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Predicted cannibalisation of iPads by larger iPhones underway as iPhone 6/Plus changes browsing habits

PKTBlog_iPhone6_v2

Predictions that larger-screened iPhones would cannibalise iPad usage look to be confirmed by some stats from the Pocket app that allows you to save webpages, videos and other content for reading later.

Pocket reported in a blog post today that while 55% of owners of the iPhone 5s viewed content on their phone rather than iPad, the number leapt to 72% for the iPhone 6 and 80% for the iPhone 6 Plus …

iPhone 6 owners used their iPads significantly less than owners of smaller iPhones, suggesting that they are leaving their iPad at home more of the time.

The bigger your phone is, the less you’re going to use your iPad. Users with an iPhone 6 now read on their tablets 19% less during the week and 27% less over the weekend. Those with a 6 Plus are on their tablets 31% less during the week and 36% less over the weekend.

Pocket said that switching to a larger-screen phone also meant owners read and watched far more content than those with smaller phones – a third more for iPhone 6 owners, and almost two-thirds more for the 6 Plus.

The one place where the iPad continued to remain unchallenged, however, was after 9pm, suggesting that the iPad remains the device of choice for the sofa and when reading in bed.

iPad sales have been slowing since Apple’s fiscal quarter 2. Apple makes more money from iPhone sales than from iPads, meaning that while an existing iPhone owner deciding they don’t need an iPad is bad news, a new customer deciding to buy an iPhone instead of an iPad is good news.

Via Quartz

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Comments

  1. Cal - 9 years ago

    I decided to get the 6 Plus because it still fits in my pocket, much easier to read on than my iPhone 5S, and when I return to college, it would be easy to show stuff off to my professors, than to have to show on a smaller phone, or lug around the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. A phone/tablet hybrid makes more sense than a tablet/laptop hybrid. A phablet/laptop combo for mobility is THE way to go.

    • Nycko Heimberg - 9 years ago

      It’s true.
      Contrary to the iPad, certain tablets android have an USB port.
      Much easier for the data sharing.
      Android is now 3 times more sold as iOs.. In tablets.
      Windows arrives in force with hybrids.

  2. CJ Sheets - 9 years ago

    Sad but true. I’ve touched my iPad Air much less since getting my 6 Plus. However, if I were to travel and want to consume media, I’d still bring my Air with.

  3. Odys (@twittester10) - 9 years ago

    It is obvious why Tim Cook signed partnership with IBM – they knew this outcome as soon as they made a decision to make a large iPhone.

  4. Alex (@Metascover) - 9 years ago

    The iPhone 6 Plus provides an inferior phone experience than the iPhone 5S or 6 imo.
    It also offers without a doubt an inferior big screen experience than an iPad Mini or an iPad Air.

    Because of it, people will think that they are experiencing something similar to a tablet, when they are not.
    It’s a terrible product, ridiculously big and clumsy.

    • James Finley - 9 years ago

      Agree in part but not in whole. The Plus does provide an inferior phone experience, but— for myself at least— I don’t use my iPhone as a phone very frequently. For Facetime calls, which happen a few times a week so my mom can see her granddaughter, it is superior. For phone calls, it’s a bit clunky.

      As for a big screen experience, I don’t find it comparing to the iPad mini as much, but providing a not insignificant bump over the iPhone 5, it is a great Internet device, a great gaming device, a great video watching device, and even a fairly good device for taking notes during church. One the last one, I find myself using my iPad mini more, but that’s because I have a Zagg keyboard case.

      I didn’t buy it to experience something similar to a tablet, but to have something with a bigger screen that is easier to carry with me everywhere. And after nearly two months, I love my Plus just as much as I did on day one.

      So I think what you meant was that in your opinion it is a terrible product. Many have bought it without any regret. It’s just not for you. Which is fine.

  5. I think the results are skewed. I use my 6 Plus extensively during the day as I don’t bring my iPad to work. I think that’s true for most people. I still use the phone some at home, but for reading and watching movies in the evenings I always switch to my new iPad Air 2. Since we always have the phones on us, I think that shifts the results. Not sure it was taken into the account in the study.

    • Nycko Heimberg - 9 years ago

      Movies on a 4/3 ? Tooo Bad ! A Xperia z3 compact Tablet 8″ have a biger pictire..

    • herb02135go - 9 years ago

      Another one of those “the data must be wrong because it doesn’t match me” posts.

      That’s why people are rioting in the states over the killing of the guy who attacked the cop.

  6. Chad (@mister_reardon) - 9 years ago

    figured this would be the trend. I have a HTC One and an iPad Air. I use both about 50/50. However I can see how the iPhone 6 Plus would cut down on iPad usage.

  7. Charles (@repub9989) - 9 years ago

    i think apple saw the writing on the wall about tablets. and is moving accordingly

  8. bdkennedy11 - 9 years ago

    I will admit to this. Ever since I received my 6+ in September, I’ve only used my iPad Mini once.

  9. iSRS - 9 years ago

    Can’t say I disagree. I use my iPad (3rd gen) far less since getting the iPhone 6. Can only imagine if I had gone for the Plus

  10. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Makes perfect sense, the whole reason I wanted a 6 Plus is to get more out of my iPhone. That chart above from 5s to 6 Plus almost exactly represents my iPhone/iPad usage for certain tasks.

    But I also find that the situation also matters. Throughout the day, while I’m on the go, the iPhone is gonna be what I use exclusively. But come the end of the day, If I sit on the couch, I want the iPad, for the full experience. These are patterns and trends that have developed, and should be looked at instead of just raw numbers that don’t tell the whole story at all.

  11. baelim - 9 years ago

    I gave my iPad 3 to my mother after trying for a year when I realized that it added no benefit to my existing laptop/smartphone lineup. At the time I weaned her off of windows pcs so it was awesome. Now she wants a bigger phone and wants me to take the iPad 3 back hahaha.

  12. In general I use the 6+ the majority of the time. In business I use the iPad to see and show full views of price list and samples of our work. The iPad is also used for reading in the evening. I think they should do stats that also reflect small business usage if possible. Being that this is from Pocket I doubt they would be the ones to do such a study.

  13. patstar5 - 9 years ago

    Same thing happened to me when I got my android phablet. I stopped using my IPad (actually it is broken and sitting in my closet now). All I use now is my phone, windows 2 in 1,and MacBook. I have no use for an IPad or other tablet.

  14. jimgramze - 9 years ago

    Upgraded from an iPhone 5 to a 6+ a few days ago. My iPad Air is still better for browsing and my 27″ iMac is best. But the 6+ makes the web genuinely usable where the 5 was too small to be practical at all. I’m not surprised by the stats at all, particularly given that not everyone is going to have the full suite of Apple products. I was going to try to use the 6+ for everything, but optimal trumps doable in too many cases.

    For optimal:

    iPhone 6+ for on the fly stuff while out and about. Certain games. Reading books is best here.

    iPad Air for comic books, Zite (website aggregator), and certain other games like Lux DLX.

    iMac for best web experience, music production with Logic, and usenet access.

    Any of them is good for email, texting, phone calls, extensibility rocks. Handoff is something I thought would be more useful than it turned out to be, but glad it is there.

  15. charilaosmulder - 9 years ago

    iPhone: great for everything that’s optimized for the small screen.

    iPad: great for everything that NEEDS a bigger screens AND things that work well smaller screens.

    iPhone 6/6+: still very small. Unoptimized content (unscalable websites and PDF’s) still suck, just a little less. They’re not replacing tablets. You aren’t going to do 10 finger typing as on iPad, and you aren’t going to use more complex UI’s that need bigger screens, like Pixelmator.

    It’s nice not having to carry around an iPad next to an iPhone, but if you’re typing documents, editing multichannel audio or video, painting or editing images/vectors on an iPhone, then you’re not doing yourself a simple ergonomic favor.

  16. bsenka - 9 years ago

    It’s definitely true for me. I almost never use my iPad anymore since I got my 6 Plus.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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