Why Tablet Sales Are Dropping?

Everybody who is anybody is saying that tablet sales are plummeting. Even the Best Buy CEO claims sales have been crashing even with all of the new and innovative tablets currently being produced by Samsung and Apple. So why is this happening? Are they too expensive or are consumers simply burnt out on technology? While that could be the answer, it simply isn’t. The answer is very simple: Tablets are not smartphones. The consumer loves their smartphone.

Why smartphones?

By the end of 2013 more than 40% of people in the United States owned a tablet. This number has dropped significantly in the past year. Many consumers believe the tablet to be an unneeded luxury. Any iPhone or Samsung Galaxy can do what a tablet can so why have two of them? Tablets can become a replacement for a secondary option for a laptop or PC, but it cannot replace the cell phone. Networks are a big part of why consumers like their cell phones. With all of the different upgrades that require you to obtain another 2-year plan, why pay that twice? Your smart phone does everything a tablet does, there’s no need for the added luxury.

Consumers love the idea of being able to replace a cell phone via an upgrade. Most people count down the days until it’s time to get the latest and greatest model. With tablets, that is not always the case. (See below)

Computer Replacement?

Most consumers have grown accustomed to sitting down at their computers and getting everything accomplished in one shot. A tablet may have some of the same functions that a computer does but it can never replace the computer. While you can type out documents and complete many of your daily tasks on a tablet, it can be more inconvenient than it is a blessing. The tablet makes it difficult to type up Word documents and save data. There is simply too much going on and it is hard to keep it organized. The novelty soon wears off using tablets solely for business reasons after a short time.

Replacement Cycles

Yes it is true, the iPad has a longer replacement cycle than the iPhone. Consumers have officially decided that they do enjoy change, and want to be able to upgrade sooner rather than later. When you do finally get the option to upgrade your tablet, there simply are not enough significant changes to make it worth your while. Apple is making great strides with this issue has yet to provide consumers with enough extra features to make it worth the wait.

When it comes down to it, not one of them can really replace the computer or the cell phone. These are two things that we as human beings simply cannot live without. Having everything within arm’s reach is exactly what consumers want and boy, do they get it. Hopefully the big companies such as Samsung and Apple are taking notes and coming up with bigger and better ways to impress us with tablets.

[Image credit: Martin Voltri, Flickr]