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Next-Generation iPad and iPad Mini Rumored for March Launch
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So Apple is going to raise the price on the mini just because they can? They didn't raise the price on the 3rd gen iPad even though iPad 2 was selling well. 5th gen iPod touch is $299 for 32GB whereas the 4th gen was $299 for 16GB. Just because something is flying off the shelves at certain price point doesn't mean it was priced too low. And I don't think we can assume that Apple can raise the price on the mini by $50 or $100 and it will still fly off the shelves. Especially when Apple hasn't really ever raised the prices on its iOS devices before.
Forced to change due to competition? They still have the lion's share of the tablet market and it's not because competitors can't produce good hardware, it's that developers aren't willing to develop comparable quality apps for a platform where no money can be made and which suffers from severe fragmentation.
You don't beat the competition by increasing the number of incremental upgrades you make a year. You beat them by continuous innovation and by making your ecosystem sticky. Shortening product cycles to every six months would be ridiculous. Meaningful hardware upgrades, like chipset advances, take more than six months to implement.
Why is this rumor so persistent? And not that I read all 15 pages of comments, but why is nobody questioning the basic premise here?
If you want to make the iPad 4 lighter and thinner, you need to reduce the battery size. In order to do that you need a new battery chemistry, which doesn't exist, or you need to make the system more power efficient. The A6X is already made on Samsung's 32 nm HKMG process. Apple can't pull a full node shrink and still produce enough chips to release a new product by the end of Q1 unless they switched to Intel for fab. So maybe there's a new retina display that uses way less power and is itself thinner, but is that enough to merit a new device launch? No way.
So the iPad mini, what does that obviously lack? A retina display. Have we seen any of those parts yet? No. How are you going to drive a display with that many pixels? You'll need a much higher power SoC and much more battery for back-lighting as well. Once again, there is no evidence to support any possibility of a refresh.
This whole story is such BS. Look at the current iOS device product stack; there's something like 64 devices right now just for the US market alone. Come on, what serious analyst would look at the situation and conclude that Apple is about to release new iPad models, at least in the US market?
If you want to make the iPad 4 lighter and thinner, you need to reduce the battery size. In order to do that you need a new battery chemistry, which doesn't exist, or you need to make the system more power efficient. The A6X is already made on Samsung's 32 nm HKMG process. Apple can't pull a full node shrink and still produce enough chips to release a new product by the end of Q1 unless they switched to Intel for fab. So maybe there's a new retina display that uses way less power and is itself thinner, but is that enough to merit a new device launch? No way.
So the iPad mini, what does that obviously lack? A retina display. Have we seen any of those parts yet? No. How are you going to drive a display with that many pixels? You'll need a much higher power SoC and much more battery for back-lighting as well. Once again, there is no evidence to support any possibility of a refresh.
This whole story is such BS. Look at the current iOS device product stack; there's something like 64 devices right now just for the US market alone. Come on, what serious analyst would look at the situation and conclude that Apple is about to release new iPad models, at least in the US market?
I really really don't care about the frequent updates... I'm still rocking the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 
I was going to downsize to the iPad mini, but I kinda expected that a Retina version was coming soon.
I was going to downsize to the iPad mini, but I kinda expected that a Retina version was coming soon.
Very well said. The problem is what you say makes too much sense. They wouldn't be analysts if they actually used their brains.
If the RAM is improved on the mini and we get an A6 processor, then I'd upgrade from the mini I have now. I'm realizing now that the mini isn't really that great for surfing the web. It slows down quite a lot and loses Wi-Fi connectivity constantly. I'd like some improvements with the hardware more than anything. I could care less about a retina display. It'd be nice, though.
everyone knows the third mini is going to be the one mini, then two more obsolete minis and a relevant mini again, its the law of three minis.
The third gen can connect to all the 30 pin accessories
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So you're angry because there'll be something better than what you have?
I am working with a 3rd Gen 32GB iPod Touch. I was going to get a iPad 4 but, after researching and finding the iPad 5 coming out. I will be like the rest of the "first time tablet" buyers and go for the iPad 5 because of it lighter builded. Which I will miss the 30 pin connection. I will end it like this, bring on March and the iPad 5!
You have a point.
But "meaningful" upgrades are hard to come by, even by a year's standard. The iPhone is a perfect example. The 3GS and 4S was obviously a middle-of-the-road product compared to their 3G and 4 brothers.
Having the lion's share means you have to protect your owned territory even more. Having the largest share, you have the most to LOSE, not gain. Gaining market share is the hard part and keeping it is even harder. Sure, Google and whoever is throwing the kitchen sink to see how many % they can grab and no one can deny how well Android is doing. All competitors have to do is copy your product and sprinkle a function here and a feature there to grab some land from Apple.
So why are you worried? It should last you a while then. My ipad 3 is going fine.
Good to see they're updating the iPad mini already, because the current model is basically an iPad 2 except for the weight, dimensions and pixel density. The processor, RAM and screen resolution are the same. These two devices will therefore be outdated around the same time, although it's 18-19 months between their release dates.
The next model of iPad mini should absolutely get a speed bump, but I doubt it will get retina display (RD) this March. The unavoidable increase in weight and thickness would make the iPad mini less portable, potentially defying its purpose. Besides, there's already a shortage of RDs with such high pixel density, and Apple would have a hard time to meet the demands.
Note that my thoughts about lack of RD is not wishful thinking on my part; after all, I really wish it would come with RD in March already.
The next model of iPad mini should absolutely get a speed bump, but I doubt it will get retina display (RD) this March. The unavoidable increase in weight and thickness would make the iPad mini less portable, potentially defying its purpose. Besides, there's already a shortage of RDs with such high pixel density, and Apple would have a hard time to meet the demands.
Note that my thoughts about lack of RD is not wishful thinking on my part; after all, I really wish it would come with RD in March already.
OMG, not another discussion about business models.
Apple's business model is to get their profit off the sale of their hardware - the purpose of iTunes (though it might make a small profit) is to increase the value of the hardware they sell. It's the flip of the Amazon and Google and B&N, where *their* profit is derived from the sale of products and services *post sale* of the hardware. This is the main reason that the N7, Kindle (family) and Nook are all cheaper (setting aside materials and build quality) - that was my point about price, it's tied to each company's business model.What you choose to do with a product does not affect the business models of these companies.
Also, I completely disagree with you about the superiority of the mini, but then again, my criteria are different than yours.
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And yet it's a best-seller worldwide. Even with its short comings it's still a top notch tablet and far smoother than the Nexus 7 w current specs.
I can't see the 5th iPad coming for the exact reason you mentioned.
Right now barely any difference in performance exists within third party apps between the 3 and 4. Games, the current crop and even newer releases, look near identical out with a touch of sharpness on textures and a slightly better frame rate.
The real jump is performance is still to come and I cannot see the iPad 4th gen being replaced before its had a chance to flex its muscles.
iphone5 is one of the fastest phones in the market. And you forget the lags and stutters on the GNexs and even the Nexus 7.
Last time I checked benchmarks my note 2 smoked the iphone 5 and there are faster androids out. Maybe you should do your homework first.
This fast of a schedule will probably be OK as long as the externals stay roughly the same dimensions. The new iPad Smart Case I just bought works on three generations of iPads. Same thing with a bazillion other accessories.
So basically it wouldn't matter to most of us aside from the products getting outdated quicker. That happens to me all the time when I buy a Mac and it's not a huge deal.
As long as iPads can receive the vast majority of features on new OS versions for about four years, I think we'll all be ok.
So basically it wouldn't matter to most of us aside from the products getting outdated quicker. That happens to me all the time when I buy a Mac and it's not a huge deal.
As long as iPads can receive the vast majority of features on new OS versions for about four years, I think we'll all be ok.