“Today, we had the opportunity to observe and analyze Black Friday tablet purchases in real-time,” Alexandre Linares reports for InfoScout. “Our U.S.-based panel of Android & iOS users submitted over 90,000 shopping trip receipts within the day, giving us plenty of data to work with.”
“As we noted in our previous posts (here and here), iPads are this year’s hottest commodity,” Linares reports. “To our surprise, however, we found that roughly 40% of Black Friday iPad purchases could be attributed to existing Android smartphone users.”
Linares reports, “This discovery clearly poses a challenge for Android moving forward.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: When even fragmandroid phone settlers refuse to settle for iPad wannabes running blown-up phone apps, you know Apple’s going to have a very merry Christmas indeed!
And, once they start using iOS and the App Store on their new iPad Airs and iPad minis, guess which phone they’ll be upgrading to next?
The tide has turned.
Related articles:
Forbes reviews Apple iPad Air: The best experience of any 10″ consumer tablet – November 25, 2013
Computerworld reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: The very best large screen tablet experience available – November 20, 2013
PC Advisor reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Power, versatility, and transformationally light – November 18, 2013
Wired reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: An immensely powerful tablet – November 7, 2013
The Verge reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: The best gets better – November 4, 2013
Ars Technica reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Very impressive – November 4, 2013
Bloomberg News reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Hands-down the best tablet on the market – October 30, 2013
CNET reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: The best full-size tablet, Editors’ Choice – October 30, 2013
AnandTech reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: In a completely different league – October 30, 2013
USA Today’s Baig reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Best of breed, superior to each and every rival – October 30, 2013
Mossberg reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: ‘The best tablet I’ve ever reviewed’ – October 29, 2013
Fox News reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Best in class – October 29, 2013
The Independent reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPad Air: Super-light and most powerful – October 29, 2013
Computerworld reviews Apple’s 64-bit Retina iPad mini: An unmatched user experience – November 26, 2013
AnandTech reviews Apple’s 64-bit Retina iPad mini: ‘A leap forward in performance’ – November 19, 2013
Wired reviews Apple’s Retina iPad mini: Unparalleled, mind-blowing, buy it now – November 15, 2013
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s Retina iPad mini: ‘Tightly elegant, an absolute pleasure to use’ – November 15, 2013
CNET reviews Retina iPad mini: A powerhouse, packed-to-the-gills, top-end tablet beast; Editors’ Choice – November 14, 2013
Associated Press reviews Retina iPad mini: Unmatched by cheaper Android tablets – November 12, 2013
Dalrymple reviews Retina iPad mini: ‘As much as I love the Air, I still find myself reaching for the iPad mini’ – November 12, 2013
Apple starts online sales of iPad mini with Retina display, no in-store pickup available – November 12, 2013
I kind of ike the sound of the content.
The headline could read as follows: The Apple IPad becomes the gateway product to Apple for Android users!
While I didn’t purchase an iPad this year I am one of THEM who own an Android phone, Note 2,(I do have an iPhone 5 for work) and an iPad. I went looking at the iPad Airs yesterday at Sprint and tried to steer me to the Android tablets and couldn’t understand why I wanted the iPad. I have the note for two reasons, screen size and Swype. When those two items don’t matter, as in the tablets, it’s not even a contest for me. This news could be troubling for Android, but I think it may also show a niche that Apple isn’t serving in the phone space and android is. Just because I own an iPad, I’m not running out to buy an iPhone until Apple clears up one of the two before stated reasons I own a note over the 5 or 5S.
Another ” I chose Android for the size” fool. When that larger iPad comes out, there is no doubt that you will come up with another half-assed reason why you would settle with Fragmandroid.
I’m not sure what a larger screen iPad would have do with whether or not I buy an iPhone. Not sure if that’s a typo or you didn’t understand my post.
I own both phones, one for work, iPhone 5, and one personal, Note 2. Using both phones side by side, I think I have a solid foundation in which to form my opinions from. There are things I like from both phones but when it comes down to what I use and see the most, that would be the keyboard and the screen, and I cannot compromise on those specs.
You are still immoral for choosing a device that is PROVEN to be a slavishly copied knock-off of iPhone and iPad. Hopefully, when you smarten up, you will make the right decision, but I highly doubt it.
Wayne, pretty presumptious and obnoxious replies to a thoughtful and benign post. The dude likes a bigger screen and a keyboard option, neither of which is offered by Apple on the iPhone. I won’t buy a Samsung phone either, but I can’t really fault people wanting a device that fits their needs better than they can obtain from Apple. There a plenty of iPhone users that would like to see bigger iPhone and an alternative keyboard. Apple fans should not be blind to nice features on alternative platforms, and neither should they be rude and obnoxious when arguing that Samsung users shouldn’t be rewarding blatent IP thieves (Google and Samsung) with sales.
How old are you, Wayne? You come across like a pissed-off 14-year-old with a big chip on his shoulder.
Yeah. Wayne has issues. Lock up the firearms and make an appointment with the therapist mom and dad.
I think any support for any Samsung consumer device is rewarding a convicted patent infringer and is tantamount to saying that it is OK. Samsung needs a huge lesson here and I personally boycott every single Samsung consumer product out there.
While I hate to feed the troll, I have to ask, Wayne, why do you keep commenting on me not having or purchasing an iPad? The whole point of this article and my post was about Android phone users who wouldn’t settle for buying anything other than an iPad even though they did not own an iPhone. I am one of those people. If it wasn’t for my work, I would not currently own an iPhone. And unless iPhone 6 has a 5 inch screen variant I probably won’t be buying the 6 either. I have also stated on several other posts on this site that I would welcome and jump at a chance to own either a larger screen iPad or iPhone. Matter of fact, the ENTIRE reason I follow this site is because it was one of the very first apps that I downloaded on my brand new iPad 1 I purchased back in 2010 on launch day.
Wayne,
“I chose Android for the size” is not a foolish statement.
I, too, am 100% iOS person, won’t go near anything Android, but calling someone a “fool” because they don’t agree with you or intentionally misled by Schmidt.
Some of my friends had no choice but to go Android because iPhone screens were too small for their aging eyes.
A lot of people are not like you, Wayne, most of them can’t tell the difference that we Apple users so admire and appreciate.
You can call those wanting larger phones “fools”, but who is the bigger fool, the one wanting a larger iPhone or the one turning away those customers?
Your personal screen size preference aside, clearly there are a lot of consumers who would prefer a larger iPhone, and Apple has lost some of those customers to Android devices.
I’d be shocked if the next round of iPhones didn’t come with a larger version.
An Android user forced to use Apple’s iPhone at work?
There’s a switch. 😉
I wouldn’t say forced. Initially, I had my choice of either Android or iOS. I chose iOS initially because I already had an android phone, an HTC Evo. If I had an iPhone I would have chosen Android. My point is that I wanted to be able to experience both platforms and see what I liked and didn’t like about each. At this point though, we don’t have much of a choice at work. It’s iPhone and iPads all the way.
I am amazed at the gratuitous personal insults in the responses to your quite coherent and reasonable post, ob1spyker. It should not surprise me, however, as many if not most responses on MDN are nothing more than silly insults that the posters seem to think are ever so clever. Add in the stupid, irrelevant political comments from Americans, and it’s time for the rest of us to pay no further attention to comments posted on MDN.
@ob1spyker.
I bet one reason the Sprint salesperson tried to steer you away from the iPad Air to the Android tablet is because she might get a spiff or small commission if you purchase the Android (especially if it is Samsung. I believe this is where a lot of Samsung’s huge marketing budget goes. IMO this should be revealed or it might be considered a conflict of interest?)
I agree. Apple doesn’t pay commissions to its sales staff. I would be pushing alternative products as well if I new I would be getting something in return. You can’t blame someone to who can make some money by pushing products that can put a little extra jingle in their pocket.
I’m sure the vast majority of consumers aren’t aware of Samsung’s illegal activities. Heck, they don’t even know what IP is, or that Samsung stole Apple’s design and interface for their competing products. All they know is, they can save money by going with non-Apple devices, and in some cases, even get buy one, get one deals, something you would never see Apple do.
As an educated consumer, I will never ever purchase anything from Samsung. They are a company with no honor, and I’ll be damned if I’ll reward them for their scumbag tactics. I will also do my best to steer people in my circle away from ever buying anything from the thieves of Korea. I personally want the best technology money can buy, right now, that is Apple. Apple products have their faults, but compared to their competition, they are minuscule.
The Sprint salesperson tried to sell me an iPad just before the release. They’ve never tried to shift me to Android.
iPhooone bitch! ( as Steve Jobs said to Bill Gates while holding him in a head lock) I love that cartoon!
Woo! That’s the news I like to hear. I managed to contribute to that number: I’ve spent the last month-plus singing the virtues of the iPad family to one of my Samsung-stuck coworkers. And on Black Friday, she finally made the leap.
Well, that’s the U.S. but certainly Europe, Asia, S. America, etc. have to be considered because those are the places where Android devices are really being bought in high numbers. There’s a whole world of consumers out there who will not be considering Apple tablets at all and likely never will. I’m very happy that at least U.S. consumers of all sorts are buying iPads.
I was rather concerned that those far cheaper Android tablets will eventually cut deeply into iPad sales at some point. Many of these Android tablet vendors are hanging in there longer than I expected them to. I figured that once they saw they couldn’t profit from selling tablets they’d just stop but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Samsung, Google and Amazon will never give up and they probably represent the biggest number of Android tablet sales from major companies. At least this year I won’t have to read an endless number of articles claiming that iPad sales are not as high as expected for the Christmas season.
Android devices will cut deeply into iPads just like PCs cut deeply into Macs.
In other words, iPad numbers will continue to grow and crap will continue to be cheap.
“Android devices will cut deeply into iPads” … Uhh, more likely iPads w/cut into Android devices if I read the data right.
Went to best buy on Friday. Why don’t they just rename themselves Samaung?? There were large displays of samsung products in each aisle. I want for a sharp tv. And of course BB was out of stock!!!!! Salesman says buy a samsung instead. Not!!!!
Well, there’s a simple reason for that. Any technology store like Best Buy get’s a kick back, well, commission, on devices they sell, especially Samsung, because that’s the only way to sell their crapware. I always get dragged over to their, eh hem, COMMISSION SECTION, but nah.
Apple, on the other hand, don’t need to. Their product sells themselves because they are so well made and so simple to use. Just compare Apple device owner’s manual to the competition.
78% Black Friday pencil buyers are pen users!
Which is the “roughly” part? 40%? iPads? Purchased? Android? Phone? Users?
…we found that roughly 40% of Black Friday iPad purchases could be attributed to existing Android smartphone users.
Inevitable.
Finally got to play around with an Android tablet over Thanksgiving, as the father-in-law bought a Nexus 7. Went on about how inexpensive it was and how he got so much RAM. It goes without saying he could barely use it. Oh he “got it to work”, as so many Windows suffers got their PCs “to work” over the years, but “getting it to work” is not the same as fully using the device. He hadn’t even figured out the “simple” way of unlocking the thing. (I had trouble figuring that out myself!!)
I came away from the experience believing that Android tablets can do almost anything an iPad can… if you’re willing to learn a nauseatingly non-intuitive interface. Seriously, I have never dealt with an interface more bass-ackwards. Desktop Windows was a breeze compared to this.
Plus, this was a “Nexus” device. That means pure Google software, right? Then why was the thing packed to the gills with two solid screens of apps that he never downloaded, including two versions of Angry Birds?
Android sucks. There’s no two ways about it. I don’t see how anyone can think Android and iOS are comparable.
——RM
I have both an iPad and a Nexus 7.
I have no idea how someone could find one easy to use and the other hard.
Both are pretty straight forward.
The iPad has a far better software selection imho and for my kids and educational software the iPad wins hands down.
Most basic functions on the iPad are intuitively obvious. On Android, not so much. Take unlocking the device. On the iPad, it says “Slide to unlock”, with a pointer telling you which direction to slide. The Nexus 7 just has a drawing of a padlock, with no indication of what you’re supposed to do with it. It took a lot of tapping and wiggling before I figured out that I was supposed to drag it straight down.
The iPad opens onto a screen of apps. The Nexus 7 opens onto… I have no idea what that screen is for. It was a home screen with promos on it. Widgets to the left, favorites to the right, but you only learn this stuff by experimenting.
Short of technophobes, anyone can pick up an iPad and just use it. Android requires the user to figure it out first.
I understand you’ve become acclimated to it, so you think it’s “straightforward”, but it really isn’t. People who got used to Windows convinced themselves that was easy to use as well.
——RM
Just need a bigger iphone screen, and android users will start to switch
Buy a tablet. I want a phone I can hold in one hand and that I don’t need a holster for. That’s why I have an iPhone.
What’s really interesting is that I have been a longtime Apple Fan, user, and even former Apple employee! I was going to sell my iPad 4th Gen to get a new iPad Air, but I’ve decided to go with something different… I’m going for the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, but I want the cellular version and it’s not available in the US yet. I may just settle for the wifi instead, but I’m not in a hurry. Why? Apple news iOS 7 is just not appealing to me any longer. In fact, I downright hate it! I loathe the design and all of the stupid looking circle crap! I do not like seeing my contact pics of people inside a circle! It’s driving me nuts! I’m really on a fence about what to do with my computer situation too. I’ve been looking very closely at several Windows 8.1 laptop/tablet combos and the one that’s really got my attention is the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. Well, I really don’t want to start a flame war, but I find it interesting that so many people are moving over to the iPad and I’m seriously looking to move away! Apple IMO is just not innovating enough and I’m looking for more flexibility. Android phones ( I already have Galaxy Note3 and a HTC One and love them) do what I need them to and so does a Surface Pro2. Well, time will tell and I’m making my choice very carefully. I really love Apple’s quality, but I’m just not digging their iOS. I still love the Mac OS and Mavericks is awesome!