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Next iPad and iPhone Due in "Middle of 2013"?

I think Apple should focus on yearly product refreshes on all it's products.
 
Leonard1818 said:
Apple...

You had me. Every year, once a year. You had me buying a phone.

Switch to the "Android handset lifecycle" and you'll lose me. I'll buy a new device on an "as needed" basis (i.e. mine breaks) rather than an "as wanted" basis.
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They have to keep up with the competition. Like it or not ;)

Just decide yourself when you do the update.
 
AJH1993 said:
Really dislike how Apple releases new stuff in 1 year or in a half year. Because they know people have the "I need the latest and greatest" mindset.
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It's called competition. Apple would LOVE to not have to release new models that fast, it reduces profits and shortens the amount of time/devices that can be sold using any one model/manufacturing process. Witness how hard it is to get the 5 made. In 6 months it'll be easy, but a new model will already be around the corner. Apple hates that.
 
Whoop-dee-doo, the next carrot apple is dangling in front of us as we run on our hamster wheel. They should try focusing on their outdated OS and not so much on the next hardware.
 
DrumApple said:
Whoop-dee-doo, the next carrot apple is dangling in front of us as we run on our hamster wheel. They should try focusing on their outdated OS and not so much on the next hardware.
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This really is what they need to do.

OS overhaul.

Its getting drastically dated. Running 4.2 Jellybean on my Nexus just seems so much better. Not trying to start a war or "android lover"... Just saying it like it is for me personally.
 
This recent iPad 4 release was good for me, it taught me that I don't always have to have the newest tech from apple everytime is comes out. Thank you apple. My addiction was out of control.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Ummm, iPad Mini has GPS today. It's in all of the units equipped with LTE. Pick any one and GPS is part of the added hardware to make it also work with cellular options on demand.
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Cost to Apple to add GPS chip: about 5 bucks

Cost of 3 years of data plan/taxes/fees to get quasi-GPS from cell phone towers: about $900.

A bit pricey if you don't need the data access for other things, and useless if you're out of cell tower range. If you like to get off the beaten path, real GPS is the way to go.
 
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This is how Apple get's out of "delaying purchases due to rumors of upcoming products" hell
 
tom53092 said:
Cost to Apple to add GPS chip: about 5 bucks

Cost of 3 years of data plan/taxes/fees to get quasi-GPS from cell phone towers: about $900.

A bit pricey if you don't need the data access for other things, and useless if you're out of cell tower range. If you like to get off the beaten path, real GPS is the way to go.
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Buying an iPad with built-in cellular doesn't require you to ever buy any cellular service or lock into any contract. It's just there if you need it. If you ever do need cellular, you can turn it on for very little and it will expire rather than continue to bill you. More simply, it's on demand LTE/3G only if and when you need it (if ever).

It's not quasi GPS, it's real GPS. It doesn't need cell towers or cell signals to function (you never have to activate LTE/3G service for the GPS hardware to work). GPS works just like dedicated GPS devices without LTE/3G. No towers nearby has no relevance on its functionality.

You might think of it as paying up for (real) GPS and getting a bonus of LTE/3G if you ever need it.

As to the $5 part vs. the extra $130 or so Apple wants for its inclusion, you'll need to decide if you want that functionality that badly or not. If not, there are dedicated GPS devices that work by bluetooth for non-LTE iDevices (such as: http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electron...luetooth/dp/B006M49G80/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_1). Some mifi devices have GPS built into them too. Such devices seem to run about $100-$150+.

Or you can tether with an iPhone (though I've read enough comments about that to conclude that tethering for GPS is not as good as having the GPS version of the iPad).
 
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If this is true, it will finally place the 'S' models where they belong: A mid-cycle fix for the initial release. Bring it on.
 
frayne182 said:
Apple isn't your friend. No offense or anything, but people have this mentality that companies owe them... Or people stick up for them like they are buddies. If apple showed loyalty to their customers they would give them benefits from their loyalty. Like Jimmy bought the last 3-4 iPads... Here is some iTunes $$ as a thanks.


Microsoft is doing that now with Xbox Live celebrating 10 years. People who have been with them for 10 years are getting(I believe) a free xbox.

Apple doesn't do these sort of things, although it would be nice.
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I don't think that is true about the Xbox as all I got from them was a free helmet for my avatar. I am not talking about dividends or payouts. Loyalty to the consumer is not disrespecting their faith in your product by letting them know they sold you an inferior (not defective) one as new just months before it introduced a new one.
 
Sedrick said:
If this is true, it will finally place the 'S' models where they belong: A mid-cycle fix for the initial release. Bring it on.
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You realise there was 16 months between the iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S...


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How are they going to refresh the mini mid 2013 when we know from the suppliers of the retina display that it won't be ready till Q3 2013 with production for Q4 2013.

Are they now going to roll out a refreshed mini and then 8-12 weeks later another ?

This rumour is the usual Digitimes BS that has no meritable basis, but only serves to drive traffic to their dull as dishwater website...

And MacRumors needs a slap on the hand for repeating every 'fart' out of Digtimes backside.
 
Apple has to change the cycle.

The ipad will become the new Xmas release, with it being released around Sept/Oct every year.
The iPhone needs to be moved to the March/April slot.

2 options....
  1. Wait 1 1/2 years to upgrade the iPhone 5 in March/April 2014 to the iPhone 6
  2. Update the iPhone 5 this march/April 2013 to an iPhone 5S and get on a yearly spring release schedule.
Either way, its going to happen and I understand why.

iPhone buyers are basically 'contract buyers'. They buy their iPhones when their contract is up.
Ipad buyers just buy to buy. NO CONTRACT NEEDED thus better sales......hence a bigger xmas sales rush :)
 
donrsd said:
Apple has to change the cycle.

The ipad will become the new Xmas release, with it being released around Sept/Oct every year.
The iPhone needs to be moved to the March/April slot.

Either way, its going to happen and I understand why.

iPhone buyers are basically 'contract buyers'. They buy their iPhones when their contract is up.
Ipad buyers just buy to buy. NO CONTRACT NEEDED thus better sales......hence a bigger xmas sales rush :)
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THIS!
Exactly what I thought.
 
AJH1993 said:
Really dislike how Apple releases new stuff in 1 year or in a half year. Because they know people have the "I need the latest and greatest" mindset.
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You realize you have the option of not buying it right?
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
No this is just the mask for the underlying problem. Apple needs a new "next big thing". Looking back at the pace of prior "next big thing" releases, they needed to launch one this year (in 2012) to maintain the accelerating pace of those rollouts. By "next big thing" I don't mean a new version of an existing product but something that would be seen a version 1 of a brand new innovative offering.

Because Apple is under pressure to keep the growth slope steep, they are launching in more and more countries on day 1. They used to launch in the U.S. and then gradually roll out to the rest of the world. However, over the last few years, they've launched to more and more countries on day 1 and rolled out to many more (sooner than what they used to do in the past) quickly. Why? Because they need to book those revenues of old "next big things" faster and faster to maintain that revenue growth slope. Why? Because they haven't launched a new "next big thing" since iPad launched to be fresh (entirely new product) fuel for propping up that slope.

So, in booking sales of old "next big things" (updates) faster and faster, they need to roll out new versions of the existing legs of the table faster and faster. Else, the revenue growth slope will roll over and then the stock will really feel the pain.

What Apple needs is a new big innovation (a brand new leg of the table). And based on the past big innovations, they need a whopper in early 2013 and maybe 2 more whoppers in 2014. Riding one "next big thing" for 2-4 years (of updates) doesn't work as well as the revenue numbers get bigger and bigger. Eventually, iterations of old "next big things" will need to launch to all markets everywhere at the same time to generate a quarter's revenue targets. And, if you do that, you'll need something else for the global market to buy in the next quarter to try to meet its target.

We can rationalize it as "keeping up with competition" and all of that other stuff but if you can look at the situation objectively and you look to past companies that had revenue growth slopes like Apple, the story is always the same. Even supporting clues are right in our faces:
  • remember how Apple events used to focus on products that were pretty much ready to launch. Now, we see more and more stuff that seems to be reaching forward in the pipeline to tout now and launch later (even missing target launch dates)
  • Remember how launches were usually fully-baked products. Now we seem to be getting some stuff that might be called "mature beta" at best.
  • Etc.
All of which might be viewed as signs that the demands per the growth slope are challenging Apple to try to keep up. Without having big things ready to launch now, they are instead pressured to pull back the curtain more than in the past and show us some stuff that might be 80%+ ready. If I was guessing why so much money has fled the stock lately, it's because the "smart money" has seen this movie many times before.

Solution: a genuine, must-have "next big thing" rollout in the first quarter 2013 on par with the "shut up and take my money" fever of iPod, iPhone and iPad. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the rumored television product might be "it" but that seems to be the only working rumor of something that would seem to be a genuine new leg of the table. I think Apple could reinforce the slope with just one "next big thing" in 2013 but they will likely need 2 in 2014 to keep it going. Can you imagine 3 new big innovations on par with iPod/iTunes 1, iPhone 1 and iPad 1 over the next 25 months? I hope Apple has.
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Good observations. But what if they expanded their existing brands horizontally? I see that starting with the iPad Mini.

They cou ld introduce ruggedized iPad Pros for contractors, etc. Maybe a spot-on simple phone with big text for seniors. Would that forestall the need to introduce the next big thing for a while?
 
charlituna said:
As for your drop the wall etc, it won't happen. Such tactics are against Apple's core. If you demand a fully user controlled device then Apple's not for you
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You must be referencing someone else's post, I didn't say anything about Apple being open. It's been a dictatorial proprietary camp since day one. Most people know that before buying into Apple's closed loop.
 
This is very smart of them!!
Tim is a numbers guy so he knows people who bought a 4S aren't due for a full upgrade until summer 2013 at the earliest so having a brand new product exactly at the time youre able to upgrade will make it easy for customers to upgrade instead of waiting 6 more months for the new iPhone and possibly getting an android phone so they don't have to wait!!
 
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