iPad 5 Set for October Debut with Design Similar to iPad Mini? iPhone 5S and Lower-Cost iPhone Moving Forward

[businezguy]

These iPad releases, whenever they occur, will be important to Apple's continued success. An iPad Mini with a Retina display seems to be a sure winner to me, and will give Apple a huge advantage over its competitors. While this product release is not a given, it certainly seems likely.

Providing a fifth generation iPad that is significantly lighter, and smaller is also essential. This device has to remain awesome and cutting edge. Fact is, this device costs as much as a Windows laptop. You need not tell me twice it has an advantage, and is a better product, I'm using one right now to type this. But in order to compete in the market, this has to be apparent to the average consumer.

When it comes to the iPad, Apple also has a significant amount of work to do in the IOS department. They need to take advantage of the extra real estate instead of working so hard to make it so similar to the iPhone. On the top of the screen why does it only display the time, why can't I also see the date? Instead of using the screen to display apps, why not allow me to click somewhere on the screen and see a list of the programs available? Why not use the freed up screen area to provide a customized display of news/updates/information? Why do the settings of the device have to be an App that many newbies misplace on another screen, I should be able to access it from the main screen in a preset location? Why can't the device come bundled with Pages, Numbers, etc?

Apple makes money of their hardware but also happens to show some ability to make some fantastic software. Lately that really hasn't shown, but Apple needs to leverage that ability. In essense Apple has the ability to make the iPad into a laptop replacement for your average Joe. I shouldn't have to plug it into a computer/Mac in order to have recover from a serious IOS issue.

Apple has the opportunity to continue to innovate with the iPad, but only if they open their minds and move away from some of the assumptions they have made. There is no reason to innovate your way into a corner, and lately that seems to be what Apple is doing.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

This rumor really doesn't make any sense for the full size iPad, but it's exactly what I'm hoping for on an upcoming mini.

Just cut the weight of the full size iPad -- reducing the bezels would only make it more difficult to use (even with good touch rejection). What would be gained from it? It still wouldn't get it into the range of what could be considered pocketable. What would be the point?

The mini, on the other hand, would become my dream large(ish) portable device with this bezel reduction. I'm hangin with the Nexus 7 till this hopefully comes along.

Yup. That's what I'm thinking. It makes sense for the Mini. I haven't seen one in person yet, but it looks small enough to grip in one hand hand, and it's probably light enough to hold it from the bottom with your thumb and index finger without it feeling too unwieldy. The only bezel you'd need for it would be along the top and bottom.

The iPad though, no matter how light and thin they make it, you'll still need an equal sized bezel all the way around. It's too big a screen to hold it from the bottom. It'll feel off balance holding it like that, jabbing at it with your finger. No matter if you're in portrait or landscape, the size will always make you want to hold it from the side.

[Tech198]

noooooooo........

Apple is pushing people towards the *new* lighting connector.. I'm never gonna give up my ipad 3.

[Samtb]

Originally Posted by flux73

Pushing back all these products to fall is interesting. What are they going to do for March and early summer? Apple TV 4? Pandora-killer?

Some people believe they won't do anything for the first half of 2013. But it's a good point, Apple pretty much refreshed their entire product range during summer & fall 2012. The only thing they haven't refreshed is Apple TV but many people believe there won't be any Apple TV updates for the first half of 2013. I guess that's partly the reason many people expect an ipad in March. It seems risky for a company to not release any new products for half the year.

[iGrip]

Horwitz says that while Apple had originally hoped to push the fifth-generation iPad out in March, it now appears that an October launch is more likely, perhaps due to issues with component yields.

The king of supply chain management seems to be forking up badly these days.

Wall Street will not be pleased with this news.

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by Tech198

noooooooo........

Apple is pushing people towards the *new* lighting connector.. I'm never gonna give up my ipad 3.

The old connector seems so much sturdier, doesn't it

[Nale72]

Originally Posted by bazinga!!

I get about 5-6 days standby and 7 hours of using it. Not that bad.

Is that standby time having it lying on a table in flight mode, not using it? Otherwise you have received a different battery than everyone else. I haven't heard of anyone who is actually using it's iPhone 5 who doesn't have to charge it daily or at least every other day if used very lightly.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by Jetson

That's what I'm talking about!

However, if the iPad 5 will be similar to the iPad Mini in terms of size, of what use is the Mini?

I think "similar" means thinner, same bezel, etc. Not the same size...

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by iGrip

The king of supply chain management seems to be forking up badly these days.

Wall Street will not be pleased with this news.

I think we need more info before saying this is a Cook problem.

We have no idea what demands Apple is putting on suppliers. It could be 1080P phone displays, quad core SOC's, or carbon fiber parts. We just don't know, and if the suppliers need more ramp up time to meet the demands of an Apple launch then supply will be harder to control, which in turn means more product launches in Q3 and Q4 2013.

[righteye]

Originally Posted by r2shyyou

Quote:
Originally Posted by MacRumors
On the topic of the iPhone, Horwitz says that the iPhone 5S will unsurprisingly appear nearly identical to the iPhone 5, although it will have a slightly larger rear flash.

[Rushes to nearest Apple Store to be first in line for "breakthrough" iPhone 5S]

Sell your shares now, if thats all they gonna do!

[etrinh]

Originally Posted by DanteMann

Of course there will be a bigger iPhone. Apple didn't even want a 4 inch screen, but they were pushed by the market. Just put an iPhone 4 next to the current batch of high end Android phones and see how pathetic that screen size holds next to those gorgeous 4.7-4.8 screens. Keeping 3.5 inches would have been a complete joke. So 4 inches they went. Apple even had to saturate the colors on the iPhone 5 screen from previous screens just to show better on the sales floor against the vibrant SuperAmoled Screens. On the sales floor, the vibrant colors of the SuperAmoled just pop and look amazing. Nobody is doing any major photo editing on their puny 3.5-4 inch skinny smartphone screen to require accurate colors.
Tim believes they have the perfect screen size at 4 inches. So what about all those past years at 3.5 inches which they professed was the perfect size. What a joke.

Yes vibrant and over saturated colors look nice to the eye but other than looking good what other features does super amoled+ offer?

[righteye]

Originally Posted by JoshMKB24

I wish Apple would get a new product idea instead of just rehashing their old lineup. I know that they need to continue to improve what they already have, but it wouldn't hurt to see something new and not just variations of whats already available.

Does "jony" still work at Apple?

[etrinh]

Originally Posted by i4Collin

It stands out. I won't buy it because I know it is an inferior product, but it's very close. Look how many they've sold...More than any other Android. People like it because it's bold unlike the iPhone. A lot of people can't distinguish my iPhone 5 from my 4S and the number one comment I get is "What's new about it? It looks the same." Apple could dramatically change the iPhone while keeping it the same size. The 4 is a perfect example. It was the same size as the 3G but so dramatically different and so much more beautiful.

I agree. Smart phones are fashion trends now. Unfortunate it's not trendy to have an iPhone anymore so people are flocking to something new. That's why there's so much hate. Just use what you like and who cares what other people think

[righteye]

Iam sure the reason they are not rushing to make a bigger phone is because the iPad mini would be dead in the water, A GN2 sized i phone would be very useful and they could keep a smaller size and give the consumer the choice why just one size?

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by etrinh

I agree. Smart phones are fashion trends now. Unfortunate it's not trendy to have an iPhone anymore so people are flocking to something new. That's why there's so much hate. Just use what you like and who cares what other people think

Really...

“the proportion of Android users moving towards the Apple brand increases. 19% of iOS sales over the last year were derived from Android users, compared to 9% in 2011,”

The trend was more visible on Verizon, where 49% of all iOS device sales derived from previous Android users.




http://www.redmondpie.com/apple-main...g-ship-report/

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by iGrip

The king of supply chain management seems to be forking up badly these days.

Wall Street will not be pleased with this news.

"Perhaps due to component issues". So basically they don't know jack and are just guessing.

[HurryKayne]

Originally Posted by medi.freak

I want an ipad mini 2 !!! IN MARCH!

Me too,
add A6 and 1GB of Ram then take my money!
But..i don't think it will happen unless Apple releases an Iphone 5S Core A6 (quad?)
in a March (even if i don't like the "S" idea...)
...i mean...less people would buy an Iphone 5 if i could take the Ipad Mini with the same A6..to stay beside the new Galaxy S4 rumored to be out in Spring..i will do it..so
Ipad Mini Retina A6 plus Iphone 5s in Spring-June
Ipad 5 and Iphone 6 with A7 next Fall.
ps...
but...an A6 Ipad mini would overtake Ipad 4 in sellings..so..
maybe the Fall Ipad/A6 mini Retina,Iphone 6/A7 and Ipad / A7 makes more sense.

[xofruitcake]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

"Perhaps due to component issues". So basically they don't know jack and are just guessing.

But we know this from Apple conference call a few days ago. Company like Apple normally don't buy equipment for supplier because the equipment will go on Apple's balance sheet and depreciation will be hanging on Apple's neck for quite a few years. The only exception is when Apple wants to move in the component schedule ahead of what the supplier can/want to do because of financial reason (e.g. supplier doesn't have enough money). 9B is quite a lot of money to buy stuff. My bet is that the money if for processor and LCD (and like IGZO) which are critical for the Apple product in 2013. If Apple want to build low price Iphone, they need a lot more CPU than Samsung can provide. Either TSMC step up or may be Apple is getting them equipment so that they can step up (if the low priced smartphone use Snapdragon, Qcom has to step up to produce the SOC). Apple sold 125M iphone in fiscal 2012. And a 300-350 iphone will probably add at least another 100M unit per year kind of run rate. And they need both the CPU and LCD for that. LCD for the mid-price smartphone is easy to come by but Sharp has been having financial problem and may be Apple is trying to help them getting start with IGZO production for 5S, mini retina and Ipad 5..

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1129...p=qanda&l=last

Peter Oppenheimer - Chief Financial Officer
Sure. Steve it’s Peter. We expect to spend about $10 billion in CapEx this fiscal year that will be up little under $2 billion year-over-year. We expect to spend a little bit under $1 billion in the retail stores. And the other $9 billion is spent in a variety of areas. We are buying equipment that we will own that we will put in partners’ facilities. Our primary motivation there is for supply, but we get other benefits as well. We are also adding to our datacenter capabilities to support all the services that Tim spoke about in answering Ben’s question and in facilities and in infrastructure. So, that’s where the capital is going.

----------

Originally Posted by HurryKayne

Me too,
add A6x and 1GB of Ram then take my money!
But..i don't think it will happen unless Apple releases an Iphone 5S Core A6x
in a March (even if i don't like the "S" idea...)
...i mean...less people would buy an Iphone 5 if i could take the Ipad Mini with the same A6..to stay beside the new Galaxy S4 rumored to be out in Spring..i will do it..so
Ipad Mini Retina A6 plus Iphone 5s in Spring-June
Ipad 5 and Iphone 6 with A7 next Fall.
ps...
but...an A6 Ipad mini would overtake Ipad 4 in sellings..so..
maybe the Fall Ipad/A6 mini Retina,Iphone 6/A7 and Ipad / A7 makes more sense.

Why do an Iphone need A6x? The x line of processor only improve on the GPU and there is not enough pixels in an Iphone size screen that need the additional GPU power and wider memory bus. Apple covered why they need an X line CPU for Ipad 3 during the launch. The X line is bigger and use more power. So it s not a good thing to use if they don't need the GPU power. If there is a processor bump, it is may be a shrinked version of A6 using 28NM processing.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/11...-28nm-process/

Industry sources claim Apple could begin sourcing its A-series mobile processors from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacture Company sometime in 2013, according to DigiTimes. The prospects of such a move are a concern for TSMC's other major clients, including Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Broadcom, and Altera, as Apple's SoC needs could swallow up a big portion of TSMC's production capacity.

Samsung is currently the sole source for the A5, A6, and A6X processors used in Apple's mobile devices. Despite the five-year history of Samsung as a major supplier for Apple, the relationship between the two companies has been strained by a steady stream of litigation over smartphone designs and patents.

Rumors began surfacing over a year ago that Apple was considering TSMC as a manufacturing partner for its custom, ARM-based processor designs. One potential problem with that move at the time was that Apple's earlier A4 and A5 processors were based on designs by Intrinsity. Though Apple acquired Intrinsity in 2010, those earlier designs had input from Samsung, and may have included some intellectual property from Samsung that Apple couldn't take to TSMC.

However, Apple's A6 and A6X processors include cores that were custom-designed by Apple itself. While Apple has successfully transitioned from Samsung's 45nm process to a lower-power 32nm process for its latest processors, Apple has reportedly been testing production of the A6 on TSMC's advanced 28nm process over the last year. The 28nm process would yield yet more power savings for Apple, a particularly important consideration for its ever-thinner mobile devices. (And, a process shrink is the only likely way Apple will be able to shave any weight off its full-size Retina iPad for the foreseeable future.)

NVIDIA and Qualcomm in particular are large customers of TSMC's 28nm fab capacity. Unsurprisingly, these and other fabless semiconductor designers are concerned that Apple's potentially huge demand—as many as 200 million SoCs per year by some estimates—could mean other clients could be sitting waiting for chips while TSMC pumps out A6 processors for Apple's next iPhone or iPad.

"It appears more likely that TSMC will start producing chips for Apple's next iOS devices in 2013," according to DigiTimes' report. "Demand from Apple is expected to be huge, said the observers, adding that allocation of TSMC's available advanced process capacity among its major clients will be a critical decision to be made by the foundry."

TSMC recently rebuffed attempts from both Apple and Qualcomm to gain exclusive access to its fab capacity, despite offers that reportedly exceeded $1 billion. The company was concerned that locking up capacity could be too risky, though it did say it may consider dedicating one or two fabs to certain clients.

The decision to do so would not come lightly, however. "You have to be careful," TSMC CFO Lora Ho told Bloomberg in August. "Once that product migrates, what are [we] going to do with that dedicated fab? We would like to keep the flexibility."

As we noted in August, Apple may be interested in transitioning to TSMC to reduce its reliance on Samsung—a sometime bitter rival in the mobile space—as a supplier. Or, it may be hoping to spread its demand for processors around a bit. Either way, it seems more and more likely that TSMC will count Apple as a major client in the near future—TSMC is the only other supplier that could meet Apple's demand outside of Samsung or, more remotely, Intel.

If Apple is willing to write a big enough check—it does have $121 billion in the bank, after all—it may just be able to persuade TSMC to dedicate its upcoming Fab 14, which is expected to come online for volume production in late 2013. That facility will be dedicated to a new 20nm process and an advanced 16nm FinFET process (the latter similar to Intel's 3D Tri-Gate transistors). Apple is rumored to be planning a quad-core processor design destined for TSMC's 20nm process, which may already be in trial production this month.

[HurryKayne]

It just a mistaken habit..i name often the things as the sofware..
so A6.xx because i agree with you..then its not what we agree or need
but what APPLE and the market choose...to sell us.
I think Apple will move to Quad core soon and i hope it will do that also
for the Air MacBook LINE^^.
Then what i really need its an Ipad mini with A6 and 1GB plus Retina...just in case,thats why with A6 you can have 64 voices in IkPIANO,Cubasis..etc
I have to say that more times it comes to come out more money i will have time to harvest because now my wallet has "suffered" a joyful major bleeding to make me afford my new shiny Imac 27 late 2012^^.

[go ipad]

I really hope the rumor stays on October release.

Was thinking of returning iPad 4, when there was a rumor on March release for iPad 5. But decided to keep it since I had to use it for works etc.

Really like my iPad !!!

[gss7881]

Originally Posted by Newton70

The incremental iPhone updates of the past may have been fine when Apple held a significant lead over its competitors, but those days are over. Apple needs to be a bit more aggressive and I'm afraid that if the 5S rumors hold true, Apple will see a year over year decrease in iPhone sales and market share (China excluded from equation).

I've been a long-time Apple fan and my household includes iMacs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, and an Apple TV...we also actively buy form iTunes and the App Store. However, my gaze has on occasion (with increased frequency) began to ponder the various Android phone offerings. Time will tell.

Amen to that. I like all the hardware possibilities but how about some innovation in the iOS? The current release should never been called a iOS 6.0 release it was at best a iOS 5.3. C'mon Apple you can do better than that!!!

[dmx3698]

No edge ipad. I'm buying it. It's probably going to be 20% lighter too. A win win purchase.

[zombierunner]

Away was hoping to get a ipad mini in march

[iGrip]

Originally Posted by righteye

they could keep a smaller size and give the consumer the choice why just one size?

Apple does not make lots'o'sizes because Apple knows best what is good for its customers.

If Henry Ford had listened to his customers, he would have invented a faster horse. If Steve had listened to his customers, he would have invented the mainframe comuter. But no. Henry Ford invented the automobile and Steve invented the personal computer.

Customers don't know what they want - not until Apple shows them. And Apple has shown us that we do not want a larger screen on our telephones.

Apple customers Think Different. That is why Apple only makes one screen size on its current-line telephones. Because it is the right size for each and every customer.

[mazz0]

Originally Posted by sportsfan

I don't believe the smaller bezel rumor. The full size iPad needs places where you can hold it.

Agreed. Unless it's light as a feather, but I doubt it'll get that much lighter in one iteration.