Apple's 2013 Product Roadmap Predictions: Multiple iPhones, Retina iPad Mini, All-Retina MacBook Pros

[MacRumors]

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a very good track record in predicting Apple's product plans, has issued a new research report outlining his expectations for Apple's 2013 product launches. Kuo believes that Apple will focus its launches on the third quarter of this year, with a number of updates throughout the company's various product families.

- iPhone: Kuo expects that Apple will introduce both an iPhone 5S and a revamped iPhone 5 around June or July of this year, with the iPhone 5S appearing very similar to the current iPhone 5 but carrying a number of upgrades including an A7 system-on-a-chip for better performance, a fingerprint sensor, and camera improvements such as an f2.0 aperture and a smart LED flash. He also believes that the lower-cost iPhone will in many ways simply be an iPhone 5 repackaged into a slightly thicker (8.2 mm vs. the current 7.6 mm) plastic enclosure available in six colors.

- iPad and iPad mini: Kuo forecasts that Apple will update both lines during the third quarter of the year, with the iPad mini gaining a Retina display as the most notable change. He also predicts that the full-size iPad will become considerably slimmer and lighter and adopt the thinner side bezels seen on the iPad mini.

- MacBook Pro: In line with his predictions from last year, Kuo believes that Apple will do away with the non-Retina MacBook Pro line in 2013, moving to an all-Retina lineup at cheaper price points than the current Retina models. Kuo also believes that Apple will tweak the design of these thinner Retina MacBook Pros, despite having just introduced the current form factor last year.

- MacBook Air: Retina displays remain a challenge for the MacBook Air given their relative thickness, and Kuo predicts that they will not be appearing in the 2013 MacBook Air lineup. Kuo believes that a move to Intel's forthcoming Haswell platform will be the main upgrade for the machines, with the update coming perhaps as soon as late in the second quarter.

- Desktops: Kuo notes that the iMac redesign has been well-received, but it appears that he does not see Retina displays coming to the lineup in 2013. He simply predicts a shift to the Haswell platform for the iMac and Mac mini in the fourth quarter of the year. Kuo's report does not address a new Mac Pro, even though Apple CEO Tim Cook had personally shared that a significant update for the line was due in 2013.

- iPod touch: Apple will reportedly discontinue the fourth-generation iPod touch, which is currently being sold alongside the new fifth-generation models. In order to fill the gap, Kuo believes that Apple will introduce a scaled-back fifth-generation model with 8 GB of storage and no rear camera at $199.

- Apple TV: Kuo predicts a minor update to the existing Apple TV product as soon as late this quarter, but he offers no details on what the update would entail. He also notes that Apple's more substantial television effort is unlikely to appear in 2013, with content issues and a lack of experience in the television set industry pushing things back until 2014.

Article Link: Apple's 2013 Product Roadmap Predictions: Multiple iPhones, Retina iPad Mini, All-Retina MacBook Pros

[3N16MA]

Apple will launch new phones, tablets, and notebooks in 2013.

As you can see by my statement above I am a highly respected analyst who put great thought into my prediction.

[PlayRadioPlay]

If they don't upgrade the Mac Pro in 2013, I will be buying a desktop PC.

I love Apple, but this is really getting insane.

I have work to do, Apple, and I'm not upgrading to the current Mac Pro.

[InuNacho]

Just plaster blue dots all over that timeline for the Pro.

[Wicked1]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Just plaster blue dots all over that timeline for the Pro.

Why do you say that, Finder has been a part of their heart and soul since the Mac's inception?

I see them merging iOS and Mac OS in the near future, but still having a more powerful version of OSX for high end machines.

[StellarSoul]

Originally Posted by Wicked1

Why do you say that, Finder has been a part of their heart and soul since the Mac's inception?

I see them merging iOS and Mac OS in the near future, but still having a more powerful version of OSX for high end machines.

I can't begin to imagine what a merged operating system would look like. Could you shed some light on what you might think it could entail if they go in that direction and why it would be of benefit? The way I see it is that OSX is as wonderfully optimised for a desktop experience as iOS for mobile, yet both share many features of each other. A true 'merger' might just have each lose a little of its own unique functionality?

Anyway, what I'd like to see a few years down the track (OS11) is a super powerful iPad that you could dock with a big display. When portable, it would be similar to the way it works now, but when docked, you could interact with the OS in a different way on a larger display, with a windowed interface and so forth. I'd like it if the iPad could run an OS that had the functionality of OSX AND iOS but only capable of true multi window interaction and more professional functionality when plugged into and driving an external display with keyboard and mouse (possibly touch?). P.s. I understand that the current iPad would be incapable of doing such a thing to a satisfactory standard. But who knows where ARM will take us?

[gmanist1000]

A6 processor for the AppleTV? Not really sure what they could do with it... without a major software update.

[Mike Valmike]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

A6 processor for the AppleTV? Not really sure what they could do with it... without a major software update.

Framerates. It has no current support in its hardware for variable framerate output... not just newfangled stuff like 48fps in The Hobbit, but the standard 24fps movies have featured for a while now, which blu-rays and all digital files are encoded at, and any $40 BR player can play, provided your TV supports that framerate, which an increasing number of televisions do. Additionally, this is what will be necessary for 3-D support, moving forward.

Right now, if you play an iTunes HD movie file, the 24fps file is telecined out to 30fps on the fly, increasing judder and reducing smoothness to no real benefit except maintaining sync compatibility with legacy displays. And if there's one thing we can safely say about Apple, it's that they don't give a damn about supporting legacy hardware one minute longer than they have to.

[pgiguere1]

Originally Posted by Mike Valmike

Right now, if you play an iTunes HD movie file, the 24fps file is telecined out to 30fps on the fly, increasing judder and reducing smoothness to no real benefit except maintaining sync compatibility with legacy displays. And if there's one thing we can safely say about Apple, it's that they don't give a damn about supporting legacy hardware one minute longer than they have to.

While this is a valid improvement, it's so technical that it can't really be considered a "feature" marketing-wise. That would be the kind of thing that Apple would maybe not even talk about in a keynote.

They'd need new features understood (and noticed) by the majority of people to warrant calling it a new model. Otherwise they'd just silently update it like they did to the iPad 2 once the 3 was out.

I'm still wondering what new features they could add because of hardware without redefining the device altogether.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

A6 processor for the AppleTV? Not really sure what they could do with it... without a major software update.

I agree wholeheartedly. I can't think of anything (sans software) that would be beneficial. At least not while keeping it at the $99 price point that they have stuck with for the past three generations.

----------

Originally Posted by turtlez

You're the first person to tell me this

I wonder if you ever succeed in those half price statements. Does it really affect you how many people you can convert to your Anti Apple religion? Guess what, anyone that buys a Mac Pro is obviously a professional and therefore knows somewhat about technology. Guess what! price is the first thing you learn about technology and they still opt for the Mac. Obviously they have good reasons so nothing you say is going to work.

I would say 99% of those good reasons are getting a headache free unit that you don't have to build yourself (to see the savings) and if something does go wrong, taking it in to Apple nets you a repaired machine in under a week.

Not saying this to be pro or con either side, but it is what it is. I would argue that most professionals don't know squat about their technology. Those that do really WILL build a custom machine because they need it to do something that a store bought box isn't going to do. But most professionals also see value in warranty, low failure rates (when compared to other brands), and free/quick support of said product.

[rodriguise]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

A6 processor for the AppleTV? Not really sure what they could do with it... without a major software update.

Probably nothing. Apple is probably binning chips and throwing those with a bad core into the AppleTV. Keeping a run of older chips is significantly more costly than using the scrap for lower end devices.

[myrtlebee]

A cheaper iPod Touch with no rear camera? Dream on. If anything, it will be the current 5th generation and simply at 8 or 16GB for $199. This is just a bunch of guessing. I highly doubt Apple would save almost every update for one quarter. How is that even feasible logistically?

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by myrtlebee

A cheaper iPod Touch with no rear camera? Dream on. If anything, it will be the current 5th generation and simply at 8 or 16GB for $199. This is just a bunch of guessing. I highly doubt Apple would save almost every update for one quarter. How is that even feasible logistically?

I agree. Apple will never sell a Touch with 8GB or without a rear camera. If they do anything like they have done in the past, the update will not be until the fall and it will consist of replacing the low end model with a 16GB version of the current model (most likely for $199).

[Pakaku]

Originally Posted by PlayRadioPlay

If they don't upgrade the Mac Pro in 2013, I will be buying a desktop PC.

I love Apple, but this is really getting insane.

I have work to do, Apple, and I'm not upgrading to the current Mac Pro.

Apple is an appliance company now. They're alright at designing phones, tablets, and very thin laptops. But their desktop line is hopeless.

My next laptop might be an Air. I will, however, definitely be building my own desktop when I feel like I need to upgrade.

[rydewnd2]

Originally Posted by Pakaku

Apple is an appliance company now. They're alright at designing phones, tablets, and very thin laptops. But their desktop line is hopeless.

My next laptop might be an Air. I will, however, definitely be building my own desktop when I feel like I need to upgrade.

Who's making a better all in one "desktop" than the iMac?

[a0me]

Originally Posted by rydewnd2

Who's making a better all in one "desktop" than the iMac?

The HP Z1 (easy to upgrade AIO), HP SpectreONE and Dell XPS One 27, don't look too shabby. You could probably make a Hackintosh out of them, although since they're in the same price range as the iMac I'm not sure why you would.

[apple-win]

Originally Posted by rydewnd2

Who's making a better all in one "desktop" than the iMac?

It depends on what customer needs.

If customer wants blu-ray drive, TV tuner, Windows 8 touch screen, then iMac is not the best AIO desktop. If customer wants a quiet PC, iMac is the best AIO desktop.

I like iMac because it is quiet.

[quickmac]

Originally Posted by Pakaku

Apple is an appliance company now. They're alright at designing phones, tablets, and very thin laptops. But their desktop line is hopeless.

My next laptop might be an Air. I will, however, definitely be building my own desktop when I feel like I need to upgrade.

Sounds about right. I love Apple laptops and keep a Macbook Pro for portable needs, work, and school stuff mostly. It was my main machine but I wanted a desktop for gaming, working at home, and music making. I got tired of waiting for a new Mac Pro and built a desktop that's probably as powerful if not more powerful than the latest Mac Pro for a 1/3rd the cost. I would've saved up and bought a Mac Pro had they updated it.

[Pigumon]

Originally Posted by PlayRadioPlay

If they don't upgrade the Mac Pro in 2013, I will be buying a desktop PC.

I love Apple, but this is really getting insane.

I have work to do, Apple, and I'm not upgrading to the current Mac Pro.

Originally Posted by Pakaku

Apple is an appliance company now. They're alright at designing phones, tablets, and very thin laptops. But their desktop line is hopeless.

My next laptop might be an Air. I will, however, definitely be building my own desktop when I feel like I need to upgrade.

Built a hackintosh last December, never had a better Mac. :/

[turtlez]

Originally Posted by PlayRadioPlay

If they don't upgrade the Mac Pro in 2013, I will be buying a desktop PC.

I love Apple, but this is really getting insane.

I have work to do, Apple, and I'm not upgrading to the current Mac Pro.

If they are gonna put out a new Mac Pro they will do it very soon, wait another 2 months tops if not jump to a build your own.

[AJClayton]

Originally Posted by turtlez

If they are gonna put out a new Mac Pro they will do it very soon, wait another 2 months tops if not jump to a build your own.

I hope you're right about that, but Tim Cook's e-mail clearly stated "later next year" which makes me think we'll be waiting until at least WWDC before we see anything happen. There's talk that the new Mac Pro will be assembled in the States and that's not going to take 5 minutes to set up.

If you're like me and have waited this long for the Mac Pro to be updated, another few months isn't going to make much difference.

Having said that... GET ON WITH IT APPLE AND UPDATE THE MAC PRO. #Sob#

[Pentad]

Originally Posted by turtlez

If they are gonna put out a new Mac Pro they will do it very soon, wait another 2 months tops if not jump to a build your own.

If you can exist on a PC platform, why wait for the Mac Pro? Apple's Mac Pro sucks. Yes, it can run OS X officially, but hardware wise it is always terrible. I can build a much better machine at half the cost.

I would never buy a Apple desktop anything...over priced and under powered.

-P

[niuniu]

arn buttraping crap-talkers made this thread a joy. Shame he doesn't have the time to do it more often

[turtlez]

Originally Posted by Pentad

If you can exist on a PC platform, why wait for the Mac Pro? Apple's Mac Pro sucks. Yes, it can run OS X officially, but hardware wise it is always terrible. I can build a much better machine at half the cost.

I would never buy a Apple desktop anything...over priced and under powered.

-P

You're the first person to tell me this

I wonder if you ever succeed in those half price statements. Does it really affect you how many people you can convert to your Anti Apple religion? Guess what, anyone that buys a Mac Pro is obviously a professional and therefore knows somewhat about technology. Guess what! price is the first thing you learn about technology and they still opt for the Mac. Obviously they have good reasons so nothing you say is going to work.

[scottsjack]

Originally Posted by PlayRadioPlay

If they don't upgrade the Mac Pro in 2013, I will be buying a desktop PC.

I love Apple, but this is really getting insane.

I have work to do, Apple, and I'm not upgrading to the current Mac Pro.

Let's face it, the Mac Pro is dead. Even the other Macs have been losing both thickness and features. USB 3 is really a substitution for USB 2, and a good one at that. Optical drives are gone, iMac and MBP FW connections are gone, the discrete GPU in the mini is gone. Upgradable RAM and storage are going the way of the Dodo.

It's all about a reduced feature set for the regular folks. Pro users, power users and people who just want a powerful, upgradable computer are going to have to head on over to HPland or Lenovoland to get a real computer. Macs are heading towards being prepackaged, throw away consumer devices.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Macs but for Apple building the kind of computers I like it's pretty much game over.