Component Suppliers Say Apple Has Ordered Parts for 10 Million 'iPad Minis' in 4Q 2012

[thecurryman]

First off, you're comparing increased sizes of the same product in notebooks. But an iPod touch is not a small iPad - it's an iPod touch. They serve different purposes - hence why I own both an iPad and an iPhone - I don't use them for the same things. Nobody who's looking for an iPod is going to go and buy an iPad in the same way that nobody who's after a minivan is going to buy a truck.

As for comparing an adaptor to a tablet, I think you're trying to draw a lesson there that you can't. Think about the economics of it. Apple is the only company that makes Lightening to 30 pin adaptors. They can charge what they like because they have no competition. But they are not the only company that makes tablets so they have to be competitive. I'm not saying they will compete only on price - I think the iPad will be slightly more expensive than a similarly spec'd competitor tablet - but they still need to be reasonable because there's only so much that the market will bare.

yes they serve different purposes but essentially what are they? an aluminum cased touch screen device, it doesn't matter what you use it for, but you have to look at what inherent bases of the different products, and all 3 would share the same base, an aluminum cased touch screen device at 3 different screen sizes. there fore a 4in device is less than 7.85 which is less than 9in.... an if your going to try comparing apple to their competitors, yes they are not the only company that makes tablets, but the ipad has been higher priced that other tablets for the same specs since its release...explain to me how its ok to have an ipad at $500 when similarly spec'd tablets are ~$200 cheaper, but its not ok/likley to have a smaller 7.85 in tablet at a higher price than simliarly spec'd tablets...they do it with the ipad, why not ipad mini? you really think people wont buy the ipad mini? people will buy it because of the ecosystem, ease of use, and the list goes on...

Nope, apple is requiring permission from third parties for the new lightning cables and adaptors because they don't won't them making cheap versions which could possibly mess up an iOS device. I've read third party 30 pin dock connectors have messed up devices before.

There are already cheap cables that will only charge the device, but will not sync...once knock off companies in china can duplicate the chip in the apple cables, it wont be long before you see fully functioning cables..and if you honestly think apple isnt licensing the new lightning cables/adapters because they are scared it might mess up ios devices then you havnt heard of capitalism...easiest way for apple to make money: have a monopoly on lightning accessories.

 

[FlameofAnor]

Never get the first model.

Got the first iPad...... loved it. Replaced it with the new retina iPad...... love it. Your advise...... baseless.

 

[Judas1]

Thanks for your prediction. You sound about as accurate as weather predictions.

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They wouldn't DREAM of giving the iPad 3 the A6 yet, hahaha. What do you think they will do in March? The A6 will literally be the MAIN upgrade, (or possibly A6X) to the next iPad when it is released in March. Sorry to burst your bubble there.

Well, the iPad 3's screen is a leap beyond the iPad 2's. And Apple was only able to offer the A5X to handle that new screen. The A5X is just an A5 with twice the graphics core. It was not, presumably, what they wanted to power the new flagship tablet. Now that a new processor solution is available, one that Apple has already mass ordered for the iphone 5, it would not be a big deal to tweak it, and put it into the iPad 3. The battery life will be better. The overall experience will be better. Hence, the silent upgrade.

edit: Once a new tech is already mass produced, it cost the same to keep producing old tech versus new tech. Producing the A5X will not be cheaper than producing the A6. So why not discontinue producing it, and produce the A6 instead. Leftovers can always go into lower performance devices anyway for next year.

 

[iSee]

$249-$299 = 8GB model?

I could see that, though I'm really wondering if they'll even release an 8GB model. Even 16GB devices seem to be less and less usable, though we download a ton of apps and store a good bit of "local" data.

Well... I hope Apple wouldn't bother with an 8GB device, considering 16GB would only cut pennies out of their margins... but it's an Apple-like thing to do. If the starting price is $299, then 8GB is completely unacceptable. At $249, maybe Apple could get away with it... I guess it if you use it just for text content (books) and web and communication, that's fine. But for audio, photos, much less video, even 16 GB is quite light.

I refused to accept any of the people stating the iPhone 5 was simply going to get a cut down A4 SOC and I believed it would get an A6 with A15 cores, well it got better then that didn't it?

But I will predict they will ditch the iPad 2 and the iPad Mini will start with 16GB Ram and be priced from $350 or $400. It WILL have a retina screen and an A5 maybe with dual core graphics, or maybe an A6 with dual core graphics?
Apple is still going to sell millions, in fact I believe it's most popular iDevice is the iPhone and not the iPad, but millions buy an iPad still.

I'm still not 100% convinced it exists as the iPad is selling so well, my prediction was they will go up market with the iPad, higher specs, bigger screens etc. Maybe why we have no 13" Retina MB Pro yet?
The reason I say this is because of the high end Windows 8 tablets coming out, even Razer has green lit it's project Fiona device!

Fair enough: if a mini doesn't come out at all this season, then I would have to agree that would vindicate your contention, since it would pretty much mean Apple considered such a device (I'm sure they consider all options) but didn't think they had a worthy product at a workable price.

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Got the first iPad...... loved it. Replaced it with the new retina iPad...... love it. Your advise...... baseless.

I have to agree. I too have the first iPad, and still use it daily. It's a great device (not that I wouldn't gladly take a retina iPad!)

The advice people throw around to avoid the first version of various Apple products is generally worthless in my experience. (I'm the owner of the 1st intel Apple computer, 1st iPhone and 1st iPad... I had no problems with these. With my last-gen G3 iBook, on the other hand, the logic board died every 4-6 mo.)

 

[SeattleMoose]

meh....

I have a 15" MBP, an iPhone 4S, and am going to get an iPad. I wouldn't even consider the iPad mini as the current iPad is the perfect size for a screen between the two I already have. I hope the mini sells well but honestly, I just don't see a market for this UNLESS it is substantially cheaper than the full size iPad.

 

[FlameofAnor]

--- quote--
At that time. That's something folks forget, context. At no point has Steve or anyone else ever said 'for always'. The statements are made based on the needs of the time in question and the tech available at that time. Nothing more or less. Needs and tech change. And all good companies will change with them

As I recall it was extensively researched (according to apple) that it was due to the "size of the human hand" (not the technology).

I guess human hands have become larger recently.

The width of the iPhone is unchanged. Apple hasn't changed their thinking on the appropriate size of a smart phone, then merely elongated it. It's still a phone that can be easily operated with one hand..... unlike the oversized android phones.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Never get the first model.

why? ive been enjoying the first model for every iOS device, and loving it. each year i can sell last-year's, sometimes at a profit (whenever im up for new cell contract), or i can gift them to family members. very pleased all around.

best part is, i start incurring the value from Day 1.

 

[iGrip]

Funny thing is that he didn't. Steve said 7 inches is the wrong size for an iPad, but nothing about a smaller tablet in general.

Here's what Steve said. He most certainly WAS talking about tablets in general.

If you take an iPad and hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on the seven-inch tablets are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the iPad display. This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.

Well, one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference. It is meaningless, unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of the present size. Apple's done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick, or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.

Third, every tablet user is also a smartphone user. No tablet can compete with the mobility of a smartphone, its ease of fitting into your pocket or purse, its unobtrusiveness when used in a crowd. Given that all tablet users will already have a smartphone in their pockets, giving up precious display area to fit a tablet in our pockets is clearly the wrong trade-off. The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.

...

 

[SeanR1]

The width of the iPhone is unchanged. Apple hasn't changed their thinking on the appropriate size of a smart phone, then merely elongated it. It's still a phone that can be easily operated with one hand..... unlike the oversized android phones.

Hmm so why not start with 4", I know it wasn't marketing BS so they could make more profit with smaller screens.

 

[charlituna]

As I recall it was extensively researched (according to apple) that it was due to the "size of the human hand" (not the technology).

And that research likely showed them that if you could make it thinner, the fingers can stretch further, allowing them to make it taller.

Or even perhaps further research showed them that they were wrong about the sizes they were basing their calculations on, like say the average hand is actually big than they were using for their math.

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why? ive been enjoying the first model for every iOS device,

Same here. Never had a problem. That said I don't generally buy the moment they come out. I wait for that first month or so to go buy so I have fewer headaches getting what I want and they have finished their early failure returns.

 

[Judas1]

The width of the iPhone is unchanged. Apple hasn't changed their thinking on the appropriate size of a smart phone, then merely elongated it. It's still a phone that can be easily operated with one hand..... unlike the oversized android phones.

Apple's idea of one handed operation was flawed. They thought *past tense* that one handed operation meant that all areas of the screen needed to be reachable with one hand. People don't need, nor want to operate their phone one-handed all the time. So what, if they need to use two hands for certain things. Easily sacrificed for extra screen real estate. The same thing is happening with tablets. Apple thought optimal functionality, therefore the screen size, was most important. But portability and weight/size is also important. Screen size can be sacrificed for more portability. Hence, the less functional 7 inch tablet.

 

[charlituna]

This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.

. . .

This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.

And how is Apple defining 'tablet'. Remember definitions matter. For 'tablet', for 'retina display'. YOU might be defining tablet to include any and all devices that are slim and rectangular, semi to portable and have a touchscreen. Apple, on the other hand (or specifically Jobs) might be defining it as 'tablet=ipad'.

Third, every tablet user is also a smartphone user.

That's completely not true. Certainly not if you are using tablet to refer to anything 5 inches or larger in size. I know a great number of folks that have tablets that don't have smart phones. Many of them don't see the need to have a smart phone cause their tablet does all the 'smart' stuff. And most of them as well as most of the folks that I know that do have both, have no issue with the portability of a 10 inch device. It gets tossed in a bag or briefcase as easy as a book, a file folder etc.

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Apple's idea of one handed operation was flawed. They thought *past tense* that one handed operation meant that all areas of the screen needed to be reachable with one hand.

Additional research also possibly showed them that folks are using landscape mode more than they assumed it would be used. That's already difficult to impossible to use one handed and folks got over it rather quickly. So that could be taken as a sign that the need for one handed use in all things isn't really as strong a mandate as they thought.

 

[iGrip]

That's completely not true.

Steve said it. I believe it. And that's it.


Tell you what: You go out and found a multibillion dollar corporate giant who produces the most innovative products the wold has ever seen, and then maybe your opinion will carry a little bit of weight. Until then, not so much.

 

[Macclone]

I agree, if the order fulfillment is gummed up now, imagine how it's going to be with 10 million of these on order???

Guess we'll see how it goes! Tim is the master of the supply chain, time to see how great he is at it ;-)

These are made in Brazil...

 

[Lesser Evets]

Maybe $299 if de-balled.

Take away any special camera, no back camera perhaps, A5 processor at best, and ditch anything possible to make it function like a sub-iPodTouch (or iPod Touch 2G), and that would work. I can't imagine how they can make this something upscale and fit it into the price structure.

Give us a 13" iPad to be a "portable desktop", Apple.

 

[charlituna]

Tell you what: You go out and found a multibillion dollar corporate giant who produces the most innovative products the wold has ever seen, and then maybe your opinion will carry a little bit of weight. Until then, not so much.

Back at you.

As for your "Steve said it", hard to take that with completely seriousness when you can't be bothered to use proper punctuation, or citation. If you want someone to take what you are writing as accurate it helps if you actually credit it with the whens and wheres of the origin. That way other folks can see and hear for themselves that you are correct and not just misquoting from a poor memory or to suit your needs.

 

[charlituna]

a "portable desktop"

oxymoron.

And a 13 inch iPad might be something you want but the masses could be of a different opinion. Heck even the notion that said 13 inch iPad needs to be as powerful as a computer, desk or otherwise, might not ring true for the masses

 

[iGrip]

Back at you.

As for your "Steve said it", hard to take that with completely seriousness when you can't be bothered to use proper punctuation, or citation. If you want someone to take what you are writing as accurate it helps if you actually credit it with the whens and wheres of the origin. That way other folks can see and hear for themselves that you are correct and not just misquoting from a poor memory or to suit your needs.

Sorry, but you are wrong yet again. You disagree with Steve, and now you provide a flimsy excuse. Punctuation? Huh?

 

[sneaky butcher]

Steve said it. I believe it. And that's it.


Tell you what: You go out and found a multibillion dollar corporate giant who produces the most innovative products the wold has ever seen, and then maybe your opinion will carry a little bit of weight. Until then, not so much.

dont know if your being serious but jobs was said to be receptive about the idea of an ipad mini. Internal emails from recent court case confirms this.

the rant against the 7inch tablets was mainly his sales patter. You could still argue the experience on a 10inch screen is much superior to 7inch. But theres a huge market for cheaper alternative with a screen size thats "good enough" for e-reading,websurfing & games with the advantage of being more portable/ less obnoxious

tbh i think they got the size wrong if they do 7.85inch. i think its too big. The ipad mini wont look so mini compared to nexus 7 . Portability is a big reason to choose the smaller tablet.

 

[2IS]

I call Shenanigans...

Several Macrumors members said this wasn't going to happen.

 

[Glideslope]

I am SO curious what the price of one of these bad boys will be.

If they are 16g only maybe, $199 Wi-Fi-$299 LTE? Will it be LTE, or 3G? Will it be A6, or A5X? The screen is not a Retina, but is it IPS at a lower res?

I used to think in a different range, but the new iPods pricing makes it tough to figure out how to price it, IMO.

 

[Shanpdx]

Steve said it. I believe it. And that's it.

at that time when he said, the 9.7" @ 1024x764 IPS display itself very expensive. and mostly those 7" tablets had 1024x600

with 7.85" @ 1024x768 everything changes again.

you have to understand the time line and what he said. that time no one even sure about the success of the 9,7" iPad itself.

Now there is a market for 7" and they are going about that market.

 

[Glideslope]

These are made in Brazil...

....and no Tariff which=lower pricing.

 

[Shanpdx]

If they are 16g only maybe, $199 Wi-Fi-$299 LTE? Will it be LTE, or 3G? Will it be A6, or A5X? The screen is not a Retina, but is it IPS at a lower res?

I used to think in a different range, but the new iPods pricing makes it tough to figure out how to price it, IMO.

LTE - ceulluar version going to cost $130 more that is good margin (the LTE chip costs about $40 range - I beleive)

you have understand iPhone is costly compared to the iPad

likewise iPod touch will be costlier than the iPad mini.

Folks, Apple price it very competitive but do not hope more than 1024x768 resolution or A6, may be in two years time they will double the resolution

 

[faroZ06]

when will they be refreshing "the new iPad"?

For the last time, it's just "iPad". "iPad" and "iPad mini", just like "iPod" and "iPod mini".

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why? ive been enjoying the first model for every iOS device, and loving it. each year i can sell last-year's, sometimes at a profit (whenever im up for new cell contract), or i can gift them to family members. very pleased all around.

best part is, i start incurring the value from Day 1.

Mhm. In the meantime, my first-week-release 2006 iMac quickly lost value, and the faulty GPU that resulted from first-week buying didn't help.