Study highlights the biggest problem with Apple's tablets

According to a CIRP report, Apple customers typically wait at least three years to upgrade to a new iPad model. Now, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners has found that iPad customers are simply holding on to their old devices compared to iPhone users, which could pose a problem for Apple's iPad business.

However, while a minority of users are looking for reasons to upgrade to the M4 iPad Pro, some are simply sticking with used iPad models.

In the 12 months ending March 2024, 67% of repeat iPad buyers kept an old device, either by gifting it to a family member or friend or simply keeping it. By comparison, only 41% of iPhone buyers kept their old iPhone or passed it on.

Interestingly, although iPhone users tend to upgrade their devices more often, they usually choose to trade them in for a new model. In contrast, iPad users simply keep their tablet (36%), pass their tablet on to a family member or friend (31%), or buy a new model because they lost the device, it broke, or it was stolen (23%).

CIRP says the data suggests that “old iPads are quite usable and useful, so it may not seem urgent to retire them, even in favor of a new model with more advanced features.”

The study finds that the secondary market for refurbished iPads is less robust than for iPhones, or that customers value keeping an old iPad more than monetizing it.

I would like to say otherwise, but I feel vindicated by these CIRP reports. It's been a while since I last upgraded to a new iPad. When I was thinking about getting the M4 iPad Pro, I was surrounded by older models that I either offered for family members or ultimately just kept for no reason. Why is it so hard to let go of old iPads? And why does Apple offer such low trade-in prices for them?