Just read a story about how tablets in general, and iPads in particular might go the way of the Dodo bird due to the fact that phones are getting bigger and more powerful. Sales of iPads have dropped in the last year. The story went on to surmise that possibly all tablets might get phased out. Personally, I wish I wasn't so deeply tied to the Apple economy. For the same price as an iPad, I can get very nice Android tablet with boatloads of storage space. I don't game "that much", though I do iOS game. I have a new Galaxy S4 that I love way more than I ever loved my iPhone, and the screen is considerably larger than my iPhone screen was. I know I will always want a tablet. My S4 is as large a phone as I would ever want. So, for me, whether it be an iPad or an Android tablet, I will always want one...... but apparently that is not the case for all people who do have tablets. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-22/the-ipad-continues-to-struggle-and-a-new-iphone-could-make-it-worse
I've had my iPad mini for little over a year, my first apple product, and I adore it, I can't imagine ever being without it. I got an s4 a few months ago which I also adore. I use them both for different things, my mini is mainly for gaming and websurfing etc, my s4 is for photos and music, and of course calls and texts haha. Because my storage is limited on the mini I don't like to have music and photos on as it hogs all the space, and grants the s4 has a nice large screen, it's not large enough for me to comfortable game on it, I guess you could merge it all into a tablet in the future but I don't wanna be answering something bigger then my actual head to take a call so I personally will always want both.
There will always be a place for the tablet. A phone will never be 7.9 - 9.7 inches. I'd be ridiculous. Apple devices will always be superior in terms of power (first moblie 64 bit chip in the newest gen.) design, apps available and build quality. iPads are $400 - $900 for a reason. So I'd say buy a nice maxed 128GB iPad, hands down. Just to clarify I'm not trying to insult anyone who own an android/windows device, I'm sure everyone who has a non apple device has a viable reason for buying them, so I'm sorry if it comes off that way. I'm an apple fan.
I actually see tablets becoming more important with time, especially once they get touch sensitive screens to work cost effectively. The extra real estate is pretty important for a lot of different applications.
I use to love my iPad, but now I think it's just OK. I have an iPad 2 and I definitely won't be buying another tablet. I'd much rather have a MacBook Air. I use to like mobile gaming, but I don't play that stuff nearly at all any more. I love my iPhone, though, and want to get an iPhone 6 when they are out. Will be a big upgrade from my iPhone 4.
Hmm, they weren't first with 3G, 4G, bigger screens, better processors, etc. Their "retina" display was quickly surpassed, and 64 bit chips is good PR but means nothing when no one makes apps/games utilizing it.
I foresee that the future will have more laptop/tablet hybrids such as Surface and Yoga. As much as I love the iPad, I can't see it being used as much in 5 years. My hope will be that Apple will create an iPad/Mac hybrid with dual os. Unlikely, but would still be cool and fit my wants.
The iPad will stay a piece of art. Long time ago, Apple products was praised for their apps, now its for their perform and design. But i think it's time to made an 500go iPad now...
The problem with those hybrids is that they tend to be crappy laptops. See many a Surface 3 review. And at this point I don't really care about the tablet part any more, so there is no point. Touch input is good for (some) games, but it's terrible for most other things.
I think we'll all see the day when you can plug your phone/tablet into a laptop barebone and it actually works well. Hybrids like this already exist, but they are less than stellar. But with some dedicated effort it's possible to build a good one today I'd say. Things like Yoga & Surface are nice ideas, but the added weight is deciding factor for me. I almost never need a real keyboard on my iPad; and when I do, I'd prefer to use a large one (ideally my ergonomic) and not one of those plug-on keyboard covers. Not to mention mouse, headset and a ton of software (at least for work) . But for, say, 95 out of 100 hour usage all that'd be dead weight. Tablets going the way of the Dodo? Well, I want to see folks with a 12" phone
With these flexible displays coming soon I'm imagining a day where we will be able to roll up our devices like a news paper etc. but it's just inagining. I'm sure eventually iPads will be something we implant into our brain lol
I've got an ipad but i dont use it as much as my iphone, normally read books/comics and use it for my iCade If they go away they go away, i'm not too worried. Think its a bit like the ipod touch which seems to be phased out. After years of playing games on a gameboy and other handheld devices i love playing games on my iphone on the small screen rather than an ipad. I wouldnt be interested in these 'phablet' sizes either. If anything i want 128 gig phones though (or more)
I got an iPad Mini Retina, too. I use it everyday for surfing the internet, skype, tweeting, Telegram messaging and so on. The biggest downside is the big price - especially when you need LTE and a big storage...
