it changes the trend of tablet sales as a whole. Price says that immediately.
It will do well, because its the first innovative tablet they have put out since the first one and they need to compete with others that are launching products that can be replacements, but the tablet trend as a whole wont be changed.

Its already being reported that holiday sales are beyond sluggish to borderline non-existent for the category.
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I Think you're right about the category as a whole but it certainly reverses Apples declining iPad sales trend the last couple years. An added $6-$8 billion in iPad Pro sales is very possible in the next year and that would quite an increase over their $23B in iPad revenue last year even if it cannibalized some of the smaller iPad revenue. Time will tell.
 
I never saw the point in a tablet. My phone performs just as well, with the exception of the larger screen making it easier to watch things on a tablet.

Pondered getting one for a while but just never bothered. I think if anything, I'll go larger screen in early 2016 for phone.
 
Canadan said:
I never saw the point in a tablet. My phone performs just as well, with the exception of the larger screen making it easier to watch things on a tablet.

Pondered getting one for a while but just never bothered. I think if anything, I'll go larger screen in early 2016 for phone.
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I have a number of them and they pretty much are nothing more than monitors for flights. For consumption devices, the iPad makes it so hard to actually consume. I will say that the Surface Pro is something totally different however. It runs a regular OS, has USB, TONS of power and a storage card slot. Definitely a laptop replacement.
 
JB said:
I have a number of them and they pretty much are nothing more than monitors for flights. For consumption devices, the iPad makes it so hard to actually consume. I will say that the Surface Pro is something totally different however. It runs a regular OS, has USB, TONS of power and a storage card slot. Definitely a laptop replacement.
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Trying to convince Amanda to go Surface Pro or ask the Hospital for one when she starts, she wants a full laptop though.
 
Jman said:
Trying to convince Amanda to go Surface Pro or ask the Hospital for one when she starts, she wants a full laptop though.
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After using one for a couple of weeks now, it really is a full laptop.
 
I use my iPad solely for watching shows when I travel or sometimes when I run on the treadmill. I wouldn't update unless it stopped working


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I don't even remember the last time I used my tablet. I bought it thinking that it would be great for when I traveled, but it wasn't anything special.

My Chromebook is much more useful for a small format device and I use it constantly. The Surface Pro will likely be my next computer, but for now I am very content with the Chromebook.

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JB said:
After using one for a couple of weeks now, it really is a full laptop.
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I love love love mine, and the Pro's really do seem to have all the bells/whistles I could want with the full functionality of a laptop. Just makes sense to me.
 
JB said:
I have a number of them and they pretty much are nothing more than monitors for flights. For consumption devices, the iPad makes it so hard to actually consume. I will say that the Surface Pro is something totally different however. It runs a regular OS, has USB, TONS of power and a storage card slot. Definitely a laptop replacement.
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Makes perfect sense to me. I always said if I got a tablet it'd be one with an easy to incorporate keyboard.
 
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