receive to our weekend Apple Breakfast column , which admit all of the Apple word you miss this hebdomad in a ready to hand bite - sized roundup . We call it Apple Breakfast because we mean it function with child with a first light cup of coffee or afternoon tea , but it ’s coolheaded if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner 60 minutes too .
Where did it all go wrong for the iPad?
If you depend at the top numbers , Apple appears to have had another record - busting one-fourth . But even the most prospering gardens have weeds , and ( at risk of mixing my metaphors ) the most obvious fly in Apple ’s Q4 ointment was the performance of the iPad .
Whereas the iPhone and Wearables were each up 10 percent , the Mac was up 25 per centum , and even Services managed 5 percentage growth on the equivalent poop last class , the iPad was down by an minatory 13 percentage . ( It ’s not a one - off , either . The iPad was downin Q3 as well , andin Q2 , andin Q1 . ) That ’s a hole in Apple ’s monetary resource deserving a piddling over a billion dollars … which is likely less detrimental for the company than it sound but stay a vexation .
With a staggered launch schedule and ego - cannibalizing product map that ’s as nettlesome as it isconfusing , the iPad does n’t need challenger . Apple has taken on the problem of killing it all on its own .
The iPad is not the Mac – as much as Apple would care it to be – and a fluid , complex range merely does n’t work . We have acknowledged that iPads are principally aimed at light - usage consumers , and short - exercise consumer call for and essay outclear signpoststhat distinguish them which product to buy — which is exactly what the iPad range is ineffective to bid .
The young 10.9 - inch iPad , rather than offering a compelling update to the budget iPad from 2021 , or else invades the mid - market territory of the iPad Air , which itself invaded the iPad Pro ’s territorial dominion when it came out . With iPads launching at ostensibly random clip throughout the yr and rendering each other redundant the moment they do , the best wager is to simply buy the newest … but there ’s no guaranty it wo n’t itself be surpassed the next month . None of which is potential to make customers queue up at their local Apple Store .
The iPad was supposed to be the answer to the post - PC conundrum . And to the changing facial expression of smartphones , which at one microscope stage were arise so orotund so quickly that they spawned a unexampled family called the phablet . And to the changing world of crop on the move , which everyone assumed would have lead the laptop behind age ago . Apple was n’t the only company to wrong believe that the pad of paper was the future , but no one else has figure out as hard to make it actually happen .
The fact that consumers do n’t , in fact , want to trade in in their laptops and telephone for a unmarried converged twist is n’t Apple ’s fault , and with the benefit of hindsight , we can see that the iPad was never really destined to take the iPhone ’s place as the company ’s taxation drawing card , as Apple evidently hoped it would . Most of us desire something bigger than a tab for working on , and something more portable for carrying around in our sac . Caught in between , the pad is regarded by most customers as a lightweight message pitch machine you grab to watch Netflix , surf the vane , or play a few games . The market for the iPad as a core equipment , as a piece of work twist , was never as freehanded as the fellowship suppose .
A little market can still be worth access , however , and Apple seldom likes to leave money on the board . And until now Apple has done a good task of taking that money , with the iPad dominating the tablet market just as for sure as the Apple Watch dominates wearable . Indeed at times technical school fans worry that the ease with which the iPad get rival tab has made Apple risk of infection - averse ; if you ’re number one , why seek harder ?
What are they rifle to do , Tim Cook might have meditate as he woolgather up the 2022 iPad product map . Buy aXiaomi Pad 5 ? bad : buy nothing at all , and watch Netflix on their phone . And a disappointingly small market gets a little second smaller .
As Apple reportsanother disc quarter , Jason Snell reckonsbooming Macs and shrinking Servicesaren’t all they ’re crack up to be .
The iOS App Store issuddenly riddled with advertizing . And it ’s probablygoing to get bad .
Aviral TikTok videoproves we ’ve all beencharging our iPhones faulty . ( mayhap . )
Samsung just released anincredible concealment featurethe iPhonedesperately pauperism .
inscrutable : The charging port on thenew iPadis aLighting porthole disguised as USB - C.
The rumor mill
Apple may launch agiant 16 - inch iPadlate next yr . This would be Apple’smost expensive iPad .
Not so much a hearsay as a fact : Apple has confirm thatfuture iPhoneswillswitch from Lightning to USB - C.
And here’severything you necessitate to knowabout theiPhone 15 , likely including a USB - century porthole .
Podcast of the week
iOS and iPadOS 16.1 are here , along with macOS Ventura . On this episode of the Macworld Podcast , we talk about these new OS update , and we also talk about the price hikes for Apple ’s subscription services . rest tuned !
you’re able to capture every instalment of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify , Soundcloud , thePodcasts app , orour own internet site .
Software updates, bugs & problems
iOS 16.1includes a fix for a scaryzero - day iPhone security flaw .
Critical patchesare waiting for your Mac even if you’renot upgrading to Ventura .
Apple has finallyreleased Io 15.7.1withcritical protection patches .
But the society warn thatiOS 15 and macOS 12devices could still have“known security government issue . ”
The newiOS / iPadOS 16.2 betabrings our first look at Apple’sall - unexampled Freeform app .
Over a billion devicesgot Apple update this workweek . We assault upevery app and OS updateApple released .
Have you found theclassic Mac OS Easter egghiding inVentura ?
And with that , we ’re done for this week . If you ’d like to get regular roundup , contract up forour newssheet . you’re able to also comply uson Twitterfor burst intelligence tale . See you next Saturday , savour the rest of your weekend , and stay Appley .
