The launch of Apple Inc's new spring products, which ended at 2: 00 this morning, was no longer a "routine" ceremony, but staged a "good show".

On the lawn of Apple Inc Park, Apple Inc CEO Cook made his debut as usual, bringing a number of new products, including a new purple iPhone12, a $29 AirTag tracker, an Apple TV with an A12 chip, and a new iMac and iPad Pro with an M1 chip.

As the top product in the iPad product line, the new iPad Pro is undoubtedly the protagonist of this conference.Before the introduction, Cook, wearing a mask and a night suit, "stole" the M1 chip and installed it on the iPad Pro.

This chip, which has always been used on the Mac, is used on the iPad Pro, is equipped with a mini-LED display, supports 5G networks and the highest 2TB storage, and can be said to be the strongest in the tablet field, with performance close to that of the Mac series.

There is no doubt that iPad Pro carries Apple Inc's ambition, hoping to rely on it to compete for more users and create more revenue.

In 2010, Jobs unveiled the first iPad on stage, creating a new product category-the tablet.In 2021, Cook made his debut, giving full weight and layout to the iPad series.

Over the past decade, the iPad series has had ups and downs, and overall sales have not yet returned to their peak. But in Apple Inc's many product lines, the update speed of iPad can be called "labor model". Almost every year, Apple Inc releases a new generation of tablet products, accompanied by some new features and design changes.

IPad series has become an important force in promoting Apple Inc's overall revenue.Although the revenue share of iPad is lower than that of Mac, wearable and other business lines in recent years, the financial report shows that iPad sales revenue shows steady growth.

In 2020, Q4Magi iPad sales increased by 45.9% year on year to US $6.797 billion, while Q1Magi iPad sales in 2021 were US $8.44 billion, up more than 40% from US $5.98 billion in the same period last year.

However, the iPad series also faces a lot of problems, including how to gain a foothold in the gap between computers and mobile phones, so as not to embarrass their position, and whether iPad can tell a new story about the innovative power questioned by the outside world.

Although the iPad Pro configuration is luxurious, it still has a problem, that is, it is limited by the mobile system iPad OS system, the use of the scene is limited, really use it to work is still not as good as Mac. In terms of daily entertainment, people don't have to buy such a high-performance and expensive tablet.

In this case, can iPad Pro, known as "the strongest in history", sell what Cook expected?

"the strongest ever" iPad

The 2021 iPad Pro comes out, and its various configurations are no less than those of a computer.

Since iPad mini was questioned to compete with iPhone for the market, iPad Pro is infinitely approaching Mac.This again makes the outside world worry that it will steal Mac users.

M1 chip has always been the configuration of Mac, and the new chips of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini all use M1 chip.

Apple Inc applied it to the new iPad Pro, claiming that its CPU performance is 50% higher than that of the previous generation (A12Z). The GPU performance is 40% higher than that of the previous generation (A12Z). It also supports 5G network, and the maximum download speed can reach 4Gbps.

In addition, the new iPad Pro in the lens, storage and other key quality improvements include: the front lens upgraded to 12 million ultra-wide-angle lens, the rear lens added HDR3 technology; storage capacity up to 2TB, can store 220hours of 4K HDR video; a surprise is that the current mainstream computer interface for the market for Lightning 3, and iPad Pro upgraded to the latest Lightning 4, through this interface can be connected to a 6K display.

And iPad Pro in such a strong performance, but also achieved the thickness of 6.4mm, almost the same as iPhone.

From Cook's performance to the implantation of M1 chip, it shows that Apple Inc attaches great importance to iPad Pro.

However, as one of Apple Inc's most important innovative products, the development of iPad series is not smooth, and Apple Inc is in urgent need of a hand.

In the decade after its launch, iPad peaked in 2014: its Q1 sales exceeded $10 billion in 2013, peaked at $11.468 billion in 2014, and then began to decline year after year.

Since 2013, iPad has been stuck in the quagmire of slowing growth. In 2014, iPad sales declined for three consecutive quarters, and business in Greater China and Asia Pacific also showed a decline. By 2017, full-year sales had fallen to $19.2 billion, less than 2/3 of the peak.

Apple Inc no longer publishes iPad sales data in recent years, but according to the statistics of media consultationIn 2020, the sales of Q3 was 6.582 billion yuan, which has not yet returned to the level of sales at the peak.

IPad still dominates the tablet market, but it is no longer what it used to be.

Outside questions such as "iPad is updating rather than innovating" are pouring into iPad products. In terms of innovation, it still seems to have deteriorated, such as stylus, external keyboard and other key designs and technologies of tablet computers in recent years, but Microsoft Corp's platform product Surface was the first to innovate.

IPad series products need to be changed urgently, and the epidemic brings a good opportunity: the tablet computer market has been hot for nearly a year, becoming the first choice for many consumers to educate and work.

Apple Inc is also full of expectations for iPad Pro. As the first iPad product to join the M1 processor family, its price is not cheap.

The starting price of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is as high as 8499 yuan, which is 600 yuan higher than the starting price of 7899 yuan last year. The iPad Pro 12.9in top version sells for 18499 yuan. This price far exceeds not only all previous iPad, but also the most expensive flagship phones such as Samsung and Huawei.

The revenue and growth brought by iPad to Apple Inc has been making steady progress, but it may carry more expectations than that.It needs to make changes, not only to steal competitors' users, but also to persuade Apple Inc users to give up their old iPad and buy new products.

Can iPad Pro carry Apple Inc's ambition?

IPad, who has been questioned all the time, no.Be replaced

As a product with a history of ten years, iPad has always been one of the most successful representatives of Apple Inc's innovative products.

In those years, Apple Inc's breakthrough innovation in computers, tablets, mobile phones and other fields was an important reason for people to miss Jobs.

Kaifu Lee, chairman and CEO of Innovation works, wrote in an article about Jobs' important achievements: from Apple II in 1977, Macintosh in 1984, iMac in 1998, to iPod in 2001, iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010.

Obviously, the iPad was the last major product launched by Jobs before he died, and it was also the last time he painted a strong color for Apple Inc.

When Jobs released the first generation of iPad more than a decade ago, he made it very clear that it was a product somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop.

At that time, smartphones had a screen of only 3.5in, while traditional laptops with large screens were less portable. The lightweight iPad, which could browse the web, send e-mail, listen to music and play games, was a product of both work and entertainment, and its launch was, as Jobs put it, a "magical and revolutionary device."

Before iPad, Microsoft Corp tried to make a tablet computer Table PC, but there was not much market response. Since then, Microsoft Corp has also vigorously promoted the tablet Surface, but it is far from fulfilling Microsoft Corp's expected sales plan, and is still unable to shake the market that has been dominated by Apple Inc iPad.

IPad's success stems from a combination of innovation and experience in its hardware and software design: touch screen design, as well as the use of ARM processors and large batteries to create a tablet product that consumes a lot of power but ensures long service life, touch screen but user experience.

In the first three years of Apple Inc's launch of iPad, iPad's annual sales rose from a high starting point of $8 billion to $20 billion in 2011 and jumped to $30 billion in 2012, with a doubling growth every year.

Both Apple Inc and Jobs' expectations for iPad have come true, and soon Cook took over, and iPad has always been one of Apple Inc's most important "weapons".

In 2011, just a year after Cook took office, Apple Inc was almost out of breath under Samsung's offensive and lost his position as the world's largest seller in the smartphone market.

In the case of obvious weakness in iPhone sales, Apple Inc has to pin his hopes on iPad. The following year, Apple Inc's marketing budget for iPad doubled, surpassing iPhone.

Apple Inc has also made a lot of efforts in the innovation and updating of iPad.

In 2012, when more competitors entered the tablet market, Apple Inc launched the third-generation iPad and iPad 4 in one year.

Jobs once thought that 10 inches was the smallest size of the iPad, but in order to prevent competitors'7-inch tablets from stealing users, Apple Inc launched the 7.9-inch iPad mini in 2012 and upgraded to IGZO's retina screen every other generation, thus filling the gap in the 7-inch tablet market and being able to attack Android tablets.

However, when iPad played its role as a "weapon of war", outsiders also began to criticize Apple Inc.

After the launch of iPad mini, a market research company named UBM Tech Insights questioned that several tablets on the market at that time were basically at a small profit. IPad obviously had a higher profit margin, the hardware itself was making a lot of money, and the 10-inch iPad did not have any competitors on the same tablet, so why should the mini version compete with android?

Including UBM Tech Insights, many people in the industry believe that the launch of new series of products such as iPad makes it fall into the internal homogenization competition with iPhone or MacBook.

In 2014, Apple Inc launched a large-screen phone, the iPhone 6 Plus, with a screen of only 5.5 inches, but it has actually had a huge impact on the 7-inch iPad mini. On the other hand, Apple Inc's 12-inch MacBook also affected the sales of large-size iPad Air 2.

In the face of doubts from the outside world, Cook also talked about the reasons for the decline in iPad sales. "I can be sure that some consumers choose between Mac and iPad, and finally choose Mac." I can also be sure that some consumers choose between iPhone and iPad and end up choosing iPhone. "

Although Cook still believes that iPad can be successful, there is a growing argument that thinning computers and large screens of mobile phones may replace iPad.

However, over the years, iPad sales have not yet returned to their peak, but it does not seem to be easily replaced as it is said.

Apple Inc has formed a monopoly on the smartphone market and operating system to a certain extent, and the construction of the Apple ecosystem has become increasingly perfect. Bundling has become one of the key factors to promote the sales of all kinds of products of Apple Inc. IPad, which is ecologically bundled with Apple Inc, undoubtedly has a natural attraction for most Apple Inc users.

In office scenes and educational scenes, more and more people use iPad to operate more complex tasks. The graffiti and painting functions created by iPad are popular with designers and other people.

The epidemic has also affected consumers around the world, including China. 36Kr Holdings reported that in February, when the epidemic was worst in China, 60 per cent of Chinese consumers who bought iPad on Tmall were used to meet their education needs.

IPad and Apple Inc tablets continue to dominate the tablet market.According to the latest data from Canalys, Apple Inc's tablet shipments are estimated at 58.8 million in 2020. Apple Inc's market share is 36%, twice that of its biggest competitor Samsung.

IPad may no longer be as amazing as its debut in the hands of Jobs, but in an era of relatively high-tech trends, iPad is still cool and has a different meaning for some users.

Apple Inc's future does not depend on mobile phones.

People have gradually got used to Apple Inc's new product launches, always assigning the highlights to other businesses, and this is also gradually reflected in Apple Inc's financial data.

On January 28th, Apple Inc announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. Apple Inc's revenue reached 111.44 billion US dollars, setting a record for the company's quarterly revenue. Of this total, Apple Inc's revenue from iPhone was $65.597 billion, an increase of 17% over the same period last year.

In contrast, revenue from Mac in the same quarter was $8.675 billion, up from $7.16 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year, up 21% from the same period last year; revenue from iPad was $8.435 billion, up from $5.977 billion in the same period last fiscal year, an increase of 41% Revenue from wearables, household products and accessories was $12.971 billion, up from $10.01 billion in the same period last fiscal year and up 29.58 per cent from a year earlier.

The growth rate of iPhone business revenue is far less than that of iPad, Mac and other businesses.

Samik Chatterjee, chief analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co, said in a statement to investors that iPhone manufacturing is slowing amid weaker smartphone shipments in China and slowing sales of 5G-powered iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, but the analyst believes Apple Inc's strong growth in services and current Mac and iPad shipments can still drive share prices higher.

Different from the past, Apple Inc's revenue is gradually diversified and no longer mainly depends on the sales of iPhone products. IPad, Mac, services and wearable services have become important growth engines.

Compared with the legend of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc in the Cook era is often labeled as "lack of innovation", but from the perspective of business planningIn addition to the hardware business that has attracted the most attention from the outside world, Apple Inc's huge ecosystem of software and hardware is being planned successfully step by step, and the addition of services has been rewarded.

Apple Inc's revenue from iPhone in the first quarter of 2021 was nearly $65.595 billion, up 17.3% from $55.957 billion the previous year, but the overall revenue share fell to 58% from 65% in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

By contrast, the revenue share of businesses such as iPad is rising. Compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year, iPad's share of revenue increased from 6.5% to 7.5%, and the share of wearable revenue increased from 10.9% to 11.6%.

Among wearable devices, AirPods has become the biggest contributor to growth. According to data released by Canalys, Apple Inc shipped 108.9 million smart personal audio devices in 2020, including AirPods and Beats headphones. Compared with 84 million equipment shipments in 2019, shipments in 2020 increased by nearly 30 per cent, while Apple Inc gained 25.2 per cent market share.

Cook also focused on the growth of Apple Inc's profits on Apple Inc users and further charged their service fees and joint and several consumption.

Apple Inc has already formed Apple Care, Apple Pay, iCloud and Apple Music, involving original services such as payment and music. in addition, Apple Inc has also expanded the news subscription service Apple News+ and the streaming video subscription service Apple TV+ in recent years.

Software services are more profitable than selling hardware, a business that is propping up Apple Inc's new growth curve.

However, Apple Inc is also facing new challenges. Not every company is willing to pay high "Apple Inc tax". In recent years, many companies, from video streaming giant Netflix to emerging gaming companies, have decided not to participate in Apple Inc's subscription service. There are also increasing questions about the abuse of the monopoly position of the operating system platform.

Two years ago, when looking forward to the future development of Apple Inc, Cook mentioned that Apple Inc in 10 years' time will be a product enterprise composed of hardware, software and services. "at present, Cook's plan is taking shape, and Apple Inc is growing in the direction he wants.

Of course, Apple Inc, who has been criticized for "lack of innovation", will never be willing to lose the users and market occupied by hardware products such as the iPhone and allow competitors to surpass them. It hopes to prove that it is still the representative of cutting-edge technology and can still influence more consumers.

In the next 10 years, while changing himself, can Apple Inc continue to change the world?