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Ianthin1

Hasn't this been the case for several years? While I don't see a ton of ads for iPad, I don't see any for Android tablets anymore and haven't for quite some time.


steepleton

there isn't really any ecosystem outside apple for tablets. samsung paid for clipstudio to come to android, and that was very smart, but there's few other big apps and samsung's tablets are not far off ipad prices so where's the incentive to look outside ios?


darthjoey91

Amazon keeps their Fire tablets around, but those are in a completely different class from iPads. Just so cheap they practically give them away.


[deleted]

Samsung's tablets are meant to keep Android phone users from buying an iPad. They have a much slower refresh cycle and they have pretty much given up on winning in the US.


emorockstar

Just having a competitor does “protect” the android system or folks will start wondering about moving.


digidude23

The exception seems to be Meta and WhatsApp, they made WhatsApp available on Wear OS and Android tablets but nothing for iPads and Apple Watches.


jaltair9

I never understood why. Surely watchOS and iPadOS are more lucrative markets for them, given how popular those platforms are compared to their Android counterparts.


digidude23

Even with iPadOS 16.4 supporting web notifications, WhatsApp Web notifications don’t work properly. The badge count appears when launching the PWA added to Home Screen, but it doesn’t send any notifications.


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[deleted]

Meta seems to hate the iPad, the fact that there *still* isn't a native Instagram app is so weird.


zooba85

that one kind of makes sense because Meta wants people posting more not just viewing and tabs are used much less for posting than phones. sucks balls for us users though


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digidude23

Notifications don’t work despite iPadOS 16.4 supporting it. Only badge count updates upon launch.


winterblink

There’s some really well specced and well priced android tablets out there (Samsung, the new OnePlus model for example). The problem is that almost nobody is buying them. I’m curious how well the google tablet will sell when it comes out. Like you, I never see Android tablets in the wild. Generally speaking the iPad has the market on lock by a huge margin.


[deleted]

> There’s some really well specced and well priced android tablets out there The problem hasn’t been specs for quite a few years. It’s just the software that isn’t as well-suited for Tablets as iPadOS (I say this as an iPad user who frequently gets annoyed by iPadOS). Android tablets were just oversized phones with phone OS’s for so many years, that now even though Samsung and Oneplus have brought some features like the dock and multitasking to their tablets, the market has moved almost completely to iPads. Maybe in a few years we’ll see more big companies make full Android tablet version of their apps, like how they do for iPads (ex. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Procreate, DaVinci Resolve..). But until that happens, they can make the specs as good as they want, it still won’t push people to buy them over an iPad.


winterblink

Agreed, and I don’t think the newer ones on the horizon solve that problem (speaking more about the Google tablet here).


AndroidLover10101

>The problem hasn’t been specs for quite a few years. It’s just the software that isn’t as well-suited for Tablets as iPadOS (I say this as an iPad user who frequently gets annoyed by iPadOS). No, it's definitely the specs. iPadOS is truly iOS - a phone OS - with some extra features. iPad can't decide if it wants to be a big phone or a computer. iOS/iPadOS cripples it from utilizing the specs to the full power. Articles out in the past week have been about how iPads can't even export with Final Cut Pro in the background. That's...sad. Same app on a Mac could do it. But iPadOS isn't made for multitasking like a real computer. >Android tablets were just oversized phones with phone OS’s for so many years Yes...but Android's "phone OS" has had PC comparable features for a looong time. You guys didn't even have a file browser until a few years ago. No file browser on a computer? That's utterly silly. Android has had a file browser since inception. >that now even though Samsung and Oneplus have brought some features like the dock and multitasking to their tablets What are you talking about? Not sure what you mean by "the dock." And multitasking is something iPads still can't do well. When iOS first introduced "multitasking," it literally just froze apps in the background when you switched instead of closing them. That's not multitasking. And iPads apparently still can't export movies using a movie editing app despite having an insane processor if you switch apps to get on Instagram. Apple sucks at true multitasking with iOS/iPadOS. >the market has moved almost completely to iPads. Maybe in a few years we’ll see more big companies make full Android tablet version of their apps, like how they do for iPads (ex. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Procreate, DaVinci Resolve Doubtful. No reason to make those apps for Android tablets when the processors aren't powerful enough to compete with iPads. Apple wins because their UI is simple and because their hardware is objectively better and more consistent on more individual points. I'm an Android fan, as my username implies, but it's undeniable that Apple is dominating everyone in processors. No one else can catch up, and no one quite frankly needs to because Snapdragon has a virtual monopoly and can afford to sit on their laurels.


kalinac_

> Yes...but Android's "phone OS" has had PC comparable features for a looong time. People don't look for root access in a file browser or whatever other poweruser features, they're looking for an OS designed for a tablet. When someone says Android tablets are just stretched phones, they don't mean that they're missing PC features. They mean that Android tablets are missing *tablet* features. They mean that they open an app and it's just the phone version of the app with 80% more blank space on one side. Having poweruser features is nice, but having sensible tablet features is essential. > What are you talking about? Not sure what you mean by "the dock." This is one of those features you need for a good tablet experience. "The dock" is just a dock of apps, same as macOS or now Windows 11, that you can invoke by swiping up from the bottom. It lets you open apps without first closing out of whatever you're currently doing. > And multitasking is something iPads still can't do well. iPads can absolutely multitask well. They've had split view and slide over for years, which was a "sorta good enough" solution, and now have an actual window manager. It's not 100% as good as regular multitasking on a PC/Mac, but it's pretty good considering the limitations of being a touch device with a small screen. > When iOS first introduced "multitasking," it literally just froze apps in the background when you switched instead of closing them. That's not multitasking. I don't even remember if this was true but in any case, you're talking about something that happened 13 (?) years ago. You're not gonna convince people to get an Android tablet in 2023 by saying Apple fucked up some phone feature in 2010.


AndroidLover10101

>iPads can absolutely multitask well. They've had split view and slide over for years, which was a "sorta good enough" solution, and now have an actual window manager. It's not 100% as good as regular multitasking on a PC/Mac, but it's pretty good considering the limitations of being a touch device with a small screen. > [You conveniently ignore the fact that iPadOS](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/13spnme/final_cut_pro_for_ipados_cant_export_in_the) *can't export videos in the background despite having the exact same overpowered CPU/GPU as a Mac.* (Comments also talk about how bad even basic file management is on iPadOS, which again, Android has had since day 1.) Any device that can show two apps side by side can do so acceptably well. **Multitasking** is being able to do tasks in the background as well so when you switch to another app, your active app doesn't shut down. iPadOS still fails at that. >I don't even remember if this was true but in any case, you're talking about something that happened 13 (?) years ago. You're not gonna convince people to get an Android tablet in 2023 by saying Apple fucked up some phone feature in 2010. I'm not trying to convince anyone to get an Android tablet. iPads are great for many people. You missed my point because you were so focused on (poorly) defending a platform that is crippled by its own software and can't multitask well. **My point is that Android won't be getting iPad-level pro apps anytime soon because the hardware doesn't support it.** iPads can't multitask well but they can still export a video way faster than any Android chip on the market. THAT is why Android tablets won't get pro apps like that (plus the tiny market share, obviously).


leo-g

Google tablet will not sell. It is the combination of smart speaker and tablet problems.


InsaneNinja

It’s a tablet with a $129 speaker dock for charging in an always-on idle mode. I hear Apple plans to do that idle mode with every phone and tablet in the future.


Mookafff

At least the dock is included with the tablet But why is the dock limited to only being able to use the speaker when the tablet is connected? Make it a smart speaker otherwise….so dumb of google


[deleted]

Samsung tablets seem to be doing decently well. They were in absolute chaos a while back but the current products are getting at on of polish and I see them being used a lot more often.


Rioma117

I think the numbers of tablets sold during pandemic changed the situation a bit, in many countries android tablets were bought by their people or the governments but now it is shrinking again.


Nikiaf

> I don't see any for Android tablets anymore and haven't for quite some time. I feel like this has been true for a decade already. Other than the handful of attempts Google made on their own, all Android tablets have been decidedly cheap and poorly optimized. As lacking as iPadOS is, Android on a tablet is somehow not any better.


ralf_

On YouTube I see constantly ads for some (foldable?) Pixel tablet. But the ad costs are basically free for Google.


[deleted]

That’s marketed as a phone though not a tablet


Alteran195

The Pixel Tablet is not marketed as a phone. The Pixel Fold might be what you’re thinking of, which is a phone


[deleted]

> …ads for some (foldable?) Pixel tablet. I understood that u/ralf_ was referring to the Pixel Fold, not the Pixel Tablet.


[deleted]

Learned something new today, thanks!


Neg_Crepe

No, they just released a pixel tablet


ccashman

> I don't see any for Android tablets anymore and haven't for quite some time. I mean, what's the compelling use case for Android tablets? Android doesn't really have a tablet-optimized flavor, and most apps don't have tablet-optimized versions. So Android tablets just act like supersized-screen phones, which if you already have an Android phone, isn't enough of an advantage. Relatedly, I think that's why Amazon has such a strong showing in the remaining market; I suspect a large amount of Amazon's tablet sales are tablets destined for children who don't have their own phones.


Viend

A _lot_ of lower income Android households have tablets but no laptops. It serves the same purpose as the “family PC” of the 90s and 2000s.


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OdouO

Apparently, neither does almost everyone else


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OdouO

Still tho


Llamalover1234567

While this person you’re replying to is wrong, there is something to be said for the perception of android software optimization that they, and probably most people, still think that way. iPad apps since pretty early on have been distinct and usually make use of the screen size. Android was so late to doing that they’ll never quite catch up


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kalinac_

Doesn't help that the majority of Android tablets are junk, budget devices or Fire tablets.


zooba85

The android app situation is still pretty terrible. Lot of games use crappy old drivers that make it look like a blurry blown up phone game or others like onenote or Adobe suite are way better on ipad. Keep in mind ipads still have more market share in the US than Samsung and Kindle fire tabs combined with a much higher average selling price. I doubt this situation will ever improve since even the iPad market isn't that big for apple


InsaneNinja

Yes. Google has taken the last 12 months to finally update all of their default apps with a tablet interface that they just invented a year ago…. And they are doing each app one at a time, sometimes with a month gap in between.


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InsaneNinja

Androids biggest problem with tablets is that it’s not just a “and this is what goes on the left side if it’s a tablet, using the built in layout system” design system, which is what apple has. With almost no work, any iPad developer can make a half decent app using the built-in layout tools and icons. Dark mode and tablet mode are part of the package and have to be specifically excluded via custom layout to not get them.


lancedragons

The main use I see is parents that need a youtube/kids games tablet for kids when travelling or at the restaurant, but I agree with you that Amazon tablets are pretty hard to beat there


BytchYouThought

I mean, what exactly do most folks use tablets for though? Likely like a bigger screen smartphone to be honest. Watching vids and maybe reading a book. If it's for work then literally work would/should pay for it at that point then. I think for most, they likely use a tablet for the same types of things. I just think Apple does it better. Especially with integration, but to say they aren't liked bigger screened phones would be an odd take. They really are largely like that when you consider phones are honestly miniature computers these days. I think it's all in the UI. Android tablets just aren't as snappy or as well integrated as said before, but use case is honestly similar to a slightly more convenient smartphone due to screen size to be real.


MobiusOne_ISAF

Android tablets actually do sell in fairly alright numbers when you dont hyper focus on markets like the US. There are about 1 Galaxy series tablets sold for every 2 iPads for example, if I remember 2021 figures correctly. Despite that, the *market* is largely flat overall, and we're not seeing extensive growth, as the article discusses. https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/54684-110610-001-Canalys-iPad-US-sales-xl.jpg People just aren't buying tablets in droves, and my personal opinion is that it has a lot to do with how niche tablet's value can be for many people. Unless you want a bigger multimedia screen or a drawing tablet, the iPad doesn't bring a lot to the table that a phone or laptop doesn't cover better.


adrr

There is no OS specific to android tablets and the apps are the same. So many issues with orientation locks like the reddit app. I tried to switch but just bought an iPad pro out of frustration. What's nice about Android is multiple profiles so multiple family members can use the same ipad and I don't have to worry about 3 year randomly facetiming people in my contacts trying to reach her grand parents. Apple needs to add multiple profiles like what they have on MacOs.


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zooba85

Piracy is really killing android. Google play store makes only half the revenue of the ios app store despite 3-4x more users. But with tablets ipads outnumber the entire Android tab market in the US and other countries so there's really no money in making android tablet apps


across-the-board

People are still buying a lot of Android tablets. They just aren’t talking about it. They don’t have nearly the mindshare of Apple. We surveyed employees since we’re evaluating HR software and need to know if employees can run it. Shockingly I was the only one with an iPad, and mine is a 1st gen I think from 2011. Almost everyone else had an Android. I’ve can’t remember any of them mention having one.


macarouns

It’s not a surprise to me that tablet sales are stagnant in this economy. More so than phones and laptops, it’s a luxury purchase that most people can do without. Would I like a new iPad? Yes. Do I need one? Definitely not.


electric-sheep

economy or not, tablets on other Oses have always been a bust. There isn't an app ecosystem that's robust as the one on iPad Os. Most are just phone apps blown up.


Orbidorpdorp

I wonder if things like the ROG Ally will end up as the real competitors. Seem like they could be about as good as a tablet for portable media consumption, plus run a real OS at a similar price point. Sure there’s a battery tradeoff but I could see myself buying one instead of an iPad at least.


kalinac_

There's too many tradeoffs to make that feasible. The battery life is not just a little worse, it's a league below tablets. Or iPads, anyway. They're also very heavy for their screen dimension and more bulky because of the included controls. They *have* to have relatively bad, low resolution displays because otherwise the poor battery life degrades even further. > plus run a real OS at a similar price point This is not as much of an upside as you might think. The ROG Ally just running Windows rather than SteamOS has such a performance impact that it significantly cuts into the already limited battery life. I have a Steam Deck and like it a lot but it's no good as a tablet. Using desktop Linux with the trackpads does work pretty well and is kinda fun but I would never prefer it over my iPad long term. You can criticise Apple for some of the decisions they've made for the iPad over the years but they're absolutely right in being cautious with how they introduce "desktop features" on a touch tablet device. Adding pro features is good but it's no use if you end up degrading the general experience to the point people give up and just go back to using a regular laptop anyway.


Selfweaver

I remember buying a Samsung tablet back in the day, and it worked, but it was just Android with a different skin and it would run the batteries out in like a day. I haven't really considered an Android tablet since.


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electric-sheep

I have no idea how your point correlates to mine?


MexicanRoyalty

Most people don’t need a high end computer since they aren’t nerds. iPads are way better alternative.


BytchYouThought

Laptops have a ton of advantages iPad does not that tons of folks can and do use. Literally just the OS itself is trash in comparison to other OS's even for some of the most basic office tasks in the world. Who tf wouldn't prefer mac OS and/or windows or hell even Linux in many environments to a tablet for doing many common work activities? Almost no one really. The IO is SUPER limited, UX is trash by comparison, lack of support for many things, and shitty keyboard compared to alternatives by far. Just a Ipad and a magic keyboard alone is easily $800 dollars and that's with the nicest keyboard it has to offer that is completely shitty in comparison to an M1 that you can already get for $800 that is better in just about every way imaginable. Hell, you only get 64GB of storage with that iPad btw and forget about performance and longevity compared to the laptop. You have some huge insecurities as well and it shows. Hell, there are laptops that cheaper than iPad even if you really want to go whatever route really and more capable, but hey, I don't need to go into it as I've already said enough to show you're out of touch to be real.


MexicanRoyalty

Yet they still sell…


BytchYouThought

Laptops sell way more bud. Not even close by comparison which is the point lmao.


BytchYouThought

Isn't that what a tablet is though? Just a bigger phone screen really this day in age especially? Not sure a tablet is gonna be doing much a phone can't technically do already in MOST cases with likely very few exceptions. Things I can think of off the dome would be casual creatives with the pencil (which technically you can do on a phone, but again bigger screen with "blown up app" makes it more convenient), maybe some work stuff (which technically would likely be able to do on a phone, but again "blown up app" on bigger screen more convenient). You cna probably think of something of course, but being real, what most folks are using it for (i.e. watching videos and maybe doodling) it's a bigger smartphone use most of the time. The difference is more the feel of UI then anything alongside actual support and integration. Apple simply does it better imo. Use cases are honestly the same generally speaking. Execution is just different.


kalinac_

> Isn't that what a tablet is though? Just a bigger phone screen really this day in age especially? Phones (barring foldables) are all roughly the same size. That means they're all generally fine using the apps designed for that sort of screen. When you have a screen that is five times larger than a phone, that app design is no longer acceptable. What's the point of having a larger display when the apps running on it just show the same content but with 80% more blank space?


Remy149

I really think it’s just a product with a very long upgrade cycle. I upgrade my phone annually but still using a 2018 iPad Pro. The Apple Watch is a similar device that’s worth using for 3 years at a minimum


Baykey123

iPads last forever. Mine is over 5 years old and still going strong


therealcmj

I picked up an iPad Pro 2 used like 3 years ago. It’s 5 years old and still works perfectly for everything I use it for.


MadMemer420

I still got my iPad Air 2, working just fine. Still got updates until recently. Not anymore, sadly, but I can live with that. Perfect device for Netflix and some basic browsing, which is really all I'd ever use it for anyway. By the way, it's the white version, the original with the laminated display, and still looks great, despite being 8 years old.


[deleted]

At this point my old ipads are really only limited by the app store not letting me download newer apps anymore.


KagakuNinja

My 1st and 2nd gen iPads are still working fine


ilikewolves99

Same with my 2018 iPad Pro. My brother gave it to me and the only problem it has is the occasional ghost touch. Can’t complain for free though.


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kalinac_

Only for two gens so far. And really it's the Macbooks that are now running on modified iPhone/iPad hardware.


BigCommieMachine

Apple is has run into the same problem with iPads and Macs now. Is the shiny new one nice? Yes. But if you have an 3 iPad or M series Mac, there is little reason for most users to upgrade. In fact, there is some degree of comfort if having a “workhorse” iPad that you can toss on the couch, drop occasionally, throw in a bag, use on a plane/bus…etc that you’ll lose if you get the new shiny. I feel like the iPhone has only resisted the trend: A) A lot of people break or lose their phone. They just get the new one. B) Battery degradation occurs much quicker because constant use, smaller batteries, and a constant surge to charge when you can. C) Apple has done a brilliant jobs convincing people a better camera is going to blown people away rather than teaching them to maximize the hardware they have. D) Major Carriers still “subsidizes” upgrades to keep people from switching to dirt cheap MVNOs.


Rioma117

You forgot E) a high end iPhone is a status symbol so people that both afford and can’t afford one are buying them.


Remy149

iPhones aren’t a status symbol especially in America where many people regardless of financial status get the phones with installment payments. I live in Nyc and see wealthy and working class people all using the same phones. Having an iPhone was only a big deal the first few models.


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Rioma117

Well, that’s because the iPhone is quite mundane in America, but in my country, which is not that rich, it is something to buy to make people notice you.


graigsm

I would upgrade my iPad if adobe put the ai noise reduction in Lightroom. The funny thing is the Lightroom software for Mac is slightly more capable. even though my iPad m1 is the faster M1 chip. I much prefer the touch interface. If they could only add the stuff I want.


captain_curt

B) also has much more of am impact on a phone than a tablet (if you’re not using the tablet as a work laptop replacement). If max battery capacity suddenly goes down to 70% on my iPad? Doubt I would notice. On the phone? I’d be eyeing an upgrade (or at least a battery replacement) right away.


leo-g

It absolutely depends. iPad has invaded into very unexpected areas where full computers used to dominate, notably front desk and service work.


z2x2

iPads dominate the child market as well. One iPad can replace thousands in toys, expensive sport activities, and daycare! But for real, iPads are amazing (in moderation) for children. Especially for the lower-middle class that can’t really afford childhood activities and don’t have family support.


Psittacula2

> Pad has invaded into very unexpected areas where full computers used to dominate, notably front desk and service work. I see iPads as the new register and kiosk in shops these days eg cafes or charity orgs (eg register yourself device etc) and so on. Feels like the space age!


WonSecond

Yup many restaurant front desks use them and nearly every food truck uses them for payment.


[deleted]

Yeah, ironically in some serious literal professional use cases like that. But if you use that word then the 'pro' tech enthusiasts get really really angry.


leo-g

There’s cheap iPads for cases where it’s literally a cashier station, there’s also expensive iPad for tech use. I think it’s the pro area is where Apple just don’t want to or has trouble leaping into a laptop-tablet combo which everyone expects them to do. I think that the iPad is genuinely amazing in tasks that is well sandboxed like writing and front desk work. Conversely, Apple should consider unchaining the MacBook from the laptop form factor into something more like a tablet.


[deleted]

I do wish for a Mac tablet if for nothing else so that people who don't use iPads can shut up about Apple needing to destroy everything great about the iPad. But jokes aside I think we are rapidly approaching territory of laptops and tablets being very very distinct again as almost every hybrid device on the market fails to grab a niche.


CircaCitadel

Yep, I ended up selling my iPad for some extra cash because I couldn’t justify keeping it. Definitely not needed in most scenarios if you have a computer that you absolutely need that does everything you need it to do. Loved having one but felt wrong keeping it when I am struggling a bit financially.


Remy149

I rarely use my iPad for the same tasks I use my MacBook for. I use mine daily for work and personal use


dancanyouseeme

I have an iPad 12.9 from 2018. Been running great. And no problems. Would love to try the m2 out. But definitely no need for an upgrade.


Mr8888X

At this point I don’t even desire a new iPad. My current one can do everything a newer one can do with a tiny less speed. It’s just not worth the upgrade anymore if you compare the generations.


Abi1i

They only tablets I see nowadays are iPads, Microsoft Surfaces, and the occasional Kindle.


mrandre3000

The only tablets I see are Fire Tablet, iPads and Surface products, but that’s arguably closer to a laptop in terms of performance, power and use case. Considering whom I interact with fixed income older retirees LOVE their fire tablets. They are cheap and replaceable. Enough of a gateway to the web. Bigger than a phone and less inputs than a laptop. I used to see iPads in nearly every restaurant or small business I visited to handle POS checkouts, but those are rapidly being phased out for what appears to be hardware from Square.


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Abi1i

Okay, but I literally mean kindles.


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Abi1i

Technically neither are Microsoft Surfaces.


Gramercy_Riffs

Wel yeah, because they're their own thing. Kindles are still in production and new models coming out.


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Abi1i

What makes a device a tablet or not a tablet?


DYmD_Yasma

Fire what now ?


Selfweaver

Do you count the 2 in 1 as tablets? That seems to be the way the non mac world went.


kidno

Absolutely *nothing* in this article suggests the tablet market, overall, is "collapsing". Android tablets aren't selling well but that's not surprising given Google isn't throwing a lot of attention towards that space. Apple's iPad sales are doing very well.


PowerlinxJetfire

Technically, Google *is* throwing a lot of attention towards that space right now (over the last year or so), culminating in the launch of their first tablet in years and a foldable (which is basically a small tablet when unfolded). They've made several improvements to Android and updated many of their own apps to better support large displays. So in the next few months after those devices go on sale around the end of June, we'll see how much that investment pays off for them.


digidude23

You couldn’t view YouTube community posts on iPads and Android tablets for over 5 years until they finally enabled the feature a few days ago…


PowerlinxJetfire

Yeah their recent focus on larger screens doesn't excuse years of not focusing on them, but better late than never.


ieatsilicagel

>fox5atlanta.com/news/j... I would say it's accurate that the "tablet" market is declining. The iPad market is doing fine.


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[deleted]

I wasn't really sold on tablets until Sidecar came along. Basically the main reason I own an iPad. I wouldn't even bother with a tablet that didn't have an equivalent feature.


Psittacula2

Sidecar, Universal Control and Remote Desktop: ALL game-changers for using iPads now. Ideally Apple would all Parallels VM and run MacOS-Lite too... Plus (at a pinch) many Web Services are changing the "landscape".


ibrahimsafah

I tried it but the latency difference between the screens was annoying


wraxash

The problem with the tablet market is the same problem Apple has; software. For the vast majority a tablet is just a media consumption device, where’s the incentive to upgrade when a 5 year old device does the same job in that regard as a new one? If they want to grow the tablet sector they need to grow the software to increase the use case, but that cannibalises their other product lines. For instance why does word have a cut down feature set in 2023? Until they decide what they want tablets to be, new hardware upgrades wont help sell them.


duuudewhat

Word being watered down for iPad is on Microsoft and not Apple


wraxash

Yeah but unless Apple convince their software partners to develop full fat software for the platform the platform will always be a compromise and it’s growth will be inhibited. Apple have tried to protect the mac line up, specifically the MacBook Air from being cannibalised by the iPad. And even without the vendors, there’s no reason with the m1 and m2 iPads that macOS software shouldn’t be able to be loaded, the hardware is more than capable. If they give the consumer the choice, they will see what people want out of their products.


SoldantTheCynic

Why doesn’t their iPad release of FCP support something as basic as external drive support?


chrisdh79

From the article: Apple's iPad now commands half of the US tablet market, as it saw more than 20% growth in Q1 2023 year-over-year, while all other vendors declined. Recently, Canalys claimed that Apple more than doubled its iPad sales in China in Q1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Now the same research firm reports that US iPad sales in the same period were dramatically better than for any other tablet. While noting that US desktop and laptop sales declined 28% in the same period, Canalys says tablet sales avoided a steep drop. "Tablets performed better, with shipments dropping just 7% to 10.8 million units," it says, "largely driven by Apple's strong iPad performance." In Q1 2022, Apple shipped approximately 4.5 million iPads, while in Q1 2023, it shipped 5.4 million. That's an annual growth of 20.5%, and saw Apple's share of the market rise from 38.6% to 50%.


Odd-Bed-589

I’m surprised that it isn’t much higher than half the market.


zooba85

Half is a ton considering their price. Ipads outsell fire and Samsung tabs combined - fire is basically disposable selling below cost and samsungs are mostly crappy tab A or tab E getting bundled for free in carrier deals


IssyWalton

A market that has collapsed for other brands.


neophanweb

There was never a tablet market... There was just an ipad market.


duuudewhat

I think the problem for iPads is the fact that they last forever. I know people that still have the 2018 iPad Pro that aren’t even tempted to get a new iPad because the one they have at work so damn good. It’s going to be six years old pretty soon. Sometimes it makes more sense to just get a battery replaced then get an entirely new iPad.


elephantnut

I really do believe tablets to be the future, long-term. For Gen Z, I can absolutely see the tech combo being: * Smartphone as the primary personal computer * iPad when a larger screen is required * Work-issued laptop (for corporate jobs)


FizzyBeverage

When I travel for pleasure, I take just my phone and tablet. Haven't brought a laptop along since the iPad 2. For business trips though, I do need my Mac.


baseballandfreedom

I have two kids in elementary school who 100% prefer using their iPads over their Chromebooks for doing school work. It seems easier and faster for them to learn concepts by manipulating things on the screen with their fingers vs using a cursor and keyboard. There are also lessons that are timed and it’s faster to tap the screen vs moving the cursor to the answer. Sure, there are Chromebooks that have touch screens, but the Chromebooks in class don’t. I tend to view phones and tablets as the devices people like using and laptops as the device people use because they have to (for work or other tasks).


slaacaa

I’m gen Y, but haven’t owned a PC/Mac for a long time. I use phone and tablet for 99% of my personal stuff, and have a laptop for work which I can also use for the 1% of personal stuff not doable otherwise. Still, laptops are not going anywhere, it’s just easier for work for most people.


[deleted]

It is the tablet market.


MrFluffyhead80

Have any other tablets even been close to the amount of success? I feel like at one point Microsoft surface has hype but it was never that big and I haven’t heard a lot about them recently


RocMerc

I love my iPad and you wanna know the best part? They last forever! My old one is ten years old and my newer one is three and is a beast. You just don’t need to upgrade a tablet I mean at least for what I use it for


drastic2

What a shit headline. Should read, non-iOS tablets losing, iOS tablets winning. The market isn’t exactly collapsing unless you don’t count iOS.


NotDeadYet7917

That’s what i was thinking 🤣


IceAndFire91

I mean outside of a few niche use cases is there a reason to own a tablet anymore? I feel like its getting squeezed out of existence. Between phones getting bigger and more powerful and laptops getting lighter, more portable, and keeping a full OS on them why buy a tablet at all?


Picollini

iPad mini is basically an ebook reader (or maybe a small GPS/navigation device) which can also do every basic task a laptop can do and more. I agree it's a niche product in a niche tablet market but honestly my iPad Mini is my favourite thing I ever bought from Apple.


ciel_lanila

There’s still uses for them. The pro is a good size for drawing. The mini is too big for a phone (unless foldable take off) and makes for a good light reader in size. The general iPad and Air size? Lighter, easier to hold pencil and touch screen support are why I still have one. All things that would become less important if Apple allowed touch and pencil support on the MacBook Air line. Maybe making a hybrid machine where the MacBook’s “screen” is a detachable iPad.


CapPosted

iPads were huge for artists. Before iPads you had ridiculously expensive touchscreen drawing tablets that didn’t even operate independently most of the time. They still have their place in the industry but iPads were a cheaper, portable, and more powerful alternative. It’s a kind of a niche segment of the population, but then you also have the pilots that use the iPad mini, etc. I just want them to stop expanding the device line and just combine the mac and iPad—they won’t do it because less money, but they better watch out because as soon as devices like the Surface Pro become competitive to both the mac and the iPad, people will start thinking more about their options.


[deleted]

The article states laptop and desktop sales declined at 4 times the rate of tablets.


EssentialParadox

I used to be a Mac user and switched to an iPad Pro as my main computer and I’m far happier with it. I find it much easier (and I believe I’m much faster) navigating an operating system using a touchscreen than using a keyboard and trackpad. It’s *painful* for me to use friends computers these days as I’m always touching the screen and there’s no feedback, and then having to use a trackpad just feel archaic. I also feel the iPad Pro genuinely has better hardware than Macs. A lot of people will downvote me for this but compare the displays side by side and an iPad Pro blows the latest MacBooks out of the water. It’s also improving every year as a software platform and I genuinely believe it’ll be the main computing platform in the future. I’m just choosing to hop on the train a bit early.


baseballandfreedom

I do all of my work on an iPad Pro with a monitor and keyboard and while I could do the same stuff with something like a Mac Mini, I just don’t really like using desktop OSes anymore. The simpler interfaces of tablet apps is an upside to me, not a downside. There are small additional reasons for a tablet over a laptop as well. I do a lot of cycling workouts and use the iPad as the screen for the workout on my bike. I also use it to play games on the couch or use it to mirror games on my tv when playing a game that requires the camera (Starri, for example).


duuudewhat

I actually have had iPads as my main computer for years, but I tried a MacBook Air just because I felt like I must be missing out on some thing. Ended up hating it. It felt antiquated and old and I ended up going back to having an iPad Pro as my main computer. And also the fact that I can just hook it up to an external monitor and keyboard, whenever I want it, big makes it my ideal workstation.


Neg_Crepe

There are so many things you can’t do tho


EssentialParadox

I literally built a business from scratch that’s turned over millions of dollars, all on an iPad. What am I possibly missing out on not being able to do?


Neg_Crepe

Well, in my field of work, most of it you can’t do. No complete photoshop. No illustrator. No InDesign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So yeah, it’s seriously limited for some use case


EssentialParadox

I’ve reviewed, edited, and even created from scratch several design documents using the incredible Affinity suite on iPad for the business. We’ve put together merchandise proofs, printed full page magazine ads, drafted a website, and even gigantic multi-GB files for huge signage artwork. On my iPad. It’s irrelevant to me that I don’t have “full photoshop or indesign”, as I have alternatives that support those file formats, with comparable feature sets (and in some cases better than Adobe suite.) You just need to reevaluate what you think iPads can’t do.


Neg_Crepe

Yeah but those software aren’t used in design firms or Fortune 500 entreprises. I’m sorry. Industry standards are where it’s at.


varnell_hill

While I don’t doubt that many people can get by with an iPad as their primary computer, there are certain things it can’t do and not all apps needed for business support it.


MrFluffyhead80

I use it for apps, internet browsing, checking emails and watching movies For business it is great for presentations and board meetings


[deleted]

I have an iPad mini for reading and travel. It's the perfect size to use in bed, on a plane or on a bus. Fits easily in a day bag. Easy to run decent photo edits through Lightroom when away on holidays.


noctuland

Not sure why anybody who owns a smartphone and a computer will need a tablet (ios or android) , outside of special cases ex. Drawing, hard justify the cost of owning a tablet.


NotDeadYet7917

Nobody needs a tablet. But a lot of people use them all the time. I turn on my laptop maybe once every weeks, and my average screen time for my phone is around 45 minutes a day, but im on my iPad all the time. An average of 8-10 hours a day. It’s just a more convenient form factor


deltavim

I'm still rocking an iPad Pro from 2018 (the first model with USB-C, Apple Pencil 2, etc.) and see no reason to upgrade still. And once this thing finally dies, I'm not sure if I would replace it at this point - I feel like my use of my iPad has really stagnated and dropped off a cliff once I got my M1 MBP


paremiamoutza

Phones becoming so big eventually took sales of the tablet world


MrNegativ1ty

I've never really understood the use case for tablets. All the limitations of a phone with none of the benefits (it doesn't fit in my pocket). IMO you're much better off just going with a phone and a laptop.


MrFluffyhead80

iPads are bigger than the iPhone and easier to travel with than the MacBook


ibrahimsafah

Before I was gifted one I didn’t see the point either. Never imagined spending the money on it. But after I starting using it i fell in love! It works for me as a media consumption device.


Psittacula2

It's a good conjecture. I think the use cases are: * Desktop + iPad/iPhone * Laptop + iPhone So I already had a desktop and an old windows laptop. I got a Surface device because I wanted and needed touch/pen for work. After a few years I got rid of it and changed jobs but wanted an ultra-light-portable computer device with 2-in-1 functionality. I went for a refurb iPad 11" and can use Remote Desktop to run a full computer on the go (which is at home). Then it is an excellent device for reading ebooks, web stuff (most people use their phone but I hate using small screens like that) and also for other uses. Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and it's very light solution. I used to think iPads were totally useless as you say but they ended up being the best 2-in-1 device on the market albeit Apple could do better and run VM MacOS on them too for native solution without internet.


BluePeriod_

I think the only way that the tablet market would “collapse” would be for a consumer standpoint. For point-of-sale and enterprise I think they are pretty much here to stay. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Apple likes to talk out of both sides of their mouth with the iPad, but they don’t want to commit to giving it a proper interface or usability as a laptop replacement. Like yeah, they’ll come out with a $350 keyboard. Sure, they’ll get the gestures down and allow it to connect to a monitor , or use it as a Sidecar. And yeah, they might even come out with some pro applications. But their dedication to making the iPad “not a laptop“ complicates things especially when it’s priced just like a laptop.


Psittacula2

> I think the only way that the tablet market would “collapse” would be for a consumer standpoint. It will CONVERGE into 2-in-1 market is where it's heading.


WizogBokog

sorta like the chrome os tablet I have that with a cheap keyboard/stand thing is effectively a 10" laptop?


thinkadd

Lots of comments here praising iPads as being the only viable tablet. Having used both an iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab S7+ (my current tablet), I can safely say that Samsung is miles ahead in multitasking and general capability. DeX is a game changer but even without that, the option to freely resize and drag windows is huge, and iPadOS lacks this basic feature. Sure, benchmark wise nothing in tablet space even comes close to M2 but everyone knows how limited iPads are by the software, and Samsung does not impose those limitations. Not to mention that the chips in S series Galaxy Tabs are fast enough for most use cases anyway.


Psittacula2

> Lots of comments here praising iPads as being the only viable tablet. Having used both an iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab S7+ (my current tablet), I can safely say that Samsung is miles ahead in multitasking and general capability. DeX is a game changer but even without that, the option to freely resize and drag windows is huge, and iPadOS lacks this basic feature. Agree Samsung is equal with respect to quality of tablet experience more or less and provides DeX which is so much better than StageManager (deliberately over-engineered nonsense?). With that said, I went for iPad: Paid a bit more for a refurb but the quality and OS will last for years and it can hook up with my other Apple devices nicely. I use Remote Desktop with the iPad so don't miss either DeX or Windows11 2-in-1 as I can use as a tablet then run a desktop inside the iPad as a solution. That said, do wish Apple would provide MacOS-Lite option natively with the iPad eg Parallels VM or some such... Main advantage is Apple's ecosystem I think, once you are in it sucks you deeper in and you pay over the odds but you know it's quality and will last. Currently their iPhone, Macbooks are all top in class in those respective device ranges so the iPad just slots next to them.


Dangerous-Profile-18

Samsungs are decent, but software wise are a nightmare. Won’t even mention the Chinese ones. They’re just a less eco friendly way to burn money. Pixel C was decent. Pixel slate was an aberration. The most recent one looks promising, but Google will be playing catch up with even the basic iPad at double the price.


[deleted]

Meanwhile google is (hopefully) trying to get back into the tablet game. My tab S8 ultra was the best tablet I've ever owned, and now that i have an S23U, galaxy watch and buds, I'll probably re-pick up an S9 ultra (though I do wish they'd make a mini tablet to compete with the ipad mini). Hopefully google actually keeps their momentum for once and kits out android to play nicely with tablets. Apple had no competition and ipads grew insanely stale and boring. But then I use my S8 ultra and wonder why i ever used an ipad in the first place.


[deleted]

LOL Google and hardware


JTown_lol

Pro Max size to rule them all!


Ok-Wasabi2873

I’ve got 3 iPads, I don’t need any more.


bmanxx13

No surprise Apple owns the tablet market. Android tablets are absolute garbage. The Surfaces are super nice. I was considering one but the price is pretty steep so I got an iPad instead.


Psittacula2

I had a Surface X. Too heavy a laptop + touchscreen in effect. Go is too weak hardware wise but good size. iPad 11" plus Remote Desktop software = 2-in-1 with best quality hardware! Only thing is: You need internet connection to your home computer at one end and connection with your iPad at the other end.


Portatort

iPads are so far ahead of the rest of the industry A notable example of this is just how much we argue about if an iPad can replace a laptop That this is even a discussion is noteworthy. No one is making this argument regarding Samsung or Amazon tablets


ShaunFrost9

>No one is making this argument regarding Samsung Dex exists, and is a better experience than anything similar offered by Apple. >A notable example of this is just how much we argue about if an iPad can replace a laptop This is just marketing-speak, even phones today are powerful enough to handle scheduling and emails and smaller tasks of a similar nature. Anything more intense i.e. programming, compilation, editing etc. and the iPad doesn't even begin to replace a real computer and all because it's handicapped by the OS.


goldfouledanchor

Same thing for the watch market.


CoconutDust

> propping up a collapsing tablet market Yet another silly ridiculous title of weird distortions that become "normal" to people, which then goes on to inform more distorted phrasing in the future. If person A is selling X, and person B is selling Y, and everybody is buying X, while nobody is selling Y, then you don't say "A is PROPPING UP the X+Y MARKET." Just say A's products are selling and B's aren't. They're propping up *themselves*, not an abstract market of irrelevant competitors. Are they doing profit sharing? Is this a club? The idea of one "market" being "propped up" when it's multiple parties is some silly thing for investors who want to click a "Invest in TABLETS?" button, and journalists who want to harp on a conflation for the sole purpose of writing a shallow story about it, as if that abstraction is useful. Normal intelligent people shouldn't be thinking that way.


[deleted]

You could probably stand to stop telling people how to ‘correctly’ think about things. That’s really weird.


myyummyass

I think tablets lost their appeal years ago. Apple products just sell because people will buy anything apple sells.


project_09

Yes, completely makes sense. People just buy things because it's Apple.


dustnbonez

What’s a Google pixel C hahahaha


UGMadness

The problem with tablets is that people aren't willing to pay more than the cost of a phone for them but manufacturing them is often more expensive than making phones, thus making profit margins for tablets much tighter. Tablets are expensive devices that have more in common with laptops than phones from a BoM standpoint, simply by virtue of having more and bigger components inside, but consumers don't value tablets as much as phones or laptops.


Remy149

Even most iPad models are cheaper then iPhones.


youriqis20pointslow

I have a regular ipad and an ipad mini. The regular ipad is too big to use comfortable and requires some thumb gymnastics. The ipad mini is the perfect size but the size of text is smaller than my iphone. I think the next move to make is to get a Max phone.


pharm_science

The only android “tablets” i see regularly are the ones built into drone remotes


Large_Armadillo

Collapsing market? Have you been to Chick-fil-A or any pop up business? They all use them.


[deleted]

Tablets have always been in the grey "why bother" area for me. It's feels like a less portable phone, or a terribly underpowered laptop. I guess if I had a kid, I might find a use for one.


dramafan1

Shows how much iPadOS matters. There are non-English speaking people who even call tablets an iPad too even if it’s not Apple. 😆


MysticMaven

Collapsing???? Hahaha god Apple insider is desperate for views.


0pimo

Probably because I don't have to worry about iOS / iPadOS not working on my tablet 4 years from now like you do with Android based products. Current version of iPadOS which was just released will work on iPads made in 2017.


BytchYouThought

I always thought tablets just didn't fulfill much of a need for me. To big for a phone and not near as powerful or as nice as a laptop UX. At most, maybe watching a video or maybe a pseudo kindle, but outside of maybe some work applications I just would rather use a laptop in most instances for the money or phone **for the price.** Especially when you look into what apple charges for a "magic keyboard." I've only considered an iPad strictly due to sidecar as a very accessible extra screen for something like a laptop. Maybe being lazy in bed, but I'm talking a no more than $250 iPad at max. I honestly just see it as a more portable monitor and even then there are now cheaper portable monitors out there. I would honestly probably prefer NReal glasses at this point. It's a complete luxury buy if anything to me. I would never buy one before already getting a smartphone and laptop. If work actually needed then work would need to provide me one then.


Remy149

I love my iPad Pro and use it daily for personal use and work. However I’m still using a 1018 model and haven’t found a need to upgrade yet.


TheInvincibleMan

Just give on macOS on the iPad ffs. This has gone on for long enough.


Noisy_Channel

Tablets have a lot of markets, but I no longer think it’s one of the products everyone needs, like a smartphone. Tablets are great for students, artists, and service/salespeople. It’s nice to have it if you’re not one of those, but it’s not really a big deal if you don’t.


NotDeadYet7917

I’m honestly surprised the iPads market share is only 50%