Apple is reportedly working on a cheaper 9.7-inch iPad to attract price-sensitive consumers and grow amidst the worldwide decline in tablet sales
Apple will reportedly release a cheaper 9.7-inch iPad in 2018, in an attempt to grow in price conscious markets like India. As per a report by Digitimes, the 2018 9.7-inch iPad could be priced as low as $259, which roughly converts to Rs 16,600 in India.
The move could be seen as a move to reverse the iPad’s fortunes, which has been on a decline for the past three years following a record high in 2013-14. The worldwide tablet market is on a continuous decline, with many manufacturers already out of the market. However, Apple did recover some momentum this year with the $329 9.7-inch iPad (review).
In the November 2017 earnings call, Apple reported that sales of the iPad had hit double-digits for the second consecutive quarter, while in June, the company had reportedly sold 11.4 million iPads, a 15 percent jump from same time last year. However, revenues grew by only 2 percent year-over-year, indicating that Apple was selling more of the new lower-priced 9.7-inch iPads. This might have prompted the company to slash the price for the devices down even lower.
For now, it’s not clear whether this will be a replacement for current the $329 variant or will sell alongside it. Hardware specifications of the device are also unknown at this point, but it could well be a slightly-tweaked variant of the current 9.7-inch iPad. The report notes that the device would be made by Compal Electronics, and could arrive in the second quarter of 2018.
Follow Us
Digit NewsDesk
Digit News Desk writes news stories across a range of topics. Getting you news updates on the latest in the world of tech. View Full Profile
