When asked today about how Apple was handling the competition from lower-priced tablets — specifically the Kindle Fire — Apple CEO Tim Cook said, effectively, that it isn’t a competition at all. Which would sound like hubris, if the numbers didn’t back him up so strongly.
While Amazon did sell millions of Kindle Fires last quarter, it’s highly unlikely that they pushed the 15 million iPads Apple did in the same three months. And Cook doesn’t seem concerned that they’ll catch up any time soon:
People really want to do multiple things with their tablets, so we don’t see the limited function tablets and ereaders in the same category… I don’t think that people who want an iPad will settle for a limited function.
In terms of other tablets, last year was supposed to be the year of the tablet, and I think most people would agree it was the year of the iPad for the second year in a row.
Limited function doesn’t just mean hardware features, either; the Kindle Fire doesn’t have a camera, sure, but how many pictures have you taken with your iPad 2 lately? The real thing holding back Android tablets is their lack of apps, says Cook:
In terms of our competitiveness, the ecosystem for iPad is in a class by itself… We now have apps totaling over 170,000 available for the iPad, and that compares to what appears to us to be a few hundred for the competition.
In other words: the razor can be as cheap as you want, but it doesn’t mean a thing if the blades are dull.
James
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:20 AMiOwned
LyndonL
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:34 AMWell if there is no competition and they’re not scared, i wonder why they’ve been going so hard after things like the galaxy tab…
Just got my new transformer prime running ICS and I couldn’t be happier. Keyboard when I need to type large emails, tablet only when I want something light like when in bed… strong processor, great battery life. Meh. They can keep being on top, so long as the competition keeps innovating with great products like this.
Rossco
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:00 PMI wondered the same thing about the Galaxy Tab. If they are not worried, why go after it?
I have the Transformer Prime as well, it is fantastic (complete opposite of the talk/trolling on the forums). As more of these get out there, they will be noticed and the iPad will slowly lose traction, they are kidding themselves to think otherwise.
Alex
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 1:37 PMYep. Original transformer here and have to agree with you guys. Compared to pure tablets the keyboard is an awesome add-on as is the native HDMI out and the extra battery pack inside the Keyboard.
b3n
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:55 PMIt’s the principle of the matter! If someone stole your stuff, would you really just let it go?
Si
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:38 AMI don’t think that people who want an iPad will settle for a limited function.
I wonder what will happen when the Windows 8 tablets start selling, I would imagine that they will make the iPad look like a limited function tablet. Kind of like how I consider pretty much all tablets to be limited function PCs
John Smith
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:47 AMWhether you are a Apple fanboy or not what he says is worryingly true. Competition is what breeds excellent advancements, Apple needs competition to drive the engineers to greater and greater heights. I think Tim Cook is basically saying what everyone else is thinking. Bring on windows 8 which everyone thinks will save the world. It will only produce better Apple products in the future.
markd
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 7:03 PMI disagree, I don’t think people with the right mindset require competition to better themselves, they are their own competition.
Chaitanya
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:54 AMThey sold more devices than their comptetitors (if any). When Microsoft or Samsung sells more devices the next quarter, they’d gain the right to come out and say “Yeah, we finally beat you Apple”. But that’s yet to happen so it’s clear Apple’s iPad has no direct competition.
woodsdog
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:19 AMI think that if Windows 8 is implemented and the app store to match it, it will boom in comparison. Especially with Arm support, as good as the iPhone and iPad are, I cant see it competing if all goes well with win 8 battery wise. its just taken MS too long to get a tablet OS up and going.
One big thing is too, more apps doesn’t mean more better apps, most people would still mainly use tablets for net and email. The biggest problem apple has, is no flash support, and no flash on a tablet is a problem IMO. I no everyone will be like but you don’t need it… but it’s still used and around and a necessary evil.
Noddy
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:51 AM+1. What Apple needs is more competition! I just hope Apple doesn’t try Patent trolling to slow Microsoft down! And for those who will no doubt say that if Microsoft uses Apples patents, there’s an interesting article on Giz this morning you should read
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/01/its-time-for-apple-to-stop-patent-trolling/#comment-234569
markd
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 7:10 PMThank god 99% of the world doesn’t think like you woodsdog. No normal person cares about ‘flash’ being supported by their device, only people that comment about it on internet forums – which are exactly the people that should be ignored by any company interested in making great products.
James
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:11 AMI care about flash, must be the 1 per cent huh? Fanboy
Patters
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:43 AMThis was kodak’s famous last words regarding digital photography. Look where it got them
Ozoneocean
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:06 PMSo the desperate, panicky legal maneuvers specifically centered around key the marketing and sales times like Christmas are just a coincidence?
Funny that.
Apple is a very successful company, but there has been quite a lot of straight out untruths coming from them lately (thinking about silly rationalisation against US manufacture etc). Would they have been this stupid when Steve was still around? Spin cycles don’t usually end well.
TSH
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:14 PMCook and I have very different ideas on the meaning of “limited function”. My PC is “full function”, thanks to Win7 being a versatile OS packed to the brim with features and compatibility, the biggest variety of applications on any platform (AFAIK) and a variety of different external ports and sockets.
Compared to my PC, all tablets are “limited function” including the iPad. The closest thing would be the Transformer Prime, but I won’t settle for anything less than Lenovo’s “Ultratablet” – the Win8 Ultrabook that folds over into a tablet.
Eccentricsoul
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:52 PMActually the original Transformer is pretty darn close to perfect AFIC, Keyboard, USB port, SD slot! If they ever manage to port Win8 onto it I think it will be perfect, except maybe a bit more grunt!
Common sense
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 1:20 PM+1
markd
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 7:05 PMYou’re an idiot. That’s like saying a car is “limited function” compared to an airliner. Different devices, different purposes.
Just This Guy ...
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:57 PM” Computing
Apple Will Worry About iPad Competition When There Is Competition ”
So why are they so lawsuit happy?
Competition where? In the courtroom?
There’s plenty of competition or Apple wouldn’t need to be so aggressive with their lawyers. Scared much Apple?
Displayb333
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:57 PMAgain: because it’s a knockoff. Form. Packaging. Power supply. And so on. If Ford decided that building knockoff Commodores was good business, there’d be trouble. But because it’s Apple, we confuse theft with innovation and try to wish them away. Yet again.
Cheshire Cat
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 2:13 AMForm, packaging and power supply? That’s all you’ve got?
Form-it’s a rectangle
Packaging-it comes in a box
Power supply-it has a plug that fits your wall socket.
Come on even the courts are tossing out almost all of apples claims, at what point is it enough different to not be a copy. All tvs, DVD players, white goods etc fit you form packaging and power supply argument.
Displayb333
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:22 AMAre you blind mate? There’s no innovation going on, they’ve shamelessly ripped off the iPad /right down to the packaging and power supply/. You’re saying that’s OK because all fridges look the same?!
People are voting with their feet, anyway; they’re buying the original :)
Cheshire Cat
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 12:13 AMWhat are you talking about? Packaging and a power supply?
I’m typing this on an iPad2 so I’m hardly biased. when was the last time I looked at the packaging? When I bought it in April 2011! And the power supply? It plugs not the wall….. What else is it meant to do?
Have you read the other giz articles? Courts all around the world are throwing out apple patent cases…. I like what apple do but their strict control will be their downfall.
I don’t think they are similar enough to warrant the court cases and I seems most of the world agrees with me. You can’t patent a rectangle.
Cheshire Cat
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 12:16 AMAnd you can tell I typed that on an iPad because their god damn auto correct never works and destroys half my sentences =p