Kensington survey suggests that next iPad only needs super-size option and better processor to appease most.
• More will be gifted than sold
• More will be donated than before
• More children to be given iPads
Apple’s announcement of a new product presentation earlier today will be fuel for tech editors for weeks to come, but even at this early stage, is it possible to predict how consumers will react to the forthcoming news? A new survey commissioned by Kensington – themselves a developer of a wide range of Apple-certified products, including iPhone and iPad compatible accessories – suggests that Apple are likely to enjoy a positive reception if they are indeed about to announce a new iPad.
Their survey of over 1,000 customers asked respondents “what it most likely to drive you to replace your current iPad”. 17% said they wanted a new processor while 8% said they were waiting to own a bigger iPad. Both features have been widely rumoured for upcoming iPad models, the latter suggested by the release of the iPhone 6 Plus in September. Improvements to the screen and camera were desired by 5% and 2%, respectively. A large share of the remainder are Apple loyalists – 28% stated that “the desire to own the latest iPad” would fuel their intention to replace their current model.
11% were simply looking for the right opportunity to gift an old tablet in favour of acquiring the new one – hinting at a gifting phenomenon that was another significant theme in the iPad purchasing trends surveyed. In fact, 73% of upgraders are preparing to gift their current iPad when upgrading. Jim Murakami, Global Product Manager at Kensington explains: “While at first glance the research suggests that the majority of existing iPad owners will upgrade for quite minor reasons, what we’re actually seeing is a growing number of consumers who desire to become a multi-device household.”
He continued: “We expect that those investing in a new iPad model won’t just be doing so to benefit from the new tablet’s features. They also want to free up their old tablet for use by another family member, giving them more time on their new primary device.” Indeed, four fifths of all gifted tablets were likely to stay in the family. Additionally, 37% of gifted tablets were specifically going to children – a group particularly enthusiastic about the technology, and also likely to monopolise time with it.
With so many tablets enjoying this second life within the same household – only 14% said they would sell their device, despite the persistent resell value of Apple’s products – manufacturers of tablet accessories may find their legacy product offerings far outliving the retail lives of each generation of Apple product. Kensington is already capitalising on the large numbers of young iPad owners with their child-friendly SafeGrip™ rugged tablet cases. With 51% of those surveyed stating they were most likely to buy some form of cover or case for their current or future tablet, designs that serve a demographically diverse second wave of users with older devices are key.
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.