The iPad seems to be suffering the same stagnation as the rest of the tablets and the solution does not seem easy, although Apple wants to relaunch its flagship product, the iPad Pro, with a revolution that will arrive next year.
A more than deserved stagnation
The iPad is not going through its best moment, in fact right now it is, of all the products with its own category, the one that generates the least income. Last quarter reflected quite poor numbers for a category that became one of the most important in the company's economic figures. And not only if we talk about revenue, but also in terms of total units sold. It is true that a new iPad Air was launched last year that did not exist this year, but the problem goes much deeper than that detail that Apple used as an excuse in its last earnings conference. After the great increase in sales during the pandemic, users now have no need to purchase new products, because in reality there is nothing new that encourages them to do it.
The iPad Pro came to destroy the tablet market, and it really did, but different decisions made by Apple have meant that it has never been a reality when it comes to succeeding a computer. The Post-PC era has yet to arrive, and Apple is largely to blame for this. First, because the user has to take an advanced course when deciding which model best suits their needs. A perfect example is the iPad Pro 11″ and the iPad Air, two practically identical devices but with a substantial price difference.. Then, due to the lack of differentiation between models, what can you do with the most expensive iPad that you can't do with the cheapest? Install Final Cut Pro... and little else. And the iPad software is stagnant, very stagnant. The big news this year should have been Stage Manager, but it's something most of us avoid using because it hinders us more than it helps, which is amazing when it comes to Apple and software.
But perhaps the biggest problem with the iPad is that Apple's laptops have taken a huge leap in quality that has placed them ahead, far ahead. The inclusion of Apple Silicon processors in their computers has meant that we can get laptops with features superior to those offered by the iPad, fantastic performance and autonomy, and all this with software that is much more adapted to productivity than iPadOS. Why would I want to spend €1.449 on an iPad Pro 12,9″ when I have a MacBook Air 13″ for €1.298? If we add the keyboard to the iPad, we could even buy the MacBook Air 15″ and we would have more than enough for an accessory.
Apple has the ball in its court
Apple is to blame for its iPad being stuck, but the good news for the company is that the solution is in its hands. And if we listen to Mark Gurman in his last newsletter (link), it seems that the year 2024 will see the first great revolution of the iPad Pro since its launch. After several years in which updates have been limited to offering improvements of little relevance to the end user, next year major changes will come to Apple's most expensive tablet. The screen, the most important external element, will switch to OLED technology to offer brighter and more realistic colors, offering two different sizes: 11 inches and 13 inches. To make the device look more like a computer, Apple will change the design of the Magic Keyboard, and will provide it with a larger trackpad, perhaps the weak point of the current one.
What Gurman needs to say to be able to qualify this as a true revolution is that Apple gives the iPad the software it deserves. As long as this doesn't happen, we will continue to have wonderful hardware with insufficient software to make the most of everything it can offer us. Will Apple dare to take the plunge?