iPad 3 to Arrive This September?

[LagunaSol]

Obviously, this is a dangerous game to play: iPad 2 buyers may be angry if iPad 3 comes out a mere handful of months later... and even if it's not true, such rumors might suppress sales of iPad 2s while people wait based on September iPad 3 rumors.

Such is the price of progress. I don't see Android customers in open rebellion because the DROID X Pro 3 Super Deluxe Gold is announced 2 months after the release of the DROID X Pro 2 Super Deluxe Silver.

Buying electronics is not an investment in an appreciating asset. It's an investment in a tool for daily use. I, for one, would rather have the option of upgrading every 6 months if my business demanded it or my budget allowed it rather than being constrained to a fixed yearly update cycle.

Anyone willing to play the endless "wait for the next version" game simply misses out on the benefits of daily use of the existing product in the meantime.

 

[chitown23]

Exactly the iPad deserves it's own refresh period. Why lump it in with the iPods? Or even the iPhone? Tablets are their own category. April puts them in the great period of being after CES and MWC but before the actual release of most of those devices.

I agree - and i had posted before but with this april release they are in the news more...they have a distinct product that will drive free marketing...Why align with all the ipods. Ipad, iphone verizon, iphone att, ios, osx, ipods, and macs peppered in...in 2 to 3 month increments

 

[whooleytoo]

Such is the price of progress. I don't see Android customers in open rebellion because the DROID X Pro 3 Super Deluxe Gold is announced 2 months after the release of the DROID X Pro 2 Super Deluxe Silver.

Buying electronics is not an investment in an appreciating asset. It's an investment in a tool for daily use. I, for one, would rather have the option of upgrading every 6 months if my business demanded it or my budget allowed it rather than being constrained to a fixed yearly update cycle.

Anyone willing to play the endless "wait for the next version" game simply misses out on the benefits of daily use of the existing product in the meantime.

This would be different (if this rumour is true, and I doubt it is). In this case the rumours are out about the 3rd generation even before the 2nd generation has been announced, never mind gone on sale.

Much of the consumer electronics industry is driven by peoples' obsessive need to have the latest and greatest, the newest, the fastest and shiniest; even if they don't "need" it. But if these rumours take hold, the 2nd generation iPad won't be the "latest and greatest" even if it were to launch tomorrow. It would be a lame duck, in many consumers' eyes.

 

[LagunaSol]

This would be different (if this rumour is true, and I doubt it is). In this case the rumours are out about the 3rd generation even before the 2nd generation has been announced, never mind gone on sale.

There will always be rumors regarding upcoming Apple products. Consumers will have to learn that waiting for rumored products is generally a losing proposition and adjust their perspective accordingly.

 

[absynth]

Previously there was uncertainty whether the ipad would get the dualcore Cortex A9 ("A8"?)or something else ("A5" would then be a single core A8 or A9).

I would expect the early update means the iPad 2 is too early for the A8 and will use the A5. But because of the fierce competition from android / webOS apple doesnt want to wait till next year for the dual core to arrive.
Also: an update before the holiday season is perfect.

No matter what, i will buy the iPad2. But i might wait till iPad 3 arrives to buy me a discounted one...

 

[whooleytoo]

There will always be rumors regarding upcoming Apple products. Consumers will have to learn that waiting for rumored products is generally a losing proposition and adjust their perspective accordingly.

Sure, but it's rare to hear rumours about the replacement for a product that hasn't even been announced yet. That's the key difference. You always have rumours starting midway through a product's lifecycle, but not before it's even announced.

 

[Bytor65]

This is NOT even a Rumor.

Gruber just made it up. He is guessing and says so. So this is even lower than a rumor. He even states when guessing, he has a poor track record.

As far as Techcrunch verification, it is likely from someone who read Grubers guess as gospel. The Blogs tend to be a big feedback loop.

As far as guesses go, this one is out to lunch. Consider that it is just a WAG, there really isn't anything to speculate about it.

 

[mcmlxix]

Apparently the 'fall surprise' will be software related. Most likely, iOS 5 which, I guess, will give your iPad 2 an iPad 3-ish feel...


RTP.

This makes a certain amount of sense. Apple is not known for catering to hardware spec whores, so I don’t really see a biannual hardware refresh being in their planning.

This spring Apple could release iPad 2, along with iOS 4.x, with all of the requisite hardware needs for a mind blowing (revolutionary, magical, insanely great, yada yada blah blah) iOS 5 this fall...or iOS 5 this spring and iOS 6 this fall.

The strength of these devices is more in software than hardware, so an annual hardware refresh with a biannual iOS refresh, could very well keep the iPad several steps ahead of the competitors. Just a thought.

 

[nad8e]

Obviously, this is a dangerous game to play: iPad 2 buyers may be angry if iPad 3 comes out a mere handful of months later... and even if it's not true, such rumors might suppress sales of iPad 2s while people wait based on September iPad 3 rumors.

Everyone I know with an iPad has enough disposable income that they can just give the iPad 2 to their kid/spouse or sell it for a minor loss and get an iPad 3.

 

[LoganT]

Maybe Apple is going to offer some kind of upgrade program for iPad 2 owners. Or maybe it's an iPad Pro and they are going to preview it at an event for the iPad 2. But the iPad Pro will be released in September. All of this is extremely unlikely, but what is the point of this website if not to speculate?

 

[Ubele]

Here's my theory: Due to the Android threat, a large part of the iPad 2 development team was pulled away to work on the iPad 3. iPad 3 development is now ahead of schedule, while iPad 2 development has fallen behind. Instead of announcing the iPad 2 later this month, Steve will surprise us with the iPod Classic Quad, which will contain four 220 GB HDDs, for a whopping 880 GB of storage -- and, in an exclusive deal, will come preloaded with all of Justin Bieber's music. (Still, some people will whine that they can't fit their entire iTunes library on it.) When asked about the iPad 2, Steve will reply cryptically, "Just wait." In a surprise move, the iPad 3 will be released in September, and the iPad 2 will be released two months later for the holiday shopping season, at a reduced price. Sales of both the 3 and the 2 will go through the roof. ("I usually leave my iPad 3 in the living room. When I'm in my bedroom, it's a hassle to go get it, so I bought an iPad 2 for the bedroom.") Apple's competitors will be thrown for a loop. Next year, in a copycat move, Microsoft will release Windows 6 at half the price of Windows 7, with the ad campaign, "It's good enough for most of us." The iPad 4 will be a minor upgrade, but the iPad 5 will use holographic technology, like the tablets in Avatar. Beyond that... hey, I'm not Nostradamus.

 

[MacFly123]

I'm not putting much credence in this but if it is true then great! I have been waiting over a year already and I will get iPad 2 and enjoy it just fine, then sell it and get iPad 3 and wait less time than I thought to get the Retina Display!

 

[brewser]

I haven't read all the posts but my thought is this could very well be true. iPad 2 is ready and they want to get it out with the camera feature.
The retina display will be available in the summer so they will come out with the iPad 3 at a bit higher price with some more bells and whistles to compete with Android. They will offer both models and I suspect the iPad 2 will come down in price to around $300. There might be a few features they didn't think of when they designed iPad 2 and now that the competition has announced their features Apple will come out with something really special for iPad 3.
It's all about price and positioning the product. This could be a fun year!

 

[Crosbie]

Two ways this could work:

A) They announce BOTH at a March event. One spec bump available now, iPad "2" at the end of the summer. Second September event launches it alongside the iPod line's latest bump.

B) iPad "3" = 11" iPad. Yes: The iPad MAXI. I think Steve ruled out a 7" iOS device.

Quite possibly that larger device will be at a higher resolution, and possibly that higher resolution will appear in the 9.7" device, making for a higher density display.

 

[absynth]

Here's my theory: Due to the Android threat, a large part of the iPad 2 development team was pulled away to work on the iPad 3. iPad 3 development is now ahead of schedule, while iPad 2 development has fallen behind. Instead of announcing the iPad 2 later this month, Steve will surprise us with the iPod Classic Quad, which will contain four 220 GB HDDs, for a whopping 880 GB of storage -- and, in an exclusive deal, will come preloaded with all of Justin Bieber's music. (Still, some people will whine that they can't fit their entire iTunes library on it.) When asked about the iPad 2, Steve will reply cryptically, "Just wait." In a surprise move, the iPad 3 will be released in September, and the iPad 2 will be released two months later for the holiday shopping season, at a reduced price. Sales of both the 3 and the 2 will go through the roof. ("I usually leave my iPad 3 in the living room. When I'm in my bedroom, it's a hassle to go get it, so I bought an iPad 2 for the bedroom.") Apple's competitors will be thrown for a loop. Next year, in a copycat move, Microsoft will release Windows 6 at half the price of Windows 7, with the ad campaign, "It's good enough for most of us." The iPad 4 will be a minor upgrade, but the iPad 5 will use holographic technology, like the tablets in Avatar. Beyond that... hey, I'm not Nostradamus.

[...] [/...]

 

[absynth]

perfect name...

for a 7" ipod touch / ipad bastard: the iBook.

Yes yes, i know, but that's long buried in tech history. It's the perfect name for such a portable reader / media device.
I seriously like this idea for a summer surprise. If Apple hadnt thought about it yet, they should pay attention to this thread

As much as i like the idea of an iPad 2HD, it seems rather unlikely. it would need faster graphics and a faster CPU probably. Making it a defacto new model, albeit at a high price point. OTOH, i dont expect prices for a retina 10" screen to become affordable soon, so they might keep the lower end low resolution option for a longer period well into iPad3 and maybe even 4

 

[Sol]

This sounds like a load of (insert favorite natural fertilizer here).

This sounds like the kind of stuff the competition would leak to slow consumers from buying the next-gen iPad. Make buyers wonder if they will have an obsolete/dated product to soften Apple sales of the iPad during market entry of HP and other offerings. A 3 or 4 month production run on the iPad 2 wouldn't even justify the factory re-tooling.

And such a move would be bad business for Apple. They don't win buy causing the consumer to no longer trust in a typical and predictable update schedule.

I agree. The timing of this rumour is highly suspicious because it deflates any excitement in the Mac community for the soon-to-be released iPad 2. If I believed that iPad 3 will be out this year I would skip the iPad 2, as many gullible members of this forum will surely do. HP, Acer, etc. would be loving this because it will mean these people can be tempted with their own updated tablets near the end of the year.

 

[DeathChill]

(The reason for the Airplay limitation is the videos taken on the iphone are not immediately compressed, and the uncompressed bitrate is too high to stream to the ATV. you can download a free app called quickplay to compress the video and then stream it to the ATV, or you can download your video into itunes and then assign it back to your iPhone in the iPod section, which compresses the video and enables it to be Airplayed. This seemed obvious to me, but Gruber was flummoxed. I've heard rumors that 4.3 will cause the iphone to compress the videos automatically so they can be Airplayed.)

You should probably re-read his posts on the matter. He said that maybe they are too high a bitrate to stream via AirPlay, but then countered with the fact that you can sync them to iTunes and sync them straight back to your phone (without any re-encoding) and you could AirPlay them.

http://daringfireball.net/2010/11/airplay_limits

 

[jealousguy86]

2/22/11 = ipad 2.

it'll be a whole thing based on 2. the 22nd day in the 2nd month. ipad 2 will be announced. it's a tuesday, which is about normal for apple when they announce things/have keynotes.

this is my guess if i had to pick a time in feb.

 

[Kris400]

Apple wouldn't do this. You know how much backlash they'd receive?

I really do not understand the people who are attempting to argue this!

Let's be clear: dropping the price of something so soon after launch may be considered unacceptable (as with the original iphone), but releasing a better product?!! - Apple has every right to update it's products as often as it wants and customers have no right to be outraged! Everyone knows how fast tech moves. New laptops / desktops are coming out all the time, just like with my iMac!

Whether Apple does or doesn't move the iPad to a 6 monthly schedule will have nothing to do with a "possible backlash" at them not sticking to a yearly timeframe that they created themselves!

 

[AgDon]

I may take a closer look at the iPad 2 if it has this new display they are talking about.
Link: http://tablet-news.com/2011/02/10/ipad-2-to-use-new-samsung-display-technology-pls-lcd/
Looks like it would be a good compromise between existing and retina.

 

[RuggedPro]

Apparently the 'fall surprise' will be software related. Most likely, iOS 5 which, I guess, will give your iPad 2 an iPad 3-ish feel...


RTP.

A September release would actually make sense if there's no retina type display and/or ipad2 is just a minor update. However, your idea makes more sense. I like it.

 

[Arran]

Exactly the March-April launch window is perfect for getting the jump on the vaporware at CES that won't be out til summer.

I agree. Better to spread out product introductions. Releasing new iPads and iPods together in the fall would just create an unmanageable workload hump across the entire company around that time. Manufacturing, QA, marketing, distribution, the retail stores, and even engineering (to a degree) will all be going crazy to support multiple product launches, only to fall into a lengthy period of calm afterwards.

Better to space out the releases, roll resources off one product and onto the next, give the stores something new every few months to maintain an instore "buzz" and allow the factories to ramp up production of one product while an older one is ramping down.

That, and there are only so many boats from China available at any one time

 

[jealousguy86]

if this ipad "3" is happening in the fall, that will be the more minor update. apple has had at the very least a year to come up with something new for the ipad 2, so this will be the bigger update.

if there's a new ipad coming in the fall, it's either a more minor update or maybe even a resolution upgrade, or maybe a 7 inch counterpart, which i think to be more feasible. but honestly, i think it'll just be more of a software update for it than hardware.

i highly doubt the ipad (if there is one) coming in the fall would be a better/bigger update than the ipad 2 is in the next coming weeks.

 

[nedz06]

This is just wishful thinking for the people that are holding off for the iPad 3
COME ON!! We don't even know what the iPad 2 is going to bring yet. Also It doesn't make sense for Apple to Update the iPod and iPad at the same event.
By releasing the iPad around the January-April time frame gives apple the advantage to make a slight change in hardware before the keynote just to make the next-gen iPad better then the tablets we see at CES. I have been waiting over a year for an iPad and I am going to get the iPad 2 the day it comes out. I'm sick of waiting.
I recall there was rumors about the iPad 2 coming out around fall also. Did it happen? No. This is the same case

"When you keep waiting for better technology you will never get the device you want, You will just keep waiting" (I made this up)

Maybe apple was already threatened by their competitors in which they sell at a low price.