Next iPad and iPhone Due in "Middle of 2013"?

[ChristianJapan]

Mid of 2013 would be PERFECT for me.

My mobile Wifi contract (LTE) will end in summer 2013 and I would direct jump to a iPhone 5s with tethering which is now officially possible in Japan; without big risk of huge payments. Seven month to go.

[szw-mapple fan]

Originally Posted by frayne182

If they don't adapt they will slowly and slowly keep losing market share.

They have to make more product.

No. They don't need any more products. They need better and revolutionary ones .

[GorgonPhone]

Originally Posted by AJH1993

Really dislike how Apple releases new stuff in 1 year or in a half year. Because they know people have the "I need the latest and greatest" mindset.

I can see it now...

apple - " we decided to make the next phone wider this time cause it will really enhance the way you use your phone,,"

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Originally Posted by szw-mapple fan

No. They don't need any more products. They need better and revolutionary ones .

and they need a real controller that works with all ios games.. cause touch screen controls are crappy as hell fro arcade style games..

[donrsd]

Originally Posted by donrsd

Apple has to change the cycle.

The ipad will become the new Xmas release, with it being released around Sept/Oct every year.
The iPhone needs to be moved to the March/April slot.

2 options....

1. Wait 1 1/2 years to upgrade the iPhone 5 in March/April 2014 to the iPhone 6
2. Update the iPhone 5 this march/April 2013 to an iPhone 5S and get on a yearly spring release schedule.

Either way, its going to happen and I understand why.

iPhone buyers are basically 'contract buyers'. They buy their iPhones when their contract is up.
Ipad buyers just buy to buy. NO CONTRACT NEEDED thus better sales......hence a bigger xmas sales rush

Originally Posted by iSomebody

THIS!
Exactly what I thought.

[frayne182]

Originally Posted by szw-mapple fan

No. They don't need any more products. They need better and revolutionary ones .

Like what then?


They are losing marketshare so regardless they need to do something. Android is dominating

[ktmusagi]

Europe's 4G licenses are being bid upon in the beginning months of next year but the frequencies are already decided...the current iPhone 5 will never work on 4G in Europe...so if Apple want the majority share in that small continent...

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by mantan

The bigger issue for Apple is sustainable sales.

The iPhone market has become saturated...especially since they moved to all carriers, implemented a free on contract/$99 device and have even extended their reach to discount carrriers.

It's not a Rolls Royce. It's essentially a mainstream highly sedan that the overwhelming majority (of US customers) have to finance (subsidize) to afford.

They have to make sure they release a compelling product...or heck at least one they can bring to market in a reasonable time for the 4S folks rolling off contract next month.

Personally I think there is a bit of a smartphone/tablet bubble looming. Current smartphones are light, fast, have fast enough broadband connections for streaming HD video, have excellent HD video cameras built in.....what's the next hook to really pull a critical mass of customers? Or will incremental spec bumps and software changes be enough.

heh heh, I think you are just looking at Iphone in US. IDC said that Apple only has 15% of the smartphone sales in 3Q12.

http://www.iclarified.com/25373/sams...artphone-sales



And a lot of countries outside of US sell the phone unlocked and at full retail price. The question is not saturation as much as price point. Iphone is no where near saturation in term of goegraphy, but it is a tough sales at current price point. A $600+ unlocked smartphone is a very expensive device for developing country and limit the size of the potential pool of customers. At some point Apple need to address the mid market (somewhere around $300-$400 unlock price). Iphone 5 has 50-60% gross margin (and probably low 30% net margin after all the expense and tax). Apple can easily produce an Iphone value line that cost between $300 and $400 and make 30% gross margin (and 15-20% net margin). Samsung made a lot of noise in the high end with S3, Note 2 etc by putting a lot of feature at a very low price. The margin suck on those product. The real money maker for Samsung is the mid price point smartphone where HTC etc do not seem to be able to compete well and the margin is much better. A lower price point Iphone will go after Samsung profit center and alos help the long term ecosystem erosion problem. A 15% smartphone market share (even with much higher purchase rate for apps and commerce opportunities) is not going to make it in the long term.

The next wave for mobile device is going to focus on location based application. And that is why Apple and Google are fighting so hard on the map. Today mobile device are focusing on thing that I can do everywhere. i.e. I can surf the web, buying stuff, watching movie, listening to music, playing game everywhere. My guess is that the future device will tell me what can I do around the location that I am in. PC has a good 15 years or so run. Today PC growth has reverse but they are still selling a lot of them. Same for smartphone and other mobile device, we will still have another 5-10 years of good runs before the next hot device will take over.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by JGRE

I'll take that risk. I will buy a new iPhone if there are sufficient improvements to it that make it worthwhile to spend that kind of money. Comparing the last 3 iPhones, they are pretty similar to me.

I was being sarcastic.

Actually I highly doubt Apple will create anything new. They've continued to cling to small displays, and the same app layout as their default iPhone model. As long as they continue to sell Apple's far better off since they don't have to spend money on R&D.

Samsung have stepped in as the innovators, and are doing a stellar job of it.

[drewface]

Originally Posted by fredf

I still think it's the software that is lagging not the hardware (re: the iPhone). What hardware gains are you folks looking for?

I want to see a number of iOS enhancements. The current hardware is adequate.

I agree with this. Hopefully the S stands for Software this time around. A camera boost would be nice though

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Originally Posted by John Adams

How many total phones does Samsung sell?

How many total phones does Apple sell?

That's all that matters.

Apple doesn't need to make 10 models of the iPhone because it would hurt their brand and decrease sales for each unit (they would compete with themselves). Samsung need those 20 phones because unlike Apple, they cannot sustain thereselves by selling one at a time. Samsungs strategy is unstable because they sell a bunch of weak products.

[JGRE]

Originally Posted by ixodes

I was being sarcastic.

Actually I highly doubt Apple will create anything new. They've continued to cling to small displays, and the same app layout as their default iPhone model. As long as they continue to sell Apple's far better off since they don't have to spend money on R&D.

Samsung have stepped in as the innovators, and are doing a stellar job of it.

I know, just making my statement that to me IPhone 4, 4s and 5 is not really different, and highly doubt what anyone could put into a phone next to the things already in there, that would raise my eyebrows in such a way that I am willing to hand over 700 bugs.

My wife has a Galaxy S2, but that is just a phone not really different than the iPhone, the phone is a mature product that is not going to change significantly anymore, being Apple, HTC, Samsung or whoever.

[Mattie Num Nums]

... as Americans complain about the Economy and how its everyone else's fault they have no money and their houses are foreclosed on.

Sent from their brand new iPhones

[KdParker]

Originally Posted by photographypro

You've always been able to do that.

Yep...I checked with my carrier, and I guess I always could.

[Rad99004]

Originally Posted by donrsd

Apple has to change the cycle.

The ipad will become the new Xmas release, with it being released around Sept/Oct every year.
The iPhone needs to be moved to the March/April slot.

2 options....

1. Wait 1 1/2 years to upgrade the iPhone 5 in March/April 2014 to the iPhone 6
2. Update the iPhone 5 this march/April 2013 to an iPhone 5S and get on a yearly spring release schedule.

Either way, its going to happen and I understand why.

iPhone buyers are basically 'contract buyers'. They buy their iPhones when their contract is up.
Ipad buyers just buy to buy. NO CONTRACT NEEDED thus better sales......hence a bigger xmas sales rush

And if that don't work for ipad sales Apple will just quit providing software updates for them and make you buy another one to get them.
Hey wait Apple did this on the iPad 1

[loon3y]

Originally Posted by AJH1993

Really dislike how Apple releases new stuff in 1 year or in a half year. Because they know people have the "I need the latest and greatest" mindset.

u'd be a fool if you dont take advantage of that. business mans dream, atleast while it lasts.

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by ixodes

I was being sarcastic.

Actually I highly doubt Apple will create anything new. They've continued to cling to small displays, and the same app layout as their default iPhone model. As long as they continue to sell Apple's far better off since they don't have to spend money on R&D.

Samsung have stepped in as the innovators, and are doing a stellar job of it.

It is one thing to bash Apple, but at least you don't say something so stupid that people just laugh you comment off. Apple spent 3.38B in fiscal 2012 in R&D. do you have 3.38B? I know I don't and it is a lot of money to spend on R&D each year.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da...411355d10k.htm

Research and development

3,381 2,429 1,782

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by xofruitcake

It is one thing to bash Apple, but at least you don't say something so stupid that people just laugh you comment off. Apple spent 3.38B in fiscal 2012 in R&D. do you have 3.38B? I know I don't and it is a lot of money to spend on R&D each year.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da...411355d10k.htm

Research and development

3,381 2,429 1,782

It was said in jest.

[michial]

Originally Posted by charlituna

There are no major tech innovations to do anything more than a baby bump, which gets Apple **** cause 'they waited a year to give us THAT' so why not baby bump more often when folks can counter that it has only been six months since the last bump. Same with iPads. At this point they will be little steps as component prices come down and capicities go up. In a year or so they might have the bits for a retina Mini but even that isn't going to be seen as a huge step after so many sites bashed Apple for not doing it in the first place (forgetting what a drain that display is on the bigger battery etc)

Having more answers to any competition and upping the offerings however small will be another option for those looking at the competition. It seems as the years go on the technology advances more and more quickly. I see it as a positive move, especially for those just jumping into the conversation. Those needing to wait until their upgrade date also wont be too far away from an upgrade.

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by ixodes

It was said in jest.

8-) my bad ...

[AJH1993]

Originally Posted by Simplicated

Perhaps they should keep the iPhone 5 forever and not compete with other phone manufacturers.

Sorry, I forgot we're all supposed to worship Apple on this site.

[szw-mapple fan]

Originally Posted by frayne182

Like what then?


They are losing marketshare so regardless they need to do something. Android is dominating

yeah I'm sure Android is so much better.

I meant stuff like more drastic changes on ios...

[twoodcc]

i just wish apple would stick to a schedule and be consistent with it, whatever that schedule may be.