A report published by the analytics firm CIRP suggests new iPad owners keep their old iPads for a longer period. The firm collected data over twelve months ending in March 2024 and found that about 67% of repeat iPad buyers keep their old iPad.
Instead of reselling their old iPads or getting store credit as part of a trade-in, about two-thirds of iPad buyers keep the old devices to themselves or give them to friends and family. As per CIRP"s report, only 3% of iPad owners give their old device for trade-in and 6% of owners sell it.
When compared to the iPhone, the firm found that about 41% of new buyers either give their old iPhones to friends/family or keep them after buying a new one. The number of iPhone users giving up their old device as part of a trade-in sits noticeably higher at 42%, meanwhile, 5% of users prefer to earn some cash by selling their old iPhone.
The difference in how users deal with their old iPads and iPhones "suggests the secondary market for refurbished iPads is less robust than for iPhones, or that there is more value in keeping an old iPad than monetizing it," the firm said.
Another takeaway from the report is the difference in the percentage of users who prefer to report their device as lost, stolen, or broken, and make replacement purchases. It is 23% for iPad owners compared to just 6% for iPhone owners.
Factors such as the Apple ecosystem"s stickiness are often considered as a motivation for users to keep owning Apple devices for years. However, the firm notes that Apple would want users to buy the "latest and greatest iPad," although getting replacement purchases still brings some cash under its roof.
Apple refreshed its 2024 iPad Pro models with an easier-to-replace battery and introduced a 13-inch iPad Air variant (that is now heavier than the Pro). However, the company said goodbye to a bunch of things for iPads such as its iconic Apple logo stickers in the retail box.