Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

As tablet sales tank, Apple finds iPad success from an unlikely source

ios 11
Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends
Apple has long been hailed as a little more consumer friendly than the likes of Android, but as sales of the iPad tumble, it looks like demand for the tablet may be coming from a slightly unexpected source — businesses.

According to a report from the New York Times, as many as half of Apple’s iPad sales are from businesses and government entities, and sales of the higher-end iPads are particularly strong in the business market.

For example, according to the report, British Airways has built as many as 40 iPad apps for its workforce to use, and switching to tablets has totally eliminated the need for paper records and paper flight plans for the company. One app allows employees to use an iPad to rebook passengers quickly and easily when a flight has been canceled.

Of course, the shift does make some sense. Apple has been making a much larger push into business over the last few years than it did when the iPad was first launched in 2010. For example, the company buddied up with IBM in 2014 to launch a number of business-targeted iOS apps. It even paired with Microsoft to show off Office for iOS when the iPad Pro was first launched. Not only that, but Apple’s products do have an edge over Android and Microsoft slates — Apple products are often seen as more secure — whether they actually are or not — and Microsoft still doesn’t have a real mobile-focused operating system.

The news certainly does represent somewhat of a shift, especially for Apple. Microsoft has traditionally enjoyed much more success in the business sector, and while Apple obviously isn’t finding more success than Microsoft in business just yet, it is interesting that such a large chunk of Apple’s income comes from business.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Apple’s next iPad mini could steal this iPad Pro feature
An iPad Mini 2021 displaying the homescreen with a number of apps.

Earlier this month, Apple introduced the iPad Pro (2024) and iPad Air (2024). This fall, Apple will likely update the original iPad, which was last updated in 2022.

But what about the often-overlooked iPad mini, whose current version is actually a year older? We may be waiting a while longer for new iPad mini hardware, but when it does finally arrive, it should be well worth the wait.

Read more
I spent over $2,000 on the new iPad Pro. Here’s why I already love it
M4 iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.

Apple has a history of delivering devices that are faster than the competition, but when comparing its own products, there’s always a lingering question: Is the fancy new gear worth an upgrade? I often find myself telling folks to buy the M1 iPad Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro, or a previous-gen Mac with an M-series chip — and save some cash.

It’s a testament to just how well Apple hardware fares in the long run, especially when compared to rivals. If you look at it from a different perspective, it’s hard to feel the difference in an iterative Apple upgrade. I felt the same when I jumped from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro or when I ditched a perfectly fine M2 MacBook Air for its M3 variant this year.

Read more
Apple has just fixed one of the weirder iPhone bugs
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple has squashed a bug on the iPhone and iPad that caused deleted photos to reappear on the devices.

As smartphone bugs go, this was surely one of the more bizarre ones. Reports of the strange issue began to surface following Apple’s rollout of iOS 17.5 last week.

Read more