iPad. Going, going, not quite gone…

This past week we put a call out to our Youthography Community to get a sense of what young Canadians are thinking about Apple’s much esteemed and much maligned iPad. Here at Youthograhy, we wanted to know if Canadian youth are feeling similar to all the pundits out there in the media and on the interwebs, and it seems there is much in common in their views. We spoke with a selection of early twenty-somethings; all 21 or 22 year of age.

The bottom line, according to our Community, is that the iPad doesn’t fill the gap between a smartphone and a laptop or computer.  It’s not quite one or the other, leaving consumers questioning its actual purpose.  As we know from a great deal of our research, young people do love the bells and whistles, but eventually are very practical in their decision making when approaching consumer goods, especially big ticket items.

“I thought it was cool, but generally not useful for me, and kind of redundant – I have a laptop and an iPod. I feel like the iPad does all this but really just makes another product out of a computer/tv/music player’s usual tasks.”

Young people immediately identify how the iPad needs to evolve and what it needs to offer for it to become pertinent to them and their needs. This device needs to offer more than a half-baked in-between of a Macbook and an iPod/iPhone. 

“Feel that the iPad is missing a lot of important features. I would like to see something that is more like a touch computer. IMO, it should have flash capabilities, USB ports, and Firewire ports. It should function as a Macbook without the keyboard. For this to happen, it would also have to have a larger hard drive.”

Because young people don’t feel that this device is currently an essential or necessarily practical for their needs, many think that it is targeted towards young professionals; there’s a perception that these folks have more of a disposable income for such a pricey luxury item and also have the know-how in the technological realm to appreciate such a current and trendy product. 

“I feel as if they’re aiming for people who are slightly older than me – I’m 21. I feel like it’s for people already making a steady income and can afford something that could be useful but is more of a luxury than a necessity.”

In the end, young Canadian consumers are certainly looking for increased device convergence, as we know from much of our research here at Youthography.  However, the iPad hasn’t quite hit the mark in convergence with its current offerings.  Despite the criticism the device continues to generate wild buzz (and no small shortage of magazine covers), the way Apple always does. Young people appreciate this buzz and truly take interest in the evolution of Apple as a brand and its various products. This is where the trust, that the brand has built over the years with this cohort, truly comes to the fore, since young people are willing to wait and watch as the iPad progresses, develops, and becomes more resonant to them.

“I don’t think that the iPad is quite there, but within a few years, I’m sure they will have it. Remember the evolution of the iPod? In less than 10 years, they went from a touch sensitive wheel and clickable buttons to a touch screen.”

Tag . Brands, Technology