iPad Air (Photo : Reuters)
Amidst reports that Apple's tablet division is suffering major setback in sales, iPads are offered in a discounted price.
iPad discounts are spotted in various sources, making it a great time to purchase your own. The next semester will start in September, but Apple is already offering educational discount to students and teachers and save them up to $20. Buyers should have .edu email in order to avail the discount.
Meanwhile, retailers are joining the Cupertino-based tech giant and offer bigger price cuts. Amazon, B&H Photo and Best Buy are offering great deals on various iPad models.
Best Buy is offering Open-Box 16GB WiFi version of iPad Air 2 models for $439.99, while the 64GB variant costs 527.99 and the 128GB model for $615.99. Open-Box means the device was used for demo or display, but they are as good as brand new.
Analysts have long predicted the steady decline in tablet sales like what it did to notebooks years ago. In addition, the inception of hybrid devices such as tablet-smartphone as well as tablet-laptop gadgets made consumers think twice in picking up a tablet alone.
iPhone 6 Plus Cannibalizing Sales
According to investing guide website Motley Fool, The dwindling tablet sales is due to its own smartphone-tablet hybrid iPhone 6 Plus. The phablet offers both the functions and features of both tablet and smartphone. iPhone 6 Plus has a screen size of 5.5 inches, which is slightly smaller than iPad Mini 3's 7.9 inch display. However, iPhone 6 Plus boasts better features than the latter like A8 processor, 8 MP rear camera, shatter proof glass, and new Apple Pay payment system. Moreover, consumers tend to favor iPhone 6 Plus because it seemed like obtaining two devices in one.
iPad Pro Enters; iPad Mini Exits
A lot of consumers were disappointed due to the lack of decent upgrades in the current iPad Mini 3. Most of the specs and features of the previous iPad Mini with Retina Display were retained with very slight additions and improvement. This is to highlight the specifications packed in the full-fledged iPad Air 2.
Meanwhile, there are also speculations claiming that Apple will axe iPad Mini line when it introduced the massive tablet -- iPad Pro. The said tablet is speculated to be Apple's bet on the tablet-laptop hybrid category facing off the successor of Microsoft's Surface Pro 3. Rumors claimed that the device will be unveiled sometime this year.
