Apple Watch is ready on deck as the iPad celebrates its 5 year anniversary with lower tablet demand
Apple is in the business of revolutionizing markets. They create products that transform the way humans interact with technology, and that focus on the experience is what keeps them ahead in hearts and minds of countless electronics consumers. The iPod put 10,000 songs in our pockets, the iPhone introduced easy to use internet to the palm of our hands, and 5 years ago today, the iPad transformed the bulky tablet into a sleek, hand held entertainment and productivity hub. The tablet market exploded after Apple introduced the iPad to the world, but in recent years, sales have been slowing as smartphones are growing.
According to IDC, in the year after the launch of the iPad, Apple controlled 77 percent of the tablet market. However, as the market developed, Apple lost much of that mindshare to the likes of Amazon and Samsung, as these companies rode the wave of the iPad to optimize their own tablets. Today, Apple and others are struggling to sell tablets since smartphones are encroaching on the established use cases. Brands are now pushing tablets into the worlds of education and business, hoping to fill a technological void too big for a handheld device.
Although Apple is no longer leading the tablet market, they legitimized it with the introduction of the iPad in 2010. As they are vying to sell the umpteenth version of the iPad to school children and busy business people, they are also scurrying to revolutionize the wearables industry with the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch, however, is not poised to achieve the same greatness as the iPad. Past Apple superstars offered dramatic improvements to the user experience, but the Apple Watch is dropping a sensor filled smartwatch with a fashionable flair in to a sea of the same. Apple has yet to transform the wearables experience, and if they do not rewrite the rules of smartwatch manufacturing as they did with the MP3 player, mobile phone, and tablet, the Apple Watch will not improve their legacy of greatness.
Pre order our Apple Watch Launch Report to gauge its success and impact on the wearables market before sales are even reported. Available Monday, May 4th (just 3 days after launch).
