It’s official: The iPad Pro is by far Apple’s most popular tablet
If you’re trying to decide which iPad to buy, you might be wondering which models your fellow tablet buyers are choosing. Well, new data has revealed which models are proving to be the most popular following Apple’s recent 2024 refresh.
According to Data from CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners)In the June 2024 quarter, the iPad Pro (2024) extended its lead over other Apple tablets to become the most popular iPad by far.
During that period, 42% of iPad buyers opted for an 11-inch or 13-inch iPad Pro, despite the new model starting at a fairly high price point of $999 / £999 / AU$1,699. In second place was the base iPad with 35% of sales (the same as in 2023), which might seem like a little surprise given the latest model is the iPad 10.9 (2022), but that also saw a $100 / £100 price cut this year.
The two iPad models that have seen slightly less popularity compared to June 2023 are the iPad Air (which was chosen by 12% of buyers) and the aging iPad mini. There’s a chance the iPad Air will remain stuck somewhere between the Pro and base model, while the iPad mini (2021) is now a few years old.
Rumors persist that Apple is still planning an iPad Mini 7, albeit with a minor processor upgrade. It’s understandable that iPad buyers are largely steering clear of that model.
CIRP also points out that we’ll likely have to wait a few more months to get a good sense of the impact of Apple’s iPad announcements in 2024. Still, the June quarter data gives us an interesting look at how Apple’s tablets are performing.
What’s going to happen now?
This data shows that the iPad Pro is seemingly nibbling away at the popularity of the iPad mini and, more surprisingly, the iPad Air. In a sense that’s understandable – the iPad Air is, curiously, no longer Apple’s lightest iPad, and the new Pro is Apple’s ultimate tablet, arguably making it the most future-proof purchase yet.
Still, it’s possible that the Air and Pro’s metrics will even out over the course of the year, and that the iPad Pro still isn’t a full-fledged laptop replacement, as we discovered when we used it as our main computer for a few weeks.
The question for many will be which iPads Apple plans to launch next – and recent rumors from July suggest it’ll be an 11th-generation entry-level iPad and a 7th-generation iPad mini. We don’t know exactly when we’ll see them, but the latest speculation suggests both could land before the end of the year.
Whatever happens to the base iPad and iPad mini, don’t expect a foldable iPad to arrive anytime soon. According to respected analyst Jeff Pu, that model has been pushed back until 2026, meaning our options will likely be non-foldable iPads for a while longer.
