Demand For iPad Pro Collapses

Demand for the first generation of the Apple iPad Pro with an OLED display is apparently declining sharply. For Apple, current forecasts from experienced market observers mean that the new tablets will be sold significantly less often than expected. Apple

First there was a lot of interest, now the market seems saturated

Apple probably has a problem with its most expensive tablets. According to one Analysis by Ross Young who as head of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) has excellent connections in the display industry, sales figures for the expensive iPad Pro models have recently plummeted and have therefore fallen far short of expectations.

The top model in particular, the iPad Pro with a 13-inch OLED display, is selling increasingly poorly. Specifically, it is said that around 6.7 million iPad Pros with OLED displays are expected to be sold in 2024. Originally it was assumed that there would be up to 10 million units.

According to Young, the new OLED iPads initially started with strong demand in the second quarter of 2024, but interest has now fallen sharply. According to preliminary estimates, unit numbers fell by around 40 percent compared to the second quarter, it is said. A further decline of another 30 percent is expected for the fourth quarter.

According to DSCC, the large iPad Pro with a 13-inch OLED panel is suffering massively. A decline in unit numbers of around 50 percent is expected for the third quarter, before another 90 percent fewer devices are expected to be sold in the fourth quarter. Apparently the initial great interest from early buyers has now expired.

The main problem is that the prices for OLED iPads are comparatively high simply due to the cost of the panels. With prices starting at 1,549 euros in Germany, the falling demand isn’t really surprising because a tablet is more of a supplementary device to a smartphone or laptop, according to Young’s assumption. In addition, the life cycle of a tablet is comparatively long.

In addition, according to Young, the new OLED tablets from Apple would be technically impressive with their tandem OLEDs and extremely thin design, but for many customers they cannot offer enough incentive to purchase a new tablet. It is now conceivable that Apple could postpone the conversion of the cheaper iPad models to OLED displays for another year in order not to have to increase their prices.