They copied this from Google
Erm no they didn't.
I am very surprised this "news" as this has always been the Apple policy. If you buy any Apple product which is the made out of date due to a new release of hardware with 30 days you can return it.
They copied this from Google
I think it's pretty clear they want to get all the iOS mobile devices on the fall timeline, which makes sense with iOS getting updated in the fall as well. Debut a new iOS and new iPhones, iPods and iPads along with it. Macs in the summer, and I'm betting on a TV-oriented spring, whether it's an actual Apple TV set or a more powerful Apple TV box. Plus, as far as engineering goes, it makes sense to get the iOS mobile devices released around the same time. They have a lot more in common internally than not, and now the chips can be refreshed on a more straightforward schedule.
In any event, I bought the iPad 3rd gen. on day one like I've bought every other iPad so far on day one, and while it irks me a little more right now that they're updating it earlier than usual, I get why they're doing it if only because of the switch to Lightning, but as said, I'd imagine that the iPad will be permanently refreshed in the fall. I don't expect a 5th generation iPad until next October at this point.
So, why the A6X? Well, the A5X is the weak spot on the iPad 3rd generation, clearly. If they're not going to update it again until next October, they needed to get that A6 chip in the thing sooner rather than later, so why not do that now when they also refresh it for the Lightning adapter? What else are they going to do in the near-future outside of bumping up the internals? The form factor will improve at some point, but I'd bet we're still a ways away from that.
Basically, if they were to just put this out in the Spring with the 4th generation specs, it'd be a disappointing upgrade, but as a product refresh, it's great. Now they have a year and a half between major releases to focus on a more dramatic overhaul if they indeed go that route.
So yeah, it's a little annoying right now, but I think long-term it's for the best. I think it'd have been far worse if the iPad was stuck on that A5X until next fall if they do indeed keep with a fall refresh moving forward.
Oooo this is interesting. I've just been given a iPad3 just Friday there, 19th October, for my 21st birthday. Wonder if they'll do this in the UK?
I don't feel the release of a new retina ipad today was a scam. I think the scam of this presentation was introducing the ipad mini as a new product, when it is basically a smaller ipad 2.
Wether or not this is a clever strategy, only time will tell, but I do see the company falling into the same sort of product fragmentation it suffered from before Steve's return in the mid 90's. The ipad mini may be light and look pretty, but hardware wise it's rubbish for today's standards and even for Apple's own standards.
Yes, excellent point about the laptops. They are getting extremely diverse with retina ones, non retina ones... What will happen when they update the MBAs to retina in a couple of months? Will you also have the non retina ones available?
I think Apple could really push the market forward if they introduced retina as the norm for their laptop lines. I understand the challenges of Retina displays on the iMac line, but if they can already make 13" and 15" retina laptops and 10" retina tablet computers, what is stopping them, other than greed, from releasing retina MacBook Air?
The point about QC you mention is inherent to the whole process of expansion. The more you start multiplying your production lines with several factories and all, the more QC is bound to suffer. I don't know how it is managed at Apple's manufacturers, but in my opinion, Apple should have a QC team trained in the company's headquarters and totally independent of Foxconn and the remaining manufacturers. That would be the only way of assuring a standard quality control guided by the same basic guidelines.
Basically it is a different product. Smaller size, but with a higher ppi higher then the iPad 2. While not a retina display, the increased ppi wil make the screen a bit more sharper.
I think some aspects they did help prevent fragmentation with the Ipad Mini. They kept the same resolution, so not to have developers to come out with two different versions. Obviously the Retina display is a different story.
Some aspects of the iPad Mini spec wise is about the same or less compared to the iPad 2, mostly to compete more price wise with the lower priced Android tablets. Would not call it rubbish by any means.
Very nice gesture to extend the return period.
just out of curiosity, when you bring in your ipad for replacement (apple care), do they give you a brand new one?
If yes, I wonder how long until they run out of the "old" Ipad 3's. =D
As soon as Phil mentioned the "new" 4th Gen iPad, my 3rd Gen exploded in the other room ... no AppleCare either ...
It's not possible. 2 million iPads sold for 30 days x $499 = $1 billion loss.
Edit) Apple can sell refurbished iPads for $379. Therefore, $499 - $379 - $30(refurbish cost) = $150 x 2 millions = $300 millions loss.
That's very kind of Apple but they should offer 30 days which is industry standard and we'd hear a lot less anger. I trusted the rumors as I realized a holiday season with the iPad3 being alone with an old dock let alone the CPU has been trashed as too weak.
So I got my refund.
Why then am I not buying the iPAD4? Simple, the iPad4 also was a reaction to the MS Surface RT, hence the dreadful dongle for taking a camera SD card...this means MS Surface Pro comes out 2013 which means an iPAD5 will have to come out to offer more than just a 4K Retina offering 1 billion by 2billion.
Apple will sell a ton of iPad Minis but not iPad4 nor the iPod Touch.......and my Nexus 7" case, unlike all Apple products does not scratch because it's made of plastic. I love using my Nexus. My wife loves her Nokia Lumia 900...the world is changing and Apple really did not need this bad PR.
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30 days is not nice it's industry standard, even HP offers that, even MS Surface RT comes with a 30 day no fuss return. Only Apple, I think, offers a miserly 14 days which is why I had to get my refund under the wire this last Sunday.
All this complaint about the new iPad has to be ludicrous... I mean, it's just a little spec bump.. no one forces you to upgrade. I am amazed on how people take so personally the fact that the product they have just bought has been slightly redesigned.. i mean, what was great 4 months ago still remains fairly good right now.. just because there is a new one out there doesn't mean that the one you have is outdated.
The mini is a great deal. at least for students... All these mature iBoys only use their ipads for porn, some mild app'ing and to read the news.. you dont care about size and weight as much as we do. having this kind of portability at such a "low" price is for me a must.
How about my ipad 3 bought Sept. 3 and still unopened? Think they will work with me.
It's not possible. 2 million iPads sold for 30 days x $499 = $1 billion loss.
Edit) Apple can sell refurbished iPads for $379. Therefore, $499 - $379 - $30(refurbish cost) = $150 x 2 millions = $300 millions loss.
Can we get a 6 month window for those who get scammed by Apple back in March?
I wonder how many people would get upset if they bought a $30,000 car only to find out that the engine gained double the horsepower at the same cost after being on the market for only 7 months.
Apple is doing a power move on your wallets. They know Apple faithful will pony up the cash just in time for the holidays. Next February/March is not going to be the same without an Apple announcement.