But the iPad 3G replaced me carrying my laptop around with a data card. It didn't replace my iphone. I use far more data day to day on iPad then I do on my iPhone.
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AT&T Offers Details on iPad 3G Activations and Usage
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But the iPad 3G replaced me carrying my laptop around with a data card. It didn't replace my iphone. I use far more data day to day on iPad then I do on my iPhone.
The price of the iPad is going to drop. Apple may have invented this category as a contrast to the netbook but the same race to the bottom could occur with Apple and the iPad. How much profit is Apple going to be able to squeeze out of an eventually $200 or $300 tablet?
You are right, I wouldn't expect the price to drop now. But future generations will drop in price. Especially when the Android and WebOS tablets start to flood the market.
Apple has been able to keep their notebook and computer prices high because consumers still feel a computer is a complex device and some are willing to pay a bit more for Apple's quality.
This is the first time Apple has jumped into a commodity market where they will be part of the race to the bottom. No one could seem to duplicate the iPod/iTunes experience so Apple could keep the prices high. Android already has a marketplace. WebOS is promising. This could be Apple's first low profit device.
Why would the price drop? Maybe other tablets are on a race to the bottom, but Apple can't make theirs fast enough to satisfy demand. Given the demand it would be easy to argue that Apple should raise the price of an iPad.
You do know computers and cell phones are also commodity items, but Apple has managed to keep its pricing power there. The $499 iPad price I think has fixed the bottom. What will happen is that future versions will include things like 3G and more space for that $499 price.
Is why I'm waiting to get mine, I have a similar theory. My GF has one I get to use.
I am still disappointed that AT&T dropped the unlimited data. I was all set on an iPad 3G and dropping the data on my blackberry since the web browser was horrid. I did not feel like I was getting my moneys worth for just basically getting my email right away on my bb. Instead of spending the each 130 on the 3G model and 30 a month for data, I decided to upgrade my edge blackberry to a 3G nexus one on my tmobile account. I am happy that I did this since I have unlimited data in my iPad, phone, and even my computer if I need to tether in a pinch. Also it's only 20 a month too. The only downside is that I do not get the amazing 9 hrs of 3G browsing like an iPad 3G but I have come to realize I use wifi a lot more than I thought and for the times I use 3G I can deal with only a couple hours of usage.
Apple isn't going to lower the price. They are just going to add more and more for the same price. Apple set the price of smartphones. They are going to try and set the price of tablets too.
It does make sense. A new iPhone always drops with a major revision of the OS (iOS 4.0 - iPhone 4). If Apple are working from history, I'm hoping the iPad will follow the same pattern.
I sold on my iPad (full price for second hand = epic win) in hope that this is going to happen. iOS4 is really what will make the iPad truly useful for me, so I might aswell wait and get new hardware to boot.
If that's the case then Apple will settle with less than 10% of the market once Android and WebOS catches up.
But I think this is a money grab by Apple while their iPad is hot and there is no competition. It's just a passive content consumption device. There's not a lot they can do to it to justify its continued high price over years and years.
Depends on what the cost is. Can't be that much when I can buy a 3G USB stick for £10 or a MiFi for £50. Now an iPad with built-in MiFi, that would be something else. Obviously you'd have to be very optimistic to dream of an unlimited data plan for that.
At&t needs to lower the price on both iphone data and iPad data if you use both. As of right now, it is cheaper to get Sprint 4G mobile access point for $60 or a seperate EVO HTC and have mobile 4G for speeds that are 4-7 times faster than 3g... for less money. And please At&t include sms messaging in the data plan
I'm gonna take a stab at the possibility that it has something to do with Apple and AT&T's contract ending and AT&T trying to suck out as much money from iPhone/iPad users that they can. iPhones are contracted... iPads aren't but unfortunately, iPads use microsim cards which no other carrier in the US currently does. Coincidence? Nope.
Once the iPhone is on the market to another Carrier, I'm gambling the AT&T will try to pull something like bringing unlimited data back once this all folds-down.
As far as all these numbers that AT&T release, I wonder what percentage amounts for all the iPhone users using iPad data plans on their phones?
If it goes down next generation, I'll be dumbfounded. I bet it won't. Hey, I blogged it so I don't forget. We'll see who's right in 2011, just for fun.
While they may not actually do that, I think that's a pretty astute observation.
Assuming the cost of the 3G hardware is not too much, having it available on demand would be a pretty good feature for Apple, and financial benefit to any carrier that participated.
I forget... does only the 3G model have true GPS?
I have a wifi-only, and don't really use GPS enough to notice if its satellite or just iPod touch style wifi GPS.
What? So...looking out a window is more straining than using a computer?
Maybe travelling in a hotel room, but otherwise wouldn't most users be on wifi for that time, anyway?
Yeah, true GPS is the 3G model, because the GPS reciever is part of the 3G chipset.
The two reasons I think they'll have one model is a) competition (Apple don't have to beat prices, but they do have to appear premium) and b) ease on supply chain (one model means that they can produce more iPads faster and more cheaply)
An iPad 2.0 in November is somewhat out of the question I think. The major reason is it would NUKE all iPad 1.0 Christmas Sales. If the 2.0 was on sale for Christmas, I think a bad supply situation would made significantly worse. Also, all iDevices have had a lifetime of one year (see below), so since this was released in April 2010, then an April-May 2011 is more realistic.
I think the trend is pretty clear so far.
iPhone: 29 June 2007
iPhone 3G: 11 July 2008
iPhone 3GS: 19 June 2009
iPhone 4: 24 June 2010
iPod Touch 1G: 5 September 2007
iPod Touch 2G: 9 September 2008
iPod Touch 3G: 9 September 2009
Go outside! The graphics are amazing! No pixels at all.
The discussion I initiated was regarding pixel density, image usage of available pixels, etc.
If an iPhone 4 program were displayed with the same pixel count as an iPhone 3, the program display would take up 1/4 the display. Hey multi-tasking and spaces on an iPhone!
Rocketman
I've thought about that too. Basically, it depends on when iOS4 is ready to ship. If they release it at their September event, then iPad 2 will come around next year. If they say November, I'd place my bets on new hardware then.
Remember they'll have sold a bunch of these already. What about bringing out iPad 2.0 to make all the current iPad 1.0 users upgrade at Christmas? It's not all about new people.
Go outside! The graphics are amazing! No pixels at all.
The discussion I initiated was regarding pixel density, image usage of available pixels, etc.
If an iPhone 4 program were displayed with the same pixel count as an iPhone 3, the program display would take up 1/4 the display. Hey multi-tasking and spaces on an iPhone!
Rocketman
Wouldn't it be an iPhone 3 program at the same pixel count on an iPhone 4?
You know, I do not know why Apple would feel motivated to roll out a Gen 2 product at this (that) point. There is no real competition and the market isn't nearly saturated to the point for a "prime the pump" upgrade. A lot of makers (cars, TVs, cell phones) could give us their R&D department's laundry list of new features well before they typically do. The marketing wing of the corporations, however, want to maintain vertical product profiles and to only give out enough new features to keep the market humming, but not so much that they potentially have a few years of "nothing new here, time to move one to something else" conditions.
My prediction: If you want an iPad type device and have the need, buy it now. There probably won't be much else hardware wise from Apple before next spring, if then. When you see a new product hit the market (Slate, Droidpad, whatever) then you can start holding your pennies for the next Apple pad device.