Apple iPhone 6s Could Kill The 7-Inch Mini-Tablet
The upcoming launch of the iPhone 6s marks the continued trend towards larger phones, currently led by industry leaders Apple and Samsung. If most expectations are correct, the iPhone 6s will be another success for Apple as users embrace the new format. However, what’s good for the iPhone 6s isn’t good for the seven-inch mini-tablet market, as many of the reasons users flocked to those are being erased by the larger form of the new phones.
Apple isn’t alone in facing partial cannibalization of their range from within, with Samsung seeing its own seven-inch tablets under fire not just from the iPhone 6s, but from their own Note range and from “white brand” tablets made in China.
ZDNet covered a recent TrendForce survey, which indicated that the significant fall in the mini-tablet market, partially caused by larger phones such as the iPhone 6s, will not be offset by the growing success of larger form tablets such as the Surface Pro and the upcoming Apple iPad Pro. The iPad Pro is reportedly going to boast a 12.9-inch form factor, so will stand at the opposite end of the spectrum from mini-tablets and “phablets” like the iPhone 6s. This will see a decline in tablet shipments across the market.
Discussing the fall, CNET notes that a lack of excitement about new releases is impacting demand. Apple has traditionally been fairly immune to any lack of excitement, and it’s unlikely the iPhone 6s will see an end to the trend of consumers camping outside stores on launch day.
The good news for Apple fans is that Forbes is reporting rumors that the iPhone 6s will ship at the same price points and storage capacities as the iPhone 6 did last year.
Apple has perhaps one of the best chances to buck the trend towards declining tablet sales, with Forbes also reporting on rumors that the iPhone 6s will feature iOS 9 paired with upgrades including dynamic wallpaper. Adding a larger tablet to their range at the same time as launching the iPhone 6s also makes a lot of sense, as it gives them a chance to take on the Surface in the corporate world at the same time as encouraging iPad Mini customers to move to the new larger form device, if they now find their Mini is used less as they upgrade to the 6s.
For more information about the technical specs of the upcoming iPhone 6s release, you can check out the Inquisitr commentary on the rumored iPhone 6s specs.
[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
