iPad 3 Expected to Launch in Around March-April

[iEvolution]

ipads and iphones ipods should come out in november!

people get these for xmas and then they are outdated right after xmas

Really its genius because the "older" model gets a nice sales boost during the season and then they release a new one at the beginning of the next year resulting previous users to upgrade or attracting new users.

The ones that do research into their products knows the general apple schedule of updates and knows when it is the correct time to update. Interestingly enough the iPad line thus far seems to be fairing out well as far as longevity, the 1st gen is hardly a dead product even now.

 

[haruhiko]

No, it's a rumor.

If you want news, please consult www.apple.com.

One thumb up for you

 

[smiddlehurst]

ipads and iphones ipods should come out in november!

people get these for xmas and then they are outdated right after xmas

Oh yes, great idea, FANTASTIC idea! Except for a couple of things:

1) Apple can't magically produce as many devices as they want. Production is limited by a thousand different factors and, as such, they regularly struggle to meet demand during the first few months of a product launch and have to stagger global launches. They often deliberately over-produce in the summer and autumn months to meet Christmas demand. Can you imagine not only the chaos that launching three hot product lines in November but the lost sales as Apple simply couldn't meet demand? Not to mention the damage to the Apple brand as people crammed into Apple stores that are already hitting capacity and came away empty handed.

2) As someone else mentioned up-thread the initial batch of any product is more likely to have bugs or faults. By launching comfortably before Christmas Apple get months to sort out any such issues that may occur. Not only does this lead to happier customers it reduces the load on Apple's support infrastructure at a very busy time of year.

3) What the hell difference does a new product make to the one people already own? I've NEVER understood this argument quite frankly. Yes, you may want the new shiny thing but the one you have is no less functional than it was the day you got it. More to the point if Apple release, say, an iPad on a yearly cycle then why does everyone need to work to the exact same cycle? If you want to get a new iPad every year it doesn't matter whether you buy on day 1 or day 364 of the cycle, if you stick to your own pattern you still get 12 months use out of it. Plus if you do buy later in the cycle there are often a lot more options out there in terms of cases, docks and other accessories, not to mention a whole slew of apps that actually take advantage of the device.

So in conclusion, no Apple shouldn't launch all its new products in November. It's a silly, pointless move that does nothing but generate problems and answers a single issue that, in the real world with the majority of consumers, very few actually care about.

 

[wackymacky]

We kinda know this. The current cycle is iPad first quarter, iPhone 4th quarter. That way effectionardios save to buy both.

 

[Winni]

And if it has that high resolution display, I will get one, finally.

But you do not honestly believe that the iPad 3 "Retina display edition" will sell for the same price the iPad 2 sells today, do you?

There were rumors about an "iPad Pro" a couple of months ago, which supposedly will have the retina display AND sell at a higher price than the standard model.

I'm afraid this will push the price tag of the iPad 3 in the same region as the MacBook Air - and that will simply make it a completely unjustifiable purchase.

 

[iEvolution]

But you do not honestly believe that the iPad 3 "Retina display edition" will sell for the same price the iPad 2 sells today, do you?

There were rumors about an "iPad Pro" a couple of months ago, which supposedly will have the retina display AND sell at a higher price than the standard model.

I'm afraid this will push the price tag of the iPad 3 in the same region as the MacBook Air - and that will simply make it a completely unjustifiable purchase.

I think the iPad 3 will come at the existing price of the iPad 2 with the iPad 2 still continuing to sell as a base model with a cheaper price than current. I think this would be the best route to go. Still appeal to those who want the latest and greatest while appealing to those with less money in their wallet, much akin to the iPhone 4S and iPhone 3GS. This method will also win some people over the Kindle Fire as well.

If I were to guess the pricing on the Wifi models it would be:

16GB iPad 2: $350 . . . . . . . .16GB iPad 3: discontinued
32GB iPad 2: $450 . . . . . . . .32GB iPad 3: $599
64GB iPad 2: discontinued. . . 64GB iPad 3: $699

Potentially a 128GB iPad 3 model, only reason I'm leaning this way is because the iPod Touch didn't get a capacity update this year and perhaps they are saving it for the big guns.

The reason I theorize the iPad 2 won't carry the 64GB capacity is because the ones that want more capacity are generally more willing to pay top dollar and go for the iPad 3. Likewise, the 16GB iPad 3 being discontinued because those looking at lower capacities are more likely to choose the cheaper of the two. That's just my take.

 

[sanke1]

Still rocking a launch day iPad 1 till today and it works absolutely perfect for surfing and light gaming. Now it will be a tough choice between iPad 3 and high resolution Samsung Galaxy tab

 

[NightFox]

Cool. I guess now is probably the best time for me to sell my iPad 2 while it still holds very high resale prices & then wait about 3 more months to buy the upcoming iPad 3 with "retina" display.

Don't mean to sound rude, but how much do you really need the latest iPad if you can comfortably manage 3+ months without one?

Just curious

 

[NightFox]

We kinda know this. The current cycle is iPad first quarter, iPhone 4th quarter...

I don't think you can call the last release of each an actual cycle!

iPad Q2
iPad 2 Q1

iPhone Q1
iPhone 3G Q3
iPhone 3GS Q2
iPhone 4 Q2
iPhone 4S Q4

 

[Pigumon]

And if it has that high resolution display, I will get one, finally.

I'll be in line right behind you. I have been holding off since the release of the original for this.

I didn't get the original iPad because I was shocked that it didn't have a camera. It seemed like an obvious omission and I wasn't about to support Apple on that decision.

I waited until iPad2... and after using it... I wish I had bought the first iPad and been using it for a year. iPads are just great.

Of course, now there's no sense in getting one until the 3, but make sure you do, iPads are just so useful. Mine is with me constantly.

 

[Lesser Evets]

It would be a juicier bit of rumor-news if it talked specifically about the A6 chip's production status. The iPad3 hinges on that chip.

 

[gnasher729]

Haha, I feel you. I just bought an iPad 2, and now it's going to get discontinued LOL

1. A high resolution display will be more expensive than the iPad 2 display. Now who do you think will pay for the difference in price, the customers or Apple? Have a guess.

2. I don't think Apple will be able to buy as many high resolution displays as they are selling iPads now. Given the choice of either only being able to produce about half as many iPads as they could sell, or continuing to sell the iPad 2, what do you think Apple will do? Have a guess.

3. Even if Apple could get all the displays they want, the iPad 3 will be more expensive and therefore would lose some customers to competitors if there is no iPad 2. Do you think Apple will want to lose customers? Have a guess.

Summary: Your iPad 2 isn't going to get discontinued any time soon.

Apple can't increase the price / delay the release of a hi-res tablet because of another reason: Samsung's rumoured hi-res tablet. A lot of people would flock to Samy's new wonder (assuming it's not a low-quality cr@p) if Apple didn't release a high-res tab next Spring at exactly the same price points as were the previous iPads.

You are making the assumption that Samsung can magically build a tablet cheaper than Apple can. History has proven that they can't.

The iPhone 4 wasn't more expensive (at debut) than the 3GS either. And, now, Apple will have fierce competition (Samsung and their hi-res tablet).

The iPhone 4 screen is a quarter of the size and therefore a quarter of the price of the iPad screen. So the increase in cost will be something like $25 to $50 for the iPhone screen, but $100 to $200 for the iPad screen. And again, you expect Samsung to be able to do something they haven't been able to do in the past.

It's quite simple: Samsung cannot build a tablet today that competes with the iPad 2 on price, that's why they aren't selling. A Samsung hires tablet will be considerably more expensive than an iPad 2. So it may have a hires screen, but it's more expensive, and it's not an iPad. These are two people that keep customers from buying. Samsung is not in a position to force Apple to do anything.

 

[Menneisyys2]

But you do not honestly believe that the iPad 3 "Retina display edition" will sell for the same price the iPad 2 sells today, do you?

Why not? Apple has always used the same prices for their new-gen products as the old ones. Same happened with the iPhone 4, compared to the 3GS prices, which were the same, despite the much better (Retina & IPS) screen. And will happen to the iPad 3, assuming it indeed sports a Retina screen.

Apple can't increase the price / delay the release of a hi-res tablet because of another reason: Samsung's rumoured hi-res tablet. A lot of people would flock to Samy's new wonder (assuming it's not a low-quality cr@p) if Apple didn't release a high-res tab next Spring at exactly the same price points as were the previous iPads. That is, there won't be Pro models either. And don't forget Apple operates with HIGH margins: they will still maintain a lot of margin on each iPad sold. Unlike, say, Amazon with their Fire.

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the iPad 3 will be more expensive and therefore would lose some customers to competitors if there is no iPad 2

Highly unlikely. The iPhone 4 wasn't more expensive (at debut) than the 3GS either. And, now, Apple will have fierce competition (Samsung and their hi-res tablet). They can't wait any longer or (drastically) increase their prices.

 

[MRU]

"March or April should come as no surprise to regular Apple followers"...


and is exactly why we really need to go back to having a page 2 for news stories these days

 

[rmwebs]

Two questions:

1) Will Apple sell iPad2 and iPad3 simultaneously, with the iPad2 being the value choice (like iPhone4 or 3GS)? Or will they drop the iPad2 and sell only the iPad3?

Given what they've done with the iPhone, I'm thinking they'll sell both models. Lots of people would be satisfied without a Retina Display, and would prefer to pay less. And lots of folks would gladly pay more for the premium product -- especially business users, who are used to paying a lot for tricked-out laptops.

2) If Apple does sell both models at the same time, will they drop the price of the entry-level iPad2 below $499 (to, for instance, $399) and sell the entry-level iPad3 for $499? Or will they keep the iPad2 at $499 and price the iPad3 higher -- say $599 or $649?

This one I'm less sure about. We know that Apple's margin on the iPad2 is slimmer than their other products, so it's not a foregone conclusion that they'd drop the price on iPad2 like they did on the older iPhones. But given that they have precious little competition so far, they might decide an aggressive move to grab share now will pay dividends later, given the lock-in factor (music and apps).

If they do, they will piss a lot of people off.

Theres a huge (might not sound huge to some of you, but I assure you it is) problem with too many resolutions. It WILL cause fragmentation with apps. Its not a case of might, it WILL. Some devs simply wont update their apps, some will make them retina only, etc. Until Apple pull their fingers out and start again with the app UI it'll not work properly. They need to take a leaf out of webOS's book here as that can scale to any size. iOS can not.

----------

There's a bittersweet aspect to this. For those who, like me, tend to buy a new one each time it comes out, there's a wait time to find the best (read: correctly engineered) cover or case for it. Having spent a few hundred on buying cases for the iPad 2, it's time to begin the hunt again, shortly after the new iPad3 - with different dimensions from the iPad2 - comes out.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm not. It's just a sort of "gotcha" that I'm guessing a few of us are going to be aware of. Nevertheless - bring on the 3!!!

Sorry....why would you need to spend a few hundred on cases? How many do you need and why?!

My iPad is in a case from TK Maxx (called TJ Maxx in the US). I paid £25 for it and its been the best case I've seen yet. Certainly better than the crummy ones Apple has produced.

 

[alexlovesmacs]

Just in time for my birthday!

 

[Zunjine]

I don't understand people who say things like "the high res display will cost more than the old low res one so the price will have to go up!".

If memory serves, and a quick web search seems to confirm this (though please do correct me if I'm wrong), the price, offline, of the 3GS at launch and the iPhone 4 at launch were pretty much exactly the same. In the UK that was about £500 for the 16 Gig versions.

Now, take into account inflation and that means the iPhone 4 was, in real terms, cheaper than the 3GS at launch despite the high res display, better camera system, front facing camera etc.

And this should surprise no one. The cost of the hardware is only one component of the pricing mix. By manufacturing more units the cost of tooling is reduced. Supply chains can be managed to reduce the cost of stock and increase efficiencies. By selling more units the cost of marketing and other costs of business are spread over more units and thus reduced per sale. Plus, for each new bit of tech that adds to the cost of the unit there's an older bit that gets cheaper and which isn't upgraded in any substantial way.

I suspect the iPad 3 will launch at the same price as the iPad 2 did. I hope that they will continue to sell the iPad 2 as a mid range product to entice those who might have gone for a Kindle Fire or another of these low end devices to upgrade to a full tablet experience. The iPad 2 is a fantastic bit of kit and is more than capable enough for most users. It would be a shame to put it out to pasture so early. And if we look at the iPhone (I know that's not a perfect match but still) we can see that the original iPhone lasted only one generation (was not kept on sale alongside the 3G) but the subsequent generations saw at least two models for sale at any given time - again, this may not be true in all regions but I'm pretty sure the 3G sold alongside the 3GS here in the UK. If the same pattern emergies it would be no shock.

 

[Rafterman]

But you do not honestly believe that the iPad 3 "Retina display edition" will sell for the same price the iPad 2 sells today, do you?

There were rumors about an "iPad Pro" a couple of months ago, which supposedly will have the retina display AND sell at a higher price than the standard model.

I'm afraid this will push the price tag of the iPad 3 in the same region as the MacBook Air - and that will simply make it a completely unjustifiable purchase.

Every iPad and iPhone has come in at more or less the same price. That's been Apple's M.O. - better tech at the same price - and they aren't going to change that. A company like Apple spends millions just to find out what the "sweet spot" price is for their products. The prices will most likely hold, especially since competitor slates are getting cheaper, not more expensive.

 

[Abazigal]

3) What the hell difference does a new product make to the one people already own? I've NEVER understood this argument quite frankly. Yes, you may want the new shiny thing but the one you have is no less functional than it was the day you got it. More to the point if Apple release, say, an iPad on a yearly cycle then why does everyone need to work to the exact same cycle? If you want to get a new iPad every year it doesn't matter whether you buy on day 1 or day 364 of the cycle, if you stick to your own pattern you still get 12 months use out of it. Plus if you do buy later in the cycle there are often a lot more options out there in terms of cases, docks and other accessories, not to mention a whole slew of apps that actually take advantage of the device.

Let's put it this way: How would you feel if after paying top dollar for a product, the store then went on to give it a 50% discount a few days later? Had you waited that bit longer, you would have gotten a better deal.

Same logic here. It's basic human nature to want to get the best deal for your buck.

 

[ChrisTX]

Haha, I feel you. I just bought an iPad 2, and now it's going to get discontinued LOL

Just enjoy your iPad2 for what it is, a really awesome device. Regardless of what Apple releases in a few months, you will still have one of the best tablet devices on the planet that will still get the full iOS 6 upgrade, and still essentially run all of iPad apps in the AppStore just fine.

Haha...

I thought that everyone knows that a new iPad is coming in March or April.....

Just like everyone knew the iPhone 4S was coming in June/July of 2011 like always right?

 

[wizard]

As long as we aren't charged extra LTE will be very nice

Cool. Wonder if it will be thicker, like rumors say. I wouldn't mind. Would also be cool if the 3G iPad could be replaced with an LTE iPad. I know LTE uses a lot of battery, but I've seen the big battery in the iPad and I think Apple can squeeze in a battery with big capacity.

Yes the battery is an issue but they can save power elsewhere

 

[Steve121178]

Despite vowing not to buy an iPad I'm ready to bite. I was all set to buy an iPad 2 but I'm happy to wait 3-4 months for the iPad 3.

Hopefully it will include a higher resolution screen. I'd like to think Apple will lower the price a little bit to persuade people to opt for an iPad rather than something from the competition.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I don't understand people who say things like "the high res display will cost more than the old low res one so the price will have to go up!".

If memory serves, and a quick web search seems to confirm this (though please do correct me if I'm wrong), the price, offline, of the 3GS at launch and the iPhone 4 at launch were pretty much exactly the same. In the UK that was about £500 for the 16 Gig versions.

Now, take into account inflation and that means the iPhone 4 was, in real terms, cheaper than the 3GS at launch despite the high res display, better camera system, front facing camera etc.

And this should surprise no one. The cost of the hardware is only one component of the pricing mix. By manufacturing more units the cost of tooling is reduced. Supply chains can be managed to reduce the cost of stock and increase efficiencies. By selling more units the cost of marketing and other costs of business are spread over more units and thus reduced per sale. Plus, for each new bit of tech that adds to the cost of the unit there's an older bit that gets cheaper and which isn't upgraded in any substantial way.

I suspect the iPad 3 will launch at the same price as the iPad 2 did. I hope that they will continue to sell the iPad 2 as a mid range product to entice those who might have gone for a Kindle Fire or another of these low end devices to upgrade to a full tablet experience. The iPad 2 is a fantastic bit of kit and is more than capable enough for most users. It would be a shame to put it out to pasture so early. And if we look at the iPhone (I know that's not a perfect match but still) we can see that the original iPhone lasted only one generation (was not kept on sale alongside the 3G) but the subsequent generations saw at least two models for sale at any given time - again, this may not be true in all regions but I'm pretty sure the 3G sold alongside the 3GS here in the UK. If the same pattern emergies it would be no shock.

Absolutely agreed. I've elaborated on the same stuff at https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/13996472/

 

[wizard]

Retina dispaly hinges on A6. No A6 no retina

It would be a juicier bit of rumor-news if it talked specifically about the A6 chip's production status. The iPad3 hinges on that chip.

This really isn't news, rather things like A6 remain a mystery!

 

[AVChris]

woo hoo!! This means the iPad 4 is just over a year away.

I CANT WAIT!!!!!