Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Next-Generation iPad and iPad Mini Rumored for March Launch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
As I mentioned earlier, the move to semiannual release schedule was expected for some time because the speed of development in tablets, the hottest personal computing field, is becoming very fast, resembling early years of PC development.
Apple learned a very valuable lesson from those days.
In early PC years, Apple was aiming for profit and neglected the market share. It resulted in situation, when Macs were cream of PCs, but expensive and lost market share enabled Microsoft to dictate marker later, a mistake made partially by Sculley based on usual business philosophy and lack of understanding of the new (then) PC market.
When Jobs returned, Mac was in ruins and there was nothing left to fight for. He made peace with Microsoft, negotiated terms of GUI license with Microsoft and move on, to the next concept of Mac as a digital entertainment hub. He never forgot however the lesson of lost market share and did everything possible to fight it (yet not losing profits either). In this process, Apple fully took control of the cream of the market - ultraportables and notebooks and also PC stations/servers (which is what Mac Pro is) and also consumer segment - iMacs, leaving assembled grey boxes to likes of Dell and HP to fight and die for.
Moving to digital hub concept, Apple fully took under control digital music market, created one of largest online stores in the world - iTunes, conquered mp3 market to extent even now rarely one thinks of other mp3 players (though there are plenty), crushed Sony in the process. Movies, music videos, books, games - in all segments iTunes or Apple Stores are one of leading, if bot the leading distributor.
Next move was to take under control smartphones, which again Apple did successfully, crushing likes of RIM, Windows Mobile and Palm in the process. Annual iPhone releases went well because of contract nature of smartphone selling, tied to carriers. This model doesn't work that well if there are no carrier subsidies (i.e. for developing countries). Since people in those places so far mostly used feature phones and only now beginning to shift to smartphones, this is time for strike. While there is a talk of lot of Android stuff in developing countries, most of the phones are of very poor quality, cheaply made and pale in comparison with iPhones. Make no mistake - those people would love to buy iPhones if they could afford, hence you can see in China a LOT of fake iPhones, giving their owners a prestige they desire at very low prices.
Similarly, whether you like it or not, in tablets despite the existence of earlier Windows tablets, iPad was and still is a category defining leader and a trend setter. There are many Android and Windows tablets there, but nothing come close to seamless integration of software and hardware done by Apple.
Having said that, once the categories are set and consumer tastes clear, the usual rules of free market kick in and a lot of competitors are entering. They usually try to diversity themselves either by very low price (think Nexus 7, Kindle Fires) or by something that iPhone or iPad don't have - huge 5 inch screens (Galaxy and others), stylus (Samsung Note series). In a case, Android offering is not very different from Apple (Samsung tablets) in terms of size or prices or even design, consumers prefer Apple offering. So, every manufacturer out there is either offering a low price or different feature set options, which is what competitors are supposed to do. Since there is a myriad of such devices, its inevitable the Apple market share will decrease.
The most valuable lesson for Apple which Jobs learned, was that you cannot stick to highest priced segment and reap profits and neglect the low cost.
So now its a stage when instead of offering highest or one of highest number of app in App Store, its a now stage when you have to fight for market share.
The first move in tablets was iPad mini, which is only a first step of offering different size, different price (lower) iPads. While we don't know the quarter results, all the preliminary stages show it was a very successful launch - not only in terms of sales but also in diverting mini tablet sales to Apple from Google or Amazon.
iPhone mini is also a right step in that direction.
Apple learned a very valuable lesson from those days.
In early PC years, Apple was aiming for profit and neglected the market share. It resulted in situation, when Macs were cream of PCs, but expensive and lost market share enabled Microsoft to dictate marker later, a mistake made partially by Sculley based on usual business philosophy and lack of understanding of the new (then) PC market.
When Jobs returned, Mac was in ruins and there was nothing left to fight for. He made peace with Microsoft, negotiated terms of GUI license with Microsoft and move on, to the next concept of Mac as a digital entertainment hub. He never forgot however the lesson of lost market share and did everything possible to fight it (yet not losing profits either). In this process, Apple fully took control of the cream of the market - ultraportables and notebooks and also PC stations/servers (which is what Mac Pro is) and also consumer segment - iMacs, leaving assembled grey boxes to likes of Dell and HP to fight and die for.
Moving to digital hub concept, Apple fully took under control digital music market, created one of largest online stores in the world - iTunes, conquered mp3 market to extent even now rarely one thinks of other mp3 players (though there are plenty), crushed Sony in the process. Movies, music videos, books, games - in all segments iTunes or Apple Stores are one of leading, if bot the leading distributor.
Next move was to take under control smartphones, which again Apple did successfully, crushing likes of RIM, Windows Mobile and Palm in the process. Annual iPhone releases went well because of contract nature of smartphone selling, tied to carriers. This model doesn't work that well if there are no carrier subsidies (i.e. for developing countries). Since people in those places so far mostly used feature phones and only now beginning to shift to smartphones, this is time for strike. While there is a talk of lot of Android stuff in developing countries, most of the phones are of very poor quality, cheaply made and pale in comparison with iPhones. Make no mistake - those people would love to buy iPhones if they could afford, hence you can see in China a LOT of fake iPhones, giving their owners a prestige they desire at very low prices.
Similarly, whether you like it or not, in tablets despite the existence of earlier Windows tablets, iPad was and still is a category defining leader and a trend setter. There are many Android and Windows tablets there, but nothing come close to seamless integration of software and hardware done by Apple.
Having said that, once the categories are set and consumer tastes clear, the usual rules of free market kick in and a lot of competitors are entering. They usually try to diversity themselves either by very low price (think Nexus 7, Kindle Fires) or by something that iPhone or iPad don't have - huge 5 inch screens (Galaxy and others), stylus (Samsung Note series). In a case, Android offering is not very different from Apple (Samsung tablets) in terms of size or prices or even design, consumers prefer Apple offering. So, every manufacturer out there is either offering a low price or different feature set options, which is what competitors are supposed to do. Since there is a myriad of such devices, its inevitable the Apple market share will decrease.
The most valuable lesson for Apple which Jobs learned, was that you cannot stick to highest priced segment and reap profits and neglect the low cost.
So now its a stage when instead of offering highest or one of highest number of app in App Store, its a now stage when you have to fight for market share.
The first move in tablets was iPad mini, which is only a first step of offering different size, different price (lower) iPads. While we don't know the quarter results, all the preliminary stages show it was a very successful launch - not only in terms of sales but also in diverting mini tablet sales to Apple from Google or Amazon.
iPhone mini is also a right step in that direction.
Mini doesn't need to be Retina
Great! I returned the Mini because the resolution was a jut a bit too low. Personally have no need for Retina, and would much prefer a slightly higher resolution (like that on Apple's main competitors, the Nexus 7 and new Kindle Fire) given that it would come with better battery life.
Great! I returned the Mini because the resolution was a jut a bit too low. Personally have no need for Retina, and would much prefer a slightly higher resolution (like that on Apple's main competitors, the Nexus 7 and new Kindle Fire) given that it would come with better battery life.
There are been a few features Apple have withheld from older devices that can be run on jailbroken devices without a problem. Multitasking, for example.
I understand that they are trying to keep up with the competition, but this is going to backfire.
If the iPad 4 had been introduced 4 months later, I might have upgraded.
My wife is using an iPhone 4S and eligible for an upgrade. I used to upgrade her every single new iPhone. Now, with such a random release cycle, I am not going to upgrade her to an iPhone 5. Will just wait for the next.
A release every year is a challenge for Apple to deliver, but everyone expected it and looked forward to it.
Additionally, you won't get all that media coverage from those long ass campout lines. They will disappear because there won't be such a rush.
If the iPad 4 had been introduced 4 months later, I might have upgraded.
My wife is using an iPhone 4S and eligible for an upgrade. I used to upgrade her every single new iPhone. Now, with such a random release cycle, I am not going to upgrade her to an iPhone 5. Will just wait for the next.
A release every year is a challenge for Apple to deliver, but everyone expected it and looked forward to it.
Additionally, you won't get all that media coverage from those long ass campout lines. They will disappear because there won't be such a rush.
Well that would be a blessing, as an Apple user I get tired of being lumped in with Apple fanbois and girls that queue for days on end. It's cringeworthy.
Much ado about nothing
If the posts here are any indication most of you need to get a life.
It's a RUMOR - yet everyone is yammering on like it's gospel and the end of Apple - yada, yada, blah, blah, blah.
And rumors about Apple are designed for 2 things.
1. Stock manipulation (if there's - God forbid - a new iPad, iPhone, coming out in March - the uninformed will hold off purchasing)
2. Hit whoring.
<yawn>
Nothing new here.
If the posts here are any indication most of you need to get a life.
It's a RUMOR - yet everyone is yammering on like it's gospel and the end of Apple - yada, yada, blah, blah, blah.
And rumors about Apple are designed for 2 things.
1. Stock manipulation (if there's - God forbid - a new iPad, iPhone, coming out in March - the uninformed will hold off purchasing)
2. Hit whoring.
<yawn>
Nothing new here.
There are really no surprises any more with apple everything always end up getting leaked and there are still that 25%on here in denial about the new iPad, iPhone, ianything, every rumor before each press conference since the iPhone 4 leak has come to be true so be in denial all you want we all shall see in a couple of months if its the right product for u buy it if its not and you adore your 4 keep your 4 and go look at the iPad 4 accessories thread
I'd be surprised if they stick to six month cycles. I know people can be underwhelmed by updates, and apple might be accelerating its development, but this should mean bigger updates between generations, not more frequent ones!
That certainly is the promise... one Windows 8 tablet to take the place of a traditional laptop and iPad.
The Surface Pro has a Core i5 processor... so it definitely has the horsepower of a laptop. At a high price, though. The cheaper Atom-based tablets are an option... but are far less powerful than the laptop you're currently using.
In addition... your old desktop programs don't quite work the same using touch as the primary interface... and 11.6" is a little small to be your primary display.
Sure... you can use the tiny trackpad on the keyboard cover... or hook up an external monitor and mouse when you're at your desk.
But why not just keep the 15" laptop you've been using? That's where the idea of the Surface Pro falls apart for me.
Do we think companies will start deploying 11.6" Surface Pros instead of traditional laptops? Do employees want that?
Again... it sounds good... carrying one device instead of a laptop and iPad. But sometimes convergence isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Plus... some people prefer to use one of the smaller tablets... iPad Mini or Nexus 7. Would people carry a Windows 8 tablet and an iPad Mini?
You mentioned convertibles. Those are great too... but are more the size and weight of a laptop. The Lenovo Yoga is an interesting character. But at 3.4 lbs and 13" it's not quite the handheld form factor of other, albeit less capable, mobile tablets.
Will Windows 8 tablets and convertibles dominate the industry? It remains to be seen.
I think we'll see people using a combination of more traditional style laptops for heavy lifting... and smaller tablets for mobile tasks.
Not every rumour has come true, and there have been surprises. Admittedly there were a ton of leaks in 2012 but not since the iPhone 4's release.
You must not be on the net much if you have been surprised by recent apple press conferences I haven't seen anything that hasn't gotten leaked months prior lol
Need more storage an i buy it
The iPad mini can be perfect with retina display and at least 128gb storage capacity...(256gb would be amazing!).. Then i will buy one....
With this storage or more, im sure it will replace many peoples laptop....
64gb is nothing if you think that this device must storage music, apps, documents, films and your camera picts....
The iPad mini can be perfect with retina display and at least 128gb storage capacity...(256gb would be amazing!).. Then i will buy one....
With this storage or more, im sure it will replace many peoples laptop....
64gb is nothing if you think that this device must storage music, apps, documents, films and your camera picts....
You mean apart from all those hands on videos and photos of iPhone 5 parts long before it was released? Same as the iPad Mini parts?
Say what you want about rumours but MANY more turned to be true then anyone thought last year, the new Apple obviously isn's so worried about leaks, it probably plants most of them!
Apple needs to do something to stay ahead hence the possibility of a 6 month release cycle. Customers don't think that, but Apple may well do.
But I think the Mini is a joke with no retina screen so.. but I have a Nexus 7 so maybe biased.
However seeing as the iPhone 5 has a tri-core GPU then Apple really had no excuse for no retina on the Mini, and when Power VR's series 6 GPU hits then you could probably had a dual core version and smoke all the quad core 5 series GPU's out there in the current iPhones and iPads.
Maybe they are waiting for Igzo and series 6 GPU's? But if the Mini doesn't get Retina in March I'll be surprised. Then again maybe they will just update teh iPad.
Dude please don't go there,I had an iphone 3G and they did good not allowing multitasking on it,it was just slow and with multitasking on it sure was fun but it would take a serious amount of time to launch anything and it would crash most of the time anyway.on the wallpapers part,if they didn't use the shadows its kinda doable but with the shadows on it plain sucks.
I'm sure it had something to do with yields of the A6 chip and battery/screen power issues,let's face it they could barely keep up with demand for like a month or two using readily available parts,if they had used A6 plus a retina display,there would be almost no mini's for sale,battery life would probably be way worse or it would have to be thicker and heavier.
What would be sensible in my book
Drop the 2 from the iPad 2 and have iPad and iPad with Retina display. Maybe give it a speed bump so it keeps up processor wise, keep the display/cameras the same and add lightning so its now across all current products. Do whatever they want with the retina display redesign, lighter, thinner, normal Apple upgrades. Or even keep the 4th Gen for now.
Then have iPad Mini and iPad Mini with retina display. Makes sense. Lower end and higher end of the Apple market with no compromise of 'cheap' products.
Drop the 2 from the iPad 2 and have iPad and iPad with Retina display. Maybe give it a speed bump so it keeps up processor wise, keep the display/cameras the same and add lightning so its now across all current products. Do whatever they want with the retina display redesign, lighter, thinner, normal Apple upgrades. Or even keep the 4th Gen for now.
Then have iPad Mini and iPad Mini with retina display. Makes sense. Lower end and higher end of the Apple market with no compromise of 'cheap' products.
Do you get mad every time you see a new toaster oven model in Wal-mart?
Do you get mad when the new 2013 cars hit the dealership?
Do you get mad when Apple releases a new iPhone/iPad/iPod?
Do you get mad when a fresh batch of donuts is made at the bakery?
Contact us http://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx
Things are getting tough with Tegra 4, Temash (Dual/Quad-core AMD), the Intel Y-Series, and then the Atom update later this year.
Anyone can put together a tablet for the $499-899 range. Be it ARM or x86. Here is what AMD can pull off in a prototype running Temash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CV-U50Viv_k
Anyone can put together a tablet for the $499-899 range. Be it ARM or x86. Here is what AMD can pull off in a prototype running Temash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CV-U50Viv_k