The improvement in iPad sales could be short-lived

The iPad Pro launched last spring allowed Apple to revive tablet sales which had been stalling for several quarters. Unfortunately, the rebound is likely to be short-lived.

After a blank year in 2023 in terms of new features for the iPad, Apple put a part back in the machine last May with a new range ofiPad Pro. Thinner, more powerful with their M4 chip, and both equipped with an OLED screen, these tablets enabled sales to rise again in the second quarter: Apple sold them for $7.1 billion, or almost 24% better than last year during the same period.

iPad Pro 13″ M4 256 GB (2024) at the best price Base price: €1,569

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A short-lived rebound in sales?

But now that early adopters and users who were impatiently waiting for new iPad Pros have been served, it seems that demand has ebbed. And by a lot, according to figures from Ross Young, an analyst at DSCC who particularly scrutinizes the screen industry. Of the 10 million OLED screens intended for iPad Pros which were planned for this year, production would only be 7 million due to slowdowns in the second half.

It is the 13-inch model that would be the main culprit. The improvements made to the large tablet would not be as convincing as those of the 11-inch version, which actually starts further. The previous generation of the “small” iPad Pro was in fact content with a “simple” LCD screen while the 13-inch version had a more efficient mini LED panel.

The question of price cannot be dismissed out of hand. Even more than previous versions, the new iPad Pros are great investments: from €1,219 for the 11-inch, from €1,569 for the 13-inch.

If the improvements made by Apple to the 2024 iPad Pro vintage are significant, it is more difficult to justify such a purchase unless you make an iPad Pro your main computer. Unfortunately, iPadOS still lacks the flexibility of macOS, which limits the possibilities of these machines. This is the eternal problem of this family of products which comes up in every test…