Zijin Liu’s blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/liuzijin/2014/10/05/where-is-the-point-of-ipad-after-ipone-6-plus/

As Zijin Liu mentions in his blog, Ipad sales have been gradually decreasing these years. Zijin compares the screen size of Ipad mini with Iphone 6+, which no longer varies a lot and then lets readers to think why Apple makes these similar products and what triggers the decreasing sales.

Zijin makes the point that Ipad has a lot of close substitutes and it does not have a clear value proposition. I agree with him that Ipad has many competitors, including Sony Pad and Lenovo. According to a recent search, Ipad’s market share in Q2 2014 was 26.9% while SUMSUNG was 17.7% and others were 44.4%. Dating back to 2012, the situation was totally different, when Ipad took more than 60% of market shares. There is an urgent need for Ipad to make itself stand out from its competitors and turn the situation around to save its market share. However, Zijin’s point that Ipad does not have a clear value proposition is not persuasive. Ipad makes its positioning as entertainment device between Iphone and Macbook.

Next point Zijin makes is that for gaming and reading using, Ipad is less easy to carry compared to Iphone and less powerful when is compared to desktop. However, Ipad is not designed for gaming and reading only. Studying and working are also the basic functions for Ipad. Simultaneously, size is not the only criteria for users to assess a product. Yet, it is the size as well as functions and price that matters.

From my perspective, Ipad’s decreasing sales are attributed to the following factors.

-First, environment is totally different from past (2010) and now. In 2010, Macbook is heavy and thick and people are completely mesmerized by apps. However, at present, macbooks are thin, light and the app ecosystem is tired and somewhat stable.

-Second, larger size of phones is making students more likely to use their phones to deal with tasks, which, however, is initially designed as a function of Ipad.

-Third, the introducing of Ipad mini is confusing customers’ positioning for Ipad, as its screen is much smaller than Macbook, which cannot act as a replacement. Meanwhile, the size is not as convenience as Iphone.

Picture and resource from: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/samsung-is-stealing-apples-ipad-market-share-2013-10