8 GB iPad 2 Coming Alongside 16 GB and 32 GB iPad 3 Next Week?

[thatisme]

I could see a line of iPad like the iPhone. 8GB iPad2, 16 GB iPad 3, 32GB iPad 3 and 64GB iPad 3. Drop the price of the iPad 2 to $349 or $399 where schools are the target market, and keep prices for the iPad 3 models in line with where last year's iPad 2 models were... $499, $599 and $699.

I honestly don't see Apple raising prices on the line when Android tablets are dropping in price (amazon fire), not that Apple needs to be at the low end, but the value proposition for the customers needs to be that Apple is at least in or near the ballpark. If there is too much of a difference between iPad and others, more and more people will overlook the brand and operating system and choose based on price.

 

[teefoe]

No 128G!!!

Apple's stragety would be fine if you were able to get unlimited data plans and WiFi streaming behaved reliably.

 

[Splutterbug]

Interesting... A budget iPad can only be a good thing lowering the barrier to entry but for an 8Gig one to work I'd like to see itunes match expanded to video, so video you have converted in itunes but not bought in the store would be available to you online. I think it all depends on the price, should this ever happen

 

[whjoyjr]

Um, what about the iPhone 4 after introduction of the 4S?

I call BS....... storage always goes up, not down.

Cutting down to 8 GB makes no sense. I have a 64 GB model, and I'd love to have more space. iCloud is all well and good, but you easily can fill that space with Apps alone, forget about content.

Apple introduced a lower cost, lower capacity iPhone 4 after introducing the 4S.

As an internet enabled device, 8GB makes sense. Apps for lifestyle and productivity. Stream media content.

----------

Why does anyone believe Apple is still making iPad 2s? They haven't been making iPad 2s since December. It's absurd to think Apple would continue to make a crippled Non-Retina iPad EVER. iPad 2s are the past. Apple doesn't cling to the past in any thing they do.

Then, how do you explain the 8GB iPhone 4, or the continued availability of the iPhone 3GS?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Why would they drop 64gb? Sorry Digitimes I don't buy your story.

Apple wouldn't but Digitimes would suggest it b/c it makes fantastic link bait.

The real question is why are Digitimes "sourced" articles continously awarded "Page One" status on MR.

 

[whjoyjr]

I'm sorry...8 gigs is a JOKE. It's a joke for an ipod these days, let alone a tablet. Seriously. Even with the "cloud" 8 gigs would get maxed out almost immediately.

iPod and iPad are 2 entirely different things. With an iPod, you are carrying your media around. Except for the Touch, iPods are limited to syncing to a master computer.

An 8GB iPad would host lifestyle and productivity apps, with documents stored in the cloud. Media consumption would be via streaming from iCloud.

 

[808?]

A budget model iPad gets it into the hands of many people who would not normally consider an Apple tablet.

The same logic was applied to the 8Gb iPhone 4.

 

[Rafterman]

A few days ago, a price list on Mac Rumors from somewhere (I forget where) indicated 16, 32 and 64GB models of iPad 3. OK, not proof, but still, I doubt that they will get rid of 64GB. Though I have to say, if it were true, I would keep my iPad 2 64GB over getting an iPad 3 32GB.

 

[Hardtimes]

At first I thought this was a ridiculous idea but..

What if one model is made available that is StorageLESS. A small 8GB SSD to run the thing (and store apps etc). But all ability to store movies and music disabled.

Its certainly not for everyone (me included) but my mum and girlfriend both have iPads and never use them for storing anything.

I store photos on my mac for them and they stream netflix and airplay from my mac. With the birth and tweaking of iCloud it might become even simpler.

I can see it being a good way to cut costs and i'd even go as far as to say it provides another option for consumers.

 

[CJM]

Joke post is a joke. I think they've got their facts muddled up. I'm typing this on a sparingly-filled (no music/photos, barely any video) 32gb iPad and I just checked my free space; only 1.6gb. I wouldn't even buy an iPad 3 if there was no 64gb option.

Also, apple just bought out their flash supplier, right? How could there be any kind of shortage.

From a logical point of view, Apple's margins are already ginormous on the iPad. People buying the higher storage models can subsidise those going for the 16gb.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Memory should be user expandable. Just have WiFi or 3G/4G iPads.

 

[pmz]

Nope, not happening.

Macrumors, please stop reposting crap from Digitimes. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED.

 

[Rafterman]

This was from 9to5 Mac, on a story on the Mac Rumors site:

MD328LL/A – J1 GOOD B- USA
MD329LL/A – J1 BETTER B-USA
MD330LL/A – J1 BEST-B-USA
(WiFi only, only one color or maybe an incomplete list)

MD366LL/A – J2A GOOD A-USA
MD367LL/A – J2A BEST A-USA
MD368LL/A – J2A BEST A-USA

MD369LL/A – J2A GOOD B-USA
MD370LL/A – J2A BETTER B-USA
MD371LL/A – J2A BEST B-USA
(these 6 codes, WiFi/LTE, black and white)

These numbers, if true, would also indicate three memory numbers - 16, 32 and 64, for the good, better and best.

But again, its still all rumors, who knows, though this rumor has actual stock numbers. Someone would have to bother to have made up fake part numbers if this wasn't true.

 

[foodog]

If you look beyond your own needs you're probably find out that there are plenty of people that would do fine with an iPad2 with 8GB of storage.

Schools running Edutaintment applications could easily fit them on an iPad. Basic users that just want to do a few games, surf the internet and basic stuff would be well suited.

The whole push into text books for Apple would make a 8G iPad pretty useless for a school too. Have you seen the size of some of these books?

 

[Doombringer]

I call BS on this. No 64GB? Why, because it costs too much? Phff. People will pay for a 64GB no matter the price, and Apple knows it. I see no reason why they'd stop their 64GB offering when RAM is cheap and they've had 16/32/64 offerings right along.

An 8GB iPad would be relatively useless. It would have to be a straight consumption device with little space for varied apps. Mostly every bit of media would have to be streamed, not stored -- the darn thing couldn't leave the confines of a wifi network, and would destroy a data plan if set up on 3G/4G.

 

[foodog]

Nope, not happening.

Macrumors, please stop reposting crap from Digitimes. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED.

They make money here by posting stories that get people to post replies.... That is why sites like this and slashdot post goofy stories.

 

[Dionte]

I need a rumor from somewhere other than Digitimes.

 

[ChrisTX]

Just give me a 128gb iPad 3, and we'll call it a day!

 

[monaarts]

Why even bother with an 8GB iPad ?
That's literally 6.5GB of usable space.

I'm sure the cost differences for Apple to include 8GB of memory and 16GB of memory are negligible. Honestly they shouldn't even bother with an 8GB iPad IMO. The fact that the iPad 2 is already a year old will make people want to spring for the iPad 3, which is what Apple is trying to do.

Thats what people did with the iPhone 4 when the 4S came out right??? Nope. The phone is the 2nd best selling phone in the world now

----------

I could see this:

iPad 2 8GB Wifi - $299
iPad 2 16GB Wifi - $399

iPad 3 16 GB Wifi - $499
iPad 3 16GB 3G - $629

iPad 3 32GB Wifi - $599
iPad 3 32GB 3G - $729

iPad 3 64GB Wifi - $699
iPad 3 64GB 3G - $829

 

[CalWizrd]

All of the posts screaming "No, no, it can't happen, I'd never buy it, Apple is stupid, Apple is greedy, etc." remind me of the posts before the iPhone 4S release, where the same tone was reflected if Apple didn't release the iPhone 5, biggeer screen, etc.

Oh yeah, I guess the 4S launch was a failure, Apple didn't sell many, revenue figures suck, the stock is down, blah blah.

The guys in Cupertino are just a hair smarter than the hysterical posters here.

 

[uknowimright]

I guess what's most important is that Apple makes as much profit as possible. As a consumer I like to pay as much as possible.

yeah what the heck dude? you are supposed to appreciate a price hike, it is in your best interest to give apple more money, you don't need it

 

[MacDarcy]

iPod and iPad are 2 entirely different things. With an iPod, you are carrying your media around. Except for the Touch, iPods are limited to syncing to a master computer.

An 8GB iPad would host lifestyle and productivity apps, with documents stored in the cloud. Media consumption would be via streaming from iCloud.

I still disagree. Even if what you say is true...that more media will shift to the cloud...people will still want to store some things on their ipads. But forgetting media...just apps & the ios alone will eat up those 8 gigs immediately. I am sorry, 8 gigs is way too small for a friggin ipad. Cloud or not. End of story.

----------

At first I thought this was a ridiculous idea but..

What if one model is made available that is StorageLESS. A small 8GB SSD to run the thing (and store apps etc). But all ability to store movies and music disabled.

Its certainly not for everyone (me included) but my mum and girlfriend both have iPads and never use them for storing anything.

I store photos on my mac for them and they stream netflix and airplay from my mac. With the birth and tweaking of iCloud it might become even simpler.

I can see it being a good way to cut costs and i'd even go as far as to say it provides another option for consumers.

Doesn't matter. Even if you store all your media in the cloud...8 gigs is NOT enough for apps & the iOs. 16gigs is even small. I cannot see Apple releasing an 8 gig ipad. I just can't. Such a waste.

 

[shopboy0301]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Im hoping for a 128gb ipad3 but if that will not be available and apple will only sell a 16&32 gb iPad 3 that will be a bad marketing bad move on part of apple 64gb is not enough for some consumers like me if this idea that there will be no 64gb ipad3 then I'll better buy a 64gb iPad 2 and two of them but we won't know until on 3/7/12

 

[pcharles]

Why even bother with an 8GB iPad ?
That's literally 6.5GB of usable space.

I'm sure the cost differences for Apple to include 8GB of memory and 16GB of memory are negligible. Honestly they shouldn't even bother with an 8GB iPad IMO. The fact that the iPad 2 is already a year old will make people want to spring for the iPad 3, which is what Apple is trying to do.

I would have thought this is obvious! The Kindle Fire is 8GB. If Apple were to sell an iPad 2, with cameras and bigger screen and 8GB for somewhere under $250-300 you can bet people would think twice before buying the Kindle Fire.

 

[kazmac]

wait and see

Like so many other folks, I want more storage, not less.

Storage, battery life and more apps I'd use/need are the big ones for me. While I am still using my computer for school, once the apps are in place to go computer-free with classwork, I'd like to move on.

Tune in Wednesday as...