Apple’s first foray into tablets was meant to be a replacement for laptops and desktops. But with time, the iPad became less about replacing PCs and more about being a companion device. Today, we’re seeing the iPad gradually losing its value. What could be the issue?

Smartphones were once seen as a luxury item. Now, they’re everywhere. While some people still use them primarily for calls and texts, many others are using them for email, social networking, productivity apps, and even games.

In 2013, the term “phablet” was coined to describe devices with screens larger than 5 inches. These days, the definition of what constitutes a phablet has expanded to include any smartphone with a screen size between 5 inches and 9 inches.

While Apple was the first to market with a tablet, it certainly isn’t the only company that got it wrong. 

Microsoft tried to launch a tablet called Courier in 2010, but it never saw the light of day. HP also attempted to release a slate named Slate in 2009, but it didn’t sell well either.

Why did the iPad fall so much?

The answer is simple. The iPad is a niche product. There are only two ways to make money off it: 

1.  Sell accessories, 
2. Sell apps. 

While Apple has done well-selling accessories, they’ve never really sold many apps. So, what happens if you don’t sell any apps? You lose money. And since the iPad doesn’t have a lot of competition, it’s hard to get people to buy apps.

With its larger screen size, the new iPad doesn’t offer any compelling reasons to upgrade from the previous generation. And while it does have some improvements over the older model, they’re not enough to justify the price increase.

Apple’s decision to release two different sizes of the iPad was always going to be controversial. But the fact that the company chose to launch the smaller version first means that the iPad Air couldn’t compete effectively with the cheaper iPad mini. The iPad mini was already a great value proposition, and the introduction of the iPad Air made it even more attractive.

Why the iPad Pro didn’t sell well

The iPad Pro is a suitable device, but it’s not the best tablet money can buy. If you want something powerful, versatile, and capable of doing everything you want, then the Surface line is still the way to go. The iPad Pro is a fantastic device for people who want to do serious work on their tablets, but if you don’t need that kind of power, then there’s no real advantage to buying the iPad Pro over the iPad mini.

Conclusion

Apple isn’t going to go out of business anytime soon, but the iPad is not giving the company enough or the expected return. Since Apple makes most of its money from gadget sales, that might be making less money in the long run. Which means they’ll have to cut costs somewhere else. And that could mean cutting back on research and development, marketing, or even retail stores.