Buying Trends
One way Apple’s customers influence its profitability and, by extension, its business strategy is with what they buy. Apple sells a wide variety of products and services; each requires a different approach. As of December 2015, Apple has been releasing new iPads with roughly the same frequency as new iPhones. However, the two products have different buying patterns. According to TheStreet, tablet shipments are down over 8% for 2015 compared to 2014. The issue is there are not as many marked differences between tablet models as between smartphones, which may draw sales through increased memory, improved camera resolution and size differences.
Customer Preferences
Consumers may also impact Apple’s business strategy with their preferences. For instance, before an iPad of any size can really work well in business or for people who may have to work on documents on the fly, such as students, a USB port is practically a necessity. As of December 2015, Apple does not offer a tablet with a USB port. There are third-party adapters, some of which are compatible with iPads. Apple's only original equipment manufacturer OEM solution is an adapter that works with digital cameras but not documents. Going forward, customer preferences for USB ports could force Apple to develop a new iPad with that feature.