Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Most Affordable 9.7-inch iPad Ever in Late 2018

[MacRumors]

Apple is "considering" releasing an updated low-cost 9.7-inch iPad next year with a starting price that's $70 cheaper than its existing equivalent, according to sources from upstream suppliers.

In March 2017, Apple released its most affordable iPad, a $329 entry-level 9.7-inch device with internal specs similar to the iPad Air 2, but with a thicker and heavier enclosure. According to DigiTimes, Apple's 2018 version of the 9.7-inch iPad could cost even less at around $259, in a bid to attract more demand from price-oriented consumers and maintain its current tablet shipments of 10 million units a quarter.

With the new device, the sources expect the tablet market to witness a new wave of price competition among first-tier players including Samsung Electronics, Amazon, Huawei and Lenovo.

The sources pointed out that Apple's new iPad may arrive in the second quarter of 2018 and in addition to regular consumers Apple is also looking to expand the inexpensive iPad into the industrial and service sectors.

In its November earnings call, Apple reported double-digit unit growth in iPad sales for the second consecutive quarter, but did not provide a breakdown of sales across tablet models. Prior to that, in June, the company reported sales of 11.4 million iPads, an increase of 15 percent compared to the year-ago quarter. iPad revenue was also up, but only 2 percent year over year, suggesting Apple was selling a lot of new lower-priced 9.7-inch iPads in particular.

The worldwide tablet market declined for a tenth straight quarter on a year-over-year basis during the first months of 2017. When the news broke in May, Apple reported that it sold 8.9 million iPads in the quarter, down from 10.2 million iPads in the same period the year previous, marking the 13th consecutive quarter that it had sold fewer iPads on a year-over-year unit basis.

According to the sources cited today, Apple's aggressive pricing strategy with the next 9.7-inch iPad aims to offset the continuing overall decline, which has seen most second- and third-tier brand vendors already step out of the market.

According to the same sources, Apple is likely to outsource the production of the new 9.7-inch iPad to Compal Electronics, while giving the device's PCB orders to Compeq and Unitech Printed Circuit Board. However, all the companies declined to comment on their orders or clients.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Most Affordable 9.7-inch iPad Ever in Late 2018

 

[farewelwilliams]

According to DigiTimes,

move along kids. nothing to see here.

 

[Appleaker]

Well they’re not considering updating it, they are going to, they’re considering the price. And while “we don’t ship junk” should remain true, this could be a good move as long as they don’t give it a downgraded 2017 iPad. The interesting thing here is what it will do go the lineup.

 

[Christoffee]

It’s also going to hook people in young. Th iPhone SE is priced reasonably as a gift for your 14 year old. A £250 iPad (before discount - I picked up a £270 iPad this weekend) is reasonable for a children’s iPad around the house, rather than the old iPad 2 or mini that they’re using.

The young will know nothing but iOS.

 

[mozumder]

They really could use the production cost savings to sell a low-priced Mac/Macbook. The cheapest iMac is still $1100, and the cheapest Macbook is $1300! Compare this to a world where PC laptops are now $400...

 

[Benjamid]

If true it could signal a mobe towards strengthening the iPad as a platform for more developer support. Hope this will make iPad ready for full feature apps. Can’t wait to make the jump to iOS only.

​

 

[Avieshek]

Lucky US netizens.

 

[newyorksole]

They really could use the production cost savings to sell a low-priced Mac/Macbook. The cheapest iMac is still $1100, and the cheapest Macbook is $1300! Compare this to a world where PC laptops are now $400...

And Apple is still doing extremely well. Just like other brands that sell things at a higher price.

 

[Blackstick]

The $249 iPad this past Black Friday /cyber Monday was a huge seller, I replaced my wife’s iPad Air 1 with one, sold the Air 1 on eBay for $140... now she has a new iPad that’ll last another four years for just over $100, how could you not?

As a dad of two daughters, non pro iPads below $300 are amazing and demolish the competition in that price range. My dad spent at least $1500 on my first Dell in the late 90s, and I was 14 years old.

 

[_Refurbished_]

It’s also going to hook people in young. Th iPhone SE is priced reasonably as a gift for your 14 year old. A £250 iPad (before discount - I picked up a £270 iPad this weekend) is reasonable for a children’s iPad around the house, rather than the old iPad 2 or mini that they’re using.

The young will know nothing but iOS.

My niece has a cheap Android tablet because her parents don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device for a child. If there was a more reasonably priced iPad, they may have gone that route instead.

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[sracer]

Well they’re not considering updating it, they are going to, they’re considering the price. And while “we don’t ship junk” should remain true, this could be a good move as long as they don’t give it a downgraded 2017 iPad. The interesting thing here is what it will do go the lineup.

I too believe that they're going to do it. I'll go out on a limb and suggest that the new, lower-priced iPad may not have an aluminum body.

Every company uses aluminum now. From the cheapest chromebook to the highest ultrabook. It no longer has the cachet that it once had. I trust that Apple will be able to come up with flowery words to describe their ground-breaking poly-something-or-other that makes it sound like it is something new and better than what their competition is using... ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... plastuminium!

I'd love to see a $250+/- 9.7 iPad with iPad Pro 10.5 internals in a plastuminium body.

 

[macfacts]

The $249 iPad this past Black Friday /cyber Monday was a huge seller, I replaced my wife’s iPad Air 1 with one, sold the Air 1 on eBay for $140... now she has a new iPad that’ll last another four years for just over $100, how could you not?

As a dad of two daughters, non pro iPads below $300 are amazing and demolish the competition in that price range. My dad spent at least $1500 on my first Dell in the late 90s, and I was 14 years old.

Demolish the competition? Hardly. For the same price, the competition for the current iPad 9.7" is the Samsung Galaxy tab s2 9.7".

Comparing the two, the Samsung tablet isnt junk. It is 2mm thinner, 100g lighter, has a laminated screen, and has a OLED screen.

I understand people have a preference for software, just like they do for favorite colors. That doesn't make android junk, just different.

 

[Solomani]

Maybe this is the Resurrected Mini? Make it closer to 8.5" display, and with that entry-level consumer price point…. it's a winner.

 

[iapplelove]

This is great news. The iPad is a amazing device, and should be at an affordable price point for all.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I think this shows how much margin Apple has on the iPhone. No reason besides Greed to sell that at those high costs. Understandably from company perspective.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

It’s also going to hook people in young. Th iPhone SE is priced reasonably as a gift for your 14 year old. A £250 iPad (before discount - I picked up a £270 iPad this weekend) is reasonable for a children’s iPad around the house, rather than the old iPad 2 or mini that they’re using.

The young will know nothing but iOS.

This is similar to what I was thinking. My daughters elementary school already gives all the kids iPads to work on. This price point will make that kind of program even more feasible to implement.

 

[mr.steevo]

My niece has a cheap Android tablet because her parents don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device for a child. If there was a more reasonably priced iPad, they may have gone that route instead.

We got our 3 and 4 year olds each an iPod touch. Cheaper than any iPad

 

[jclardy]

"updated" meaning we are just going to drop the price of the $329 iPad to $249 to make some more money on it for a second holiday season.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Demolish the competition? Hardly. For the same price, the competition for the current iPad 9.7" is the Samsung Galaxy tab s2 9.7".

Comparing the two, the Samsung tablet isnt junk. It is 2mm thinner, 100g lighter, has a laminated screen, and has a OLED screen.

I understand people have a preference for software, just like they do for favorite colors. That doesn't make android junk, just different.

If Apple was KFC, you'd buy an expensive, but tasty box of Chicken nuggets from them.
If Google was KFC, you'd be the nugget.

For some, Android wont ever be an option...

 

[sracer]

If Apple was KFC, you'd buy an expensive, but tasty box of Chicken nuggets from them.
If Google was KFC, you'd be the nugget.

For some, Android wont ever be an option...

That is true. And some of those concerned about their privacy also use social media, revealing a lack of knowledge on online privacy, or using privacy concerns as convenient reason for not using anything Google.

Whether the issue is privacy or suitability of a mobile platform, it comes down to everyone doing their own research to draw their own conclusions that will be right for them.

 

[willnpc]

The $249 iPad this past Black Friday /cyber Monday was a huge seller, I replaced my wife’s iPad Air 1 with one, sold the Air 1 on eBay for $140... now she has a new iPad that’ll last another four years for just over $100, how could you not?

As a dad of two daughters, non pro iPads below $300 are amazing and demolish the competition in that price range. My dad spent at least $1500 on my first Dell in the late 90s, and I was 14 years old.

Minus about $25 or more in eBay and PayPal fees and shipping the old Ipad, also with tax the other iPad is closer to $270... so you probably paid around $160 for the new iPad which is still a good deal but not quite as good as you were making it sound... how do I know? Because I did the same thing as you did LOL

 

[AustinIllini]

Glad I'm holding off.

 

[Delgibbons]

It’s also going to hook people in young. Th iPhone SE is priced reasonably as a gift for your 14 year old. A £250 iPad (before discount - I picked up a £270 iPad this weekend) is reasonable for a children’s iPad around the house, rather than the old iPad 2 or mini that they’re using.

The young will know nothing but iOS.

Poor, poor souls

With Apple's great current record on software QC and development.... God help them.

Microsoft has to develop for literally thousands if not millions of hardware combinations.

Apple has to develop for a set of tightly defined and controlled hardware devices.... yet still cocks it up.

 

[berrymetal]

Cool, now gimme an even more expensive model that’s worth it