For more than two years, Apple iPad sales have been continuously declining without stopping. Apple introduced new versions of it and even the iPad Pro, to no avail. We analyzed this matter several times, but I was surprised each time that Apple is still the most company selling tablets since the launch of the first iPad until today. What is the secret? And why shouldn't Samsung, which is known for providing hundreds of devices, give us tablets with capabilities equivalent to its new S and Note phones? And my answer to this was that the secret is the end of the era of the second generation of tablets.

Why ended the era of the second generation of tablets?

The first generation of tablets

You may have noticed that I repeat the phrase "second generation" for tablets in the previous sentence as well as the title. So what is this second generation, when did it appear, and where is the first generation?

In the nineties, a smart device called PDA spread and was more like a notebook in which you can record your notes, and Apple at the time provided its "Newton" device. Until Microsoft came in the year 2000 to present to the world the concept of real tablet devices with the Pocket PC device, which worked on Windows CE 3.0, and two years later, it presented the so-called “Microsoft Tablet PC” and it was a real tablet device that works with a modified version of the famous Windows XP system.

Tablet PC

But these devices remained limited in use and capabilities and did not achieve sales due to the company's mistake at the time that it did not provide a complete concept for tablets, but rather it was only introducing a new device in addition to the technology at that time was late (this is what Bill Gates himself mentioned in response to a question that the founder of the tablets is supposed Real). But these devices, although they did not attract the eyes of millions of users, did attract the attention and attention of a person. This person is Steve Jobs, who found in her what he wanted for the future of Apple.

second generation

Jobs became famous for the phrase that geniuses "steal." But we can say that Jobs was a thief - as he described himself and we are not his lineage - a sophisticated one, as he picked up distinctive ideas and developed them with his famous skill. Therefore, the attempts of Bill Gates and then Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's leaders in promoting tablets, could not pass before Jobs without any benefit from them. So he met with the leaders of his company and asked them to make a tablet for Apple. Indeed, they did this and brought him a copy of the tablet. Here the genius of Jobs appears, as he took the device from them and placed it next to him and told them "Wonderful, but people need such a thing, but a phone. Let's start a touch phone project." The result was the iPhone in 2007 and it began to achieve global success in 2008, and here Jobs called the team again and told them it was time to revive our tablet project. I want you to be inspired by all that we benefited from the iPhone to offer me the iPad. In early 2010 Jobs revealed the iPad. And here the second generation began.

Apple-iPad-Steve-Jobs

Constant control of Apple

When Apple launched the iPad, it swept the sales of tablet devices and achieved unprecedented popularity and making all companies offer tablet versions, whether Microsoft itself or its Android competitors. But the iPad remained superior and at times Apple was selling more than all companies and the world together. Now, after 6 years, we find that Apple, although its devices are known for their very high price, the second quarter sales figures (April-May-June) show us that Apple has a share of 25.8% and is almost equal to the total sales of all tablet devices from Samsung, Lenovo and Amazon together. But if you look at the numbers, you will find that the total sales are decreasing, so why did you die?

Tablet Q2 2016

The advantages that made him fall apart

Do you remember above when I spoke that Jobs told his team that he wanted to introduce a tablet device and take advantage of it with what they learned from the iPhone? If we can say that the iPad is nothing but a "super" iPhone. Any large iPhone device. And because the current era of tablets is led by Apple from the beginning, it was the saying of all companies that their tablet device is an enlarged version of their phones. But with the passage of days, phones began to increase in size and even Apple was forced to release the 5.5-inch iPhone Plus, and its sales increased with time.

iPhone-6-Plus

With the increase in the size of the phones, functions that are difficult to do on the old 3.5-inch iPhone (iPhone before 5) have become possible with the Plus, which has become an iPad mini, ie an "iPad mini" but miniature. In Android, the phablet category has appeared and spread, but companies with the most powerful phones are found, such as Huawei in the Mate devices and Samsung in the Note phone. And for those who do not know that devices even the size of a 5.1 inch screen are called a phone. Between 5.11 tablets to 6.99 tablets are called phabets (meaning a hybrid between a phone and tablet) and devices from 7 inches are called tablets. In 2012, the phablet sold 25.6 million devices, and the number jumped to 50.4 in 2013 with the launch of the iPhone Plus. It is expected that the number will reach 146 million this year, i.e., sales have doubled by 600% in 4 years. So, it is not surprising that companies neglect to offer tablets. For example, Samsung has 356 devices under the name "Galaxy". Looking at the most recent 70 of them, you find there are only 3 tablets.

The third generation of tablets

Now, what happened with Microsoft and its pledge in the past decade is repeated in the 2010 Apple era - that tablet sales decline. But technology has always taught us that nothing dies. So we invite you to discuss in the comments about the future of tablets. And how can it be developed to provide the third generation. We will devote a new article a few days later to imagine the future of the iPad, and we will use it with what you remember.

Do you agree with us that the era of the second generation of tablets has ended and a new era has come? Where do you expect the new revolution?

Sources:

Wiki | Wikipedia | IDC

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