The iPad Pro and the iPad Air launched earlier this week. While Apple is focused on launching the latest versions of the iPad, a recent poll by CIRP sheds light on iPad users' upgrade cycle. The survey indicates that users are keeping their iPads for a longer duration and are delaying upgrades to the latest models.
A recent survey suggests that 40% of iPad users are extending the upgrade cycle up to 3 years or more
According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), 28 percent of customers retained their older iPads for over 3 years in 2022. This pattern changed drastically, as 40 percent of customers are now keeping their iPads for longer durations and delaying upgrades.
Consumers on different forums had varied opinions about holding on to their iPads for an extended period. The reasons vary from budget constraints to lack of need. iPad users generally upgrade their models for storage problems, usability issues, or battery degradation. Very few users suggest moving to the new models for upgraded features and better performance. However, we believe that the major reason could be iPadOS and its lack of desktop-class features.
iPadOS seems to be a stronger reason to comprehend why users are prolonging their upgrade cycles. iPadOS offers more or less the same features for the 'Pro' models as the budget-friendly variants, leaving users sticking to the budget iPads and the older versions. The platform does not offer dedicated features to users, and there is no major utility difference when comparing iPadOS to iOS, apart from the fact that you can connect a keyboard to it.
The average lifespan of an iPad is about 4-5 years before signs of aging appear. Although this depends on how the iPad is used and maintained, Apple stops offering new software updates after at least five years. This could be another possible reason why the iPad's upgrade cycle is extending.
The pressure on Apple to deliver features that justify spending on the newer models of the iPad is huge. The iPad demand is in dire need of a resurgence for users to finally make a jump. We can hope that the M4 iPad Pro is able to revive the iPad market and reignite the interest of consumers. We have previously covered that iPadOS is not only impacting the existing demand but also pushing the M4 iPad Pro to the level of the entry-level models. Even though the new devices seem appealing, consumers sticking to the budget option makes more sense.
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