Apple was full of confidence in 2014 after it launched two iPads. The first was the iPad Air 2, which brought a number of significant enhancements to the original iPad Air. It was thinner, lighter, more powerful, and even included the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that proved indispensable in the 2013 iPhone 5s.
Alongside this new iPad came the iPad mini 3. The only real change that it brought from the iPad mini 2 was the inclusion of Touch ID. Apple also added in an additional color option, gold).
For many, they considered this as a surprising and, frankly, lazy move on Apple's part.
However, it finally made good on the utter fail that was the iPad mini 3 with the iPad mini 4, giving the device an all-new industrial design, revamped internals (processor, Wi-Fi, etc.), and an extremely high-quality LCD with 100 percent sRGB color gamut coverage (iPad mini 2/3 only covered 62 percent of sRGB).
And, it would seem that making a much better iPad has had a positive impact on sales of the company's latest "mini" iPad.
According to a survey conducted by CIRP (via Apple Insider) showing adoption rates of various iPad models in the United States, iPad mini 3 adoption as of December 2014 was quite low, with iPad mini 2 and iPad mini adoption each dramatically outstripping that of the iPad mini 3 (which seems to have made up just over 5 percent of iPad sales at that time).
However, the December 2015 numbers tell a very different story. iPad mini 2 is still the most popular iPad (which makes sense given its price point), but unlike with the mini 3 last year, iPad mini 4 has seen quite strong adoption (relative to the other iPad models), making up about 15 percent of overall iPad sales in the U.S.
Apple has the financial might to invest in developing new iPad models each and every year. And even though it is on the decline thanks to cannibalization by large phones, iPad is still quite a significant revenue generator for the iDevice maker.
In order to even have a chance of stabilizing iPad and/or seeing it return to growth someday, Apple can't let its foot off the gas with respect to product development.
To attract current iPad owners to buy new ones (and to convince owners of older non-iPad tablets to ultimately refresh to iPad), Apple will have to bring meaningful innovations to all of its iPad lines - mini through Pro - at roughly an annual .
These innovations don't need to be as sweeping as the ones that Apple brings to its iPhones - iPhone is much more important than iPad - but the company needs to avoid pulling the incredibly lame stunt that it tried with the iPad mini 3 again for the good of both its customers and its shareholders.
Alongside this new iPad came the iPad mini 3. The only real change that it brought from the iPad mini 2 was the inclusion of Touch ID. Apple also added in an additional color option, gold).
For many, they considered this as a surprising and, frankly, lazy move on Apple's part.
However, it finally made good on the utter fail that was the iPad mini 3 with the iPad mini 4, giving the device an all-new industrial design, revamped internals (processor, Wi-Fi, etc.), and an extremely high-quality LCD with 100 percent sRGB color gamut coverage (iPad mini 2/3 only covered 62 percent of sRGB).
And, it would seem that making a much better iPad has had a positive impact on sales of the company's latest "mini" iPad.
According to a survey conducted by CIRP (via Apple Insider) showing adoption rates of various iPad models in the United States, iPad mini 3 adoption as of December 2014 was quite low, with iPad mini 2 and iPad mini adoption each dramatically outstripping that of the iPad mini 3 (which seems to have made up just over 5 percent of iPad sales at that time).
However, the December 2015 numbers tell a very different story. iPad mini 2 is still the most popular iPad (which makes sense given its price point), but unlike with the mini 3 last year, iPad mini 4 has seen quite strong adoption (relative to the other iPad models), making up about 15 percent of overall iPad sales in the U.S.
Apple has the financial might to invest in developing new iPad models each and every year. And even though it is on the decline thanks to cannibalization by large phones, iPad is still quite a significant revenue generator for the iDevice maker.
In order to even have a chance of stabilizing iPad and/or seeing it return to growth someday, Apple can't let its foot off the gas with respect to product development.
To attract current iPad owners to buy new ones (and to convince owners of older non-iPad tablets to ultimately refresh to iPad), Apple will have to bring meaningful innovations to all of its iPad lines - mini through Pro - at roughly an annual .
These innovations don't need to be as sweeping as the ones that Apple brings to its iPhones - iPhone is much more important than iPad - but the company needs to avoid pulling the incredibly lame stunt that it tried with the iPad mini 3 again for the good of both its customers and its shareholders.
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