Summary: However, things are unpredictable. With the trend of smartphones becoming larger screens, the market for tablets is beginning to shrink. Many people believe that tablets are a transitional product that will exit the market in the future under the pressure of large screen phones and ultra light and ultra-thin laptops. However, Apple CEO Cook does not agree with this view. He recently stated that tablets are beginning to replace personal computers in certain situations.

In 2010, Apple reinvented the tablet computer, opening up a new market for touch sensitive tablets.

However, things are unpredictable. With the trend towards larger screens in smartphones, the market for tablets is beginning to shrink. Many people believe that tablets are a transitional product that will exit the market in the future under the pressure of large screen phones and ultra light and ultra-thin laptops. However, Apple CEO Cook does not agree with this view. He recently stated that tablets are beginning to replace personal computers in certain situations.

Recently, Cook talked about the development prospects of tablets in an interview with the US news website BuzzFeed, saying, "I think we have reached a point where the iPad is already doing the work that people need to rely on personal computers to do. ”

Cook stated that ordinary consumers only need to access the social network Facebook, send and receive emails, watch movies and TV shows, and a tablet's computing power and storage can meet their requirements.

Tim Bajarin, an analyst at the technology market research company 'Innovation Strategy', also agrees with Cook's viewpoint. He said that many consumers today have made iPads and other tablets their main computers, and tablets can fulfill various functional requirements well.

However, the views of Cook and this analyst are not consistent with the mainstream industry view.

Many technology media and industry analysts believe that tablets will be a transitional device. In fact, Apple reinvented tablets in 2010, when smartphones were only 3.5 inches in size. Subsequently, there was a trend towards larger screens in the development of smartphones, with many manufacturers launching six inch or even seven inch smartphones. Apple itself also imitated Samsung Electronics and launched two phones with sizes around 5 inches.

Many consumers have pointed out a significant decline in the usage time of tablets after purchasing large screen smartphones.

The sales data of tablets, including Apple, also indicate that the tablet market has reached its peak and is gradually declining. Among them, Apple tablets have plummeted at a speed exceeding double digits, and are no longer Apple's star business. Tablets from manufacturers such as Samsung are also experiencing a significant decline.

Many analysts have pointed out that in the future, tablets will gradually exit the market, and large screen smartphones will complete the vast majority of functions that tablets do today. However, in terms of complex calculations such as office work, people still cannot do without personal computers.

Some industry insiders predict that personal computers will gradually be phased out of the home environment and mainly become office equipment used by enterprises for work. In terms of complex professional work such as document processing and graphics processing, the efficiency and functionality of tablet computers are far inferior to traditional personal computers.

In September, Apple launched a 13 inch commercial tablet to save its endangered tablet business, imitating Microsoft's Surface Pro (which also imitated Microsoft's external keyboard). Some analysts believe that Cook, who has abandoned Jobs' minimalism, is in an awkward situation of competing with Apple's office equipment market for commercial tablets and laptops.

It is worth paying attention to whether Apple's commercial tablet will cause some companies to abandon their procurement plans for Apple laptops.