NEWS ANALYSISservices – hence plays like the free year of Apple TV+.
With TV streaming options, including Disney+ and
Britbox, launching in the UK next year, there’s a real
danger from subscription fatigue, and Apple wants
to lock in its customers as soon as possible.iPadding the margins
What a turnaround for Apple’s tablet. The device that
was poised to revolutionize the way we interacted with
our computers took a sharp nosedive in sales over the
past couple years, but it seems to have rebounded
with a healthy profit in more recent quarters.
There are a few points working in the iPad’s
favour: first of all, Apple’s investment in the iPad
Pro has proved to be a winner, with many people
increasingly comfortable using the tablet to do work
that they used to do on a laptop, despite the unending
arguments about whether or not the devices are
suitable for ‘real work’.
But I think the bigger advantage is the breadth of
offerings in the category. You can get a very capable
iPad starting all the way down at £349, which includes
compatibility with the Apple Pencil and the Smart
Keyboard, or you can spend as much as £1,669 to
get a 12.9in iPad Pro with all the trimmings. That’s an
enormous range of options, at price and performance
points to satisfy all comers. By comparison, the iPhone
and Mac product lines have definitely felt weighted
more towards the high-end in recent years.
That makes the iPad a good template for the rest of
Apple’s products going forward: different people have
different needs, and why cast a narrow net when youNEWS ANALYSIS
services–henceplayslikethefreeyearofAppleTV+.
WithTVstreamingoptions,includingDisney+and
Britbox,launchingintheUKnextyear,there’sareal
dangerfromsubscriptionfatigue,andApplewants
to lockinitscustomersassoonaspossible.iPaddingthemargins
WhataturnaroundforApple’stablet.Thedevicethat
waspoisedtorevolutionizethewayweinteractedwith
ourcomputerstookasharpnosediveinsalesoverthe
pastcoupleyears,butitseemstohaverebounded
with ahealthyprofitinmorerecentquarters.
ThereareafewpointsworkingintheiPad’s
favour:firstofall,Apple’sinvestmentintheiPad
Prohasprovedtobeawinner,withmanypeople
increasinglycomfortableusingthetablettodowork
thattheyusedtodoonalaptop,despitetheunending
argumentsaboutwhetherornotthedevicesare
suitablefor‘realwork’.
ButIthinkthebiggeradvantageisthebreadthof
offeringsinthecategory.Youcangetaverycapable
iPadstartingallthewaydownat£349,whichincludes
compatibilitywiththeApplePencilandtheSmart
Keyboard,oryoucanspendasmuchas£1,669to
geta12.9iniPadProwithallthetrimmings.That’san
enormousrangeofoptions,atpriceandperformance
pointstosatisfyallcomers.Bycomparison,theiPhone
andMacproductlineshavedefinitelyfeltweighted
moretowardsthehigh-endinrecentyears.
ThatmakestheiPadagoodtemplatefortherestof
Apple’sproductsgoingforward:differentpeoplehave
differentneeds,andwhycastanarrownetwhenyou