It seems many forum members assume that the iPad release date has been shifted to October--for the sake of pre-holiday sales and so forth. Is it not more likely that they will simply return to the March release date? This was a minor update after all and to stay ahead--or well ahead--of the competition it seems they would want to update before too long. I suspect we're 5 months or so from a new iPad. I'd be curious hear what others have to say.
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next iPad update: March 2013?
- Thread starter Coeuspolus
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IMO, this was such a minor upgrade that it shouldn't have even been called a new generation and instead should be been a stealth update just to get the lightning connector out.
I don't care that they updated early, I just want to know if they'll upgrade again because IF they don't update until next oct I'd gladly take the resale loss and get an iPad 4 just because we upgraded phones this year and I'd like us to go all lightning.
I don't care that they updated early, I just want to know if they'll upgrade again because IF they don't update until next oct I'd gladly take the resale loss and get an iPad 4 just because we upgraded phones this year and I'd like us to go all lightning.
My money is on this being the new time frame for iPad refreshes, especially given this wasn't a silent release. By that I mean they have pissed off a lot of people who bought the iPad 3 since it was released, since they all thought (or many of them did) that their purchase would be current/new until March. For them to then piss off the gen 4 purchasers as well in just a few months would be one sin too many. I can't imagine they would do it. If they had silently upgraded the product, maybe you could assume March would be the next update, but since they were not silent about it, I think it's safe to assume this is the new refresh cycle for iPads.
There was an article someone linked to here in another thread which provided support for this position, in that they suggested (and I'd never thought of it) that when these are given as holiday gifts, 3 months later and their new gift is "obsolete". With a refresh cycle just before the holidays, any gift will be new/current for a whole year, which is a good thing I think. Tim Cook did a good thing, in my opinion.
There was an article someone linked to here in another thread which provided support for this position, in that they suggested (and I'd never thought of it) that when these are given as holiday gifts, 3 months later and their new gift is "obsolete". With a refresh cycle just before the holidays, any gift will be new/current for a whole year, which is a good thing I think. Tim Cook did a good thing, in my opinion.
The theory makes sense except for one thing... The iPad 4 feels obsolete and its not even out yet. The iPad 3 was a solid product and this will be sllightly better, but It retains the same extra bulk, it doesn't use the new manufacturing process with the bonded/less reflective glass, the black doesn't use a slate anodized back, the cameras and storage capacities are all the same and no new features were introduced.
It just seems like a better iPad is sitting in the wings so if this iPad 4 is all were going to get until October 2013 then that's going to be very disappointing because this is not necessarily a product that many people would describe as revolutionary (Resolutionary) anymore.
I don't call a generation update of the processor and graphics a minor update, that's what we have come to expect from a major update. So if they have another update in March what would they have to offer?? All it would be is a little bit thinner and lighter, maybe a different color shell - that's what I would call a minor update. We shall see but I don't think they would have updated the iPad now if they intended to also have a March update. 
100% agree.
Ipad 4 is just a revised iPad 3 could have just called or ipad hd.
It's hard to imagine Apple not releasing a new design as the 4th is basically the third under a new name.
Ipad 4 is just a revised iPad 3 could have just called or ipad hd.
It's hard to imagine Apple not releasing a new design as the 4th is basically the third under a new name.
I don't call a generation update of the processor and graphics a minor update, that's what we have come to expect from a major update. So if they have another update in March what would they have to offer?? All it would be is a little bit thinner and lighter, maybe a different color shell - that's what I would call a minor update. We shall see but I don't think they would have updated the iPad now if they intended to also have a March update.
It's funny, I see it the opposite way, but I suppose it's how you look at it.
My feeling is that average/common consumers don't care about specs, so this update would be largely irrelevant to them, rendering this update "minor." A bit thinner and lighter, now that is something that has quantifiable and measurable benefits that the average/common consumer can understand.
Regardless, though, no matter which way you see it, I still think March will not see an iPad refresh - Sept/Oct is the new refresh time of year for iPads.
October is iPad month now. One moved iPad release isn't going to change their year schedule.
They moved it out of necessity to keep the full sized iPad viable.
No it was released for profit and to roll out lightning..if they could have rolled out the Ipad mini earlier they would have.
I really don't think there was any logic behind when they made the announcement. It wasn't ready for the Iphone 4 one was they weren't ready to ship them.
Chances are even a retina mini is testing right now..yes March 2013
There is no way there is going to be another iPad update in March.
By the time the cellular iPad 4's start shipping around the world in late November, Apple are not going to introduce another one in a few months.
October will be the month that iPads and iPods are updated concurrently moving forward.
By the time the cellular iPad 4's start shipping around the world in late November, Apple are not going to introduce another one in a few months.
October will be the month that iPads and iPods are updated concurrently moving forward.
Since the Iphone 4 Apple have been firing out new releases as and when they are ready for release.
Iphone 5 arrived a month before Iphone 4S what does that say? 5 months is plenty of time to get an Ipad 5 out and ready..or atleast very latest summer 2013.
No it was released for profit and to roll out lightning..if they could have rolled out the Ipad mini earlier they would have.
I really don't think there was any logic behind when they made the announcement. It wasn't ready for the Iphone 4 one was they weren't ready to ship them.
Chances are even a retina mini is testing right now..yes March 2013
Obviously you don't have a marketing degree...
They released it now because the 4 was ready to launch with the Mini. It gets the entire product line to lightning, and defines their iPad lineup, as well as the Mac lineup.
You're looking at something that was a one-time deal to unify the new iPad Mini, iPad 4, and get the entire iOS line-up onto Lightning, and similar chips at once.
How people can't grasp that, and suddenly think that it's a 6 month cycle is beyond me. Look at Apple for the past decade, for Christ's sake. Year long refresh cycles. Plain and simple.
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This.
With the hype surrounding the iPhone 5 launch, people are freaking out to get one. They're still near impossible to find, a month after launch.
We could very well see similar issues with the iPad Mini and iPad 4 - especially the LTE versions.
Look at it like this - if there are backorders into December, or even January because of the holiday season? There's no way in hell Apple is releasing a new iPad a couple months after sales finally catch up. It's idiotic to think so.
What we saw was a one-time shift to a new release date. This opens up Spring for a different kind of product, or simply gets all of their keynotes moved to the fall.
NO.
I don't think it's a six month cycle.
I think another Ipad will come in six months because the Ipad 4 isn't much of an update and could have been a pro/HD ipad 3.
My opinion is they will churn out Ipad 5 in March to look exactly like Ipad mini. Ipad mini will get the retina. THEN..it will revert to a yearly cycle.
My opinion is that you're entirely incorrect.
We'll agree to disagree.
haha..well yes it's the same old debate on here and will be between March and October..people will wonder when the next one will come..
I wish the rumours page had some but there never is after a new launch always goes quiet.
What the experts say:
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobil...-even-newer-ipad-is-around-the-corner-1107009
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobil...-even-newer-ipad-is-around-the-corner-1107009
After what happened with this 4th gen update I'm just going to stop playing the update chase game and be happy with the 3rd gen that I have.
Yeah, it sucks that I'm one of the minority who actually enjoys FaceTime and would have loved an HD front camera, and yeah it sucks that I just dropped 600 on this months ago and my same model is heavily discounted now, but it still has the retina screen that I love and it gets the job done so I'm gonna keep it til it dies. Or maybe 2014.
Yeah, it sucks that I'm one of the minority who actually enjoys FaceTime and would have loved an HD front camera, and yeah it sucks that I just dropped 600 on this months ago and my same model is heavily discounted now, but it still has the retina screen that I love and it gets the job done so I'm gonna keep it til it dies. Or maybe 2014.
That's just how I feel.
Also how many people do you see still enjoying Ipad 2 still?
Ipad 4 is just too soon, too much like Ipad 3 I feel very sad about it all..they should have just kept the Ipad 4 away until they had something new to show us..like a redesign.
I think these new iPads will have a longer than usual cycle to get them back into the March timeframe. I think iPad Mini 2 and iPad 5 won't see the light until March 2014.
Most here think Apple will do something in 2013 with Ipad though.
March 2013 I think..
remember Ipad 4 is basically Ipad 3 really..with some add ons.
Leaving it to 2014 means the technology and heavy design is two years old.
Apple needs a lighter 9.7" asap.
The newest iPad completely eliminates devices with 30-pin connectors in the Apple Store. That's all this upgrade was fundamentally good for uniformity. Sucks it had to happen to those of us who invested arse loads of money into a product that was stripped of a charging port that was well planned out.
I'm betting this is a change for a while. This puts new iPads out in time for holiday shopping, when about 40 percent of shopping is done in the US.
It makes sense that both of them are updated with the new SoC in a similar time frame. I don't think it'll be going back to the March release date.
I think the October release of the 4th generation iPad was actually a smart move by Apple, despite that fact it upset a few.
It allowed Apple to get rid of the 30 pin connector, take advantage of the holiday sales and also it meant that they could take some of the attention away from the launch of the MS Surface.
I would hazard a guess that at the moment Apple are busily working on new, and hopefully exciting, technology for the 5th generation iPad. One can hope. If the new stuff is ready in time for a March release then they can launch then (albeit upsetting a few 4th generation owners) but if they need more time to perfect the technology then they can aim for an October release and return to their 12-month cycle.
There is a possibility that if they hadn't done this then the 4th generation with all the new technology would have been released 18 months after the 3rd generation which is too long.
Or... it could just be as some people are thinking and Apple have switched to a shorter release cycle. Time will tell...
It allowed Apple to get rid of the 30 pin connector, take advantage of the holiday sales and also it meant that they could take some of the attention away from the launch of the MS Surface.
I would hazard a guess that at the moment Apple are busily working on new, and hopefully exciting, technology for the 5th generation iPad. One can hope
. If the new stuff is ready in time for a March release then they can launch then (albeit upsetting a few 4th generation owners) but if they need more time to perfect the technology then they can aim for an October release and return to their 12-month cycle.There is a possibility that if they hadn't done this then the 4th generation with all the new technology would have been released 18 months after the 3rd generation which is too long.
Or... it could just be as some people are thinking and Apple have switched to a shorter release cycle. Time will tell...