According to new reports doing the rounds of the Apple community, Tim Cook and his team are all set to launch new iPad Pros in the second quarter of 2017. This, however, seems more like a panic move than a regular product launch.
CultOfMac recently reported that “chip demand for the iPad has continued to slow, meaning that shipments of iPad devices for 2016 may struggle to hit 40 million units in total.” The report claims to have sources in the supply chain of iPad manufacturing plants, and goes on to say that “things are likely to get even worse.”
The holidays are good for sale
Previously, the trend was that iPad sales would pick up during the holidays (mid-December to early January). This was because gadgets have always been a popular choice for gifts and holiday deals make them a more affordable buy.
Now, while the data for this year’s holiday sales is not out, speculations are rife that sales haven’t been as robust as last year’s. Furthermore, when you factor in decline in demand for chips, a slump in the overall demand for iPads is not out of the realm of possibility.
Like iPhone, like iPad
Apple is already battling a decline in iPhone sales, and they would hate to have the iPads also perform poorly. That’s why it makes sense to hasten the launch of the new iPad Pros by a few months to stay afloat in the market.
However, market analysts are still not sure if the new iPad Pros are going to help. The “well-connected KGI Securities Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said […] that iPad shipments will fall 10-20 percent on year in 2017, and that new devices are unlikely to be a big driver of growth in this area.”
Balancing Sales and Quality
But if that reasoning is true — if Apple is indeed pushing up the release of the new iPad Pros — it also risks doing a shoddy job on the product. They’ll probably cut a few corners and the end product might not match up to what they would’ve ideally wanted to launch.
A below par product could mean that Apple might end up alienating customers who’ve come to expect very high standards from their products. So, the new iPad Pros might not only save the situation but make matters even worse.
The only way to avoid total disaster is for them to release an absolutely kick ass product. There are rumours of bezel-less models and of full AMOLED screens, which we hope are true.
Let’s be honest – the situation right now doesn’t look too good Apple. iPhones are not flying off the shelves, MacBook Pros are facing stiff competition from Microsoft’s Surface devices, and Google is killing it in the realm of smartphones and virtual assistants. The new iPad Pros might be the only deliverance Apple can find. We’ll know for sure in March/April.