14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the fact that Apple originally criticized the idea behind Microsoft’s Surface, saying that connecting a keyboard to a tablet is like “converging a toaster and a refrigerator,” Cupertino now has its own such device that it hopes to succeed in the enterprise market.
But it turns out that the enterprise market isn’t so successful right now for the iPad Pro, as new figures coming from the United Kingdom show that Microsoft Surface is selling significantly better than its rival.
Canalys reveals that, in the first quarter of 2016, Apple sold a total of 107,000 iPad Pro units while Microsoft shipped… wait for it… 275,000 Surface Pro units. What’s more, the Surface experienced a fantastic growth from the year before, when only 83,000 tablets/laptops were sold.
It goes without saying that customers opting for the Surface are looking for bigger productivity, and the full version of Windows 10 that’s installed on the device is the catalyst that makes this possible. On the other hand, the iPad Pro runs iOS, which is obviously rather limited and doesn’t offer the same wide array of tasks that can be performed on a Windows device.
The researchers also claim that Apple devices continue to remain very expensive, and this is one of the reasons the iPad Pro is not selling in big numbers. And yet, it’s hard to consider the Surface an affordable model either, as the entry-level Pro 4 can be yours for no more than $899.
The consumer market drops too
Leaving the enterprise market aside and moving to the overall industry, tablets are experiencing a significant decline. The research shows that sales of tablets in Q1 dropped 8 percent to 1.8 million units, and there’s only one reason for this: saturation. Consumers hardly find a reason to purchase a tablet these days and prefer to pick a hybrid device that offers support for many more tasks.
Apple continues to top tablet sales with 500,000 units while Samsung is the runner-up with 338,800 units, but both companies experienced declined performance during the quarter.
Without a doubt, the consumer market isn’t Microsoft’s top focus with the Surface tablet, although the model has experienced good sales in this market too. But as far as the enterprise is concerned, it looks like Microsoft has found the right path to success.