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This lines up with what I posted previously except for the Mini which I think should be separate from the other ipad, meaning keeping the Mini for fall. Apple needs to shine a spotlight on its bigger ipad and focus better on marketing. The iphone won't release without iOS 7, which needs a few months of beta testing (typically most of summer). I still think a mere ipad mini spec bump (no retina) makes little sense in April. It's selling as fast as Apple can make them right now.
The constraint on Apple making them faster/slower them isn't really the Flash chip. The spec bump could consist merely storage capacity. Witness the 128GB iPad tweak recently. It is a just a different capacity chip package of the same size on exactly the same logic board. There were already 3 different same physical size chips being added to the board. Switching to 4 or switching to a different 3 of the same physical size has little impact on manufacturing. It is just slightly adjusted supply-chain.
Keep in mind this isn't an indication that Apple is releasing twice a year. I wouldn't expect a bigger ipad (again) in fall. This is Apple readjusting.
It isn't Apple readjusting. It is far more so Apple scrambling to keep up with the innovation of their competitors. This is very similar to Intel's tick/tock approach to delivering new CPU packges. They either change the microarchitecture or shrink the process. They don't do two relatively risky things at the same time. It is the same thing with 3-> 3GS , 4 -> 4S , 5 -> 5S transitions.
I don't think Apple can keep up a 6 month tick/tock pace with the iPads very long. They'll probably go back to yearly, but right now they don't have another super high growth engine and switching over CPU/GPU foundries is going to be risky.
Why even release a minor spec bump for the Mini, if Retina is slated?
To stay ahead of the competition.
Last fall you saw that Amazon countered the Nexus 7 by bumping up the Flash storage. The entry point moved to 16GB up from the 8GB/16GB from the previous year.
There is a good chance that either those two or some of their competitors come back with the same move this Q3-Q4 before the new Retina mini is ready with entry points perhaps starting at 32GB for 32/64/128 tablet line ups. Note: this also mimics Apple's top end of 128GB.
It wouldn't be surprising if Apple went
iPad 5 : thinner (back down from bump up for initial Retina battery bubble ) and a line up of 32/64/128 at the same prices as the current iPads.
Apple currently charging $100 for 8GB and 16GB increments is a farce. They don't cost anywhere near that. At list moving to minimally 32GB intervals they can maintain prices with some creditibility and still have large margins.
iPad mini (spec bump) : because Apple has OCD the mini's now have to match. LOL. So 32/64/128 at same price points.
Come Fall if the new A7 derivative and new low power screen tech allows.
iPad mini : new CPU/GPU package, new screen , new camera but same storage.
Possibly also the "iPad mini even cheaper" which would be original one chopped back down the 16GB and sold just for $299 breaking the $300 price barrier. ( similar to how "last year's" iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone are sold. ). That will be the $299 iPad everyone thought should have sold against Amazon/Nexus/ etc. 7" models.
iPad : if major new competition then maybe a bump on camera, 801 ac , or something that fits in same container and logic board. But more likely back to 12 month cycles. Last year was primarily because the A6 wasn't aligned to iPad 3.
They are likely though to get some blowback though going down this path. I suspect they are going to scare off a number of buyers who are going to guess that "yet another revision is coming in 6 months" and just wait.
