Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I don't believe for one second that Apple would raise the price on the iPad.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I believe this 100%, and I think it's a great idea.

The iPad is the most popular tablet on the market by far, especially with premium price buyers. Adding the iPad 3 at a higher price point, while keeping the iPad 2 on the market at a lower point is a perfect way to capitalize on the higher willingness to pay market.
 
If true that would be a pretty big head-scratcher. Too much competition to be increasing prices, even if it is "nominal" amount.

Doesn't make much sense though....so I guess we can hold judgement for another 9 days.
 
I don't believe Apple will actually increase the price. When was the last time that they did so on a new revision of a product? And I don't mean dropping the lowest model of something to make the base price more expensive (Ex. if they were to get rid of the 16 GB model, the base price would be more expensive, but the prices would remain the same).
 
Given that the iPad has been such a spectacular failure, Apple would be wise to just drop the product. Or else it could lead to an unmitigated disaster on the future of the company.

Apple should concentrate on the iPhone, which has the potential to be a successful product.

In fact I strongly feel, that the March 7 event, will be an announcement that Apple is dropping the iPad, and introducing the next model of iPhone.

LOL I thought you were serious for a second.
 
If it has a retina display, new/faster processor, and 8mp or more rear camera (at least if not better than the iphone 4s) and HD front facing camera (like on the MBP) then I would be okay with the slight price increase.

Hopefully some of the price increase is to help pay better wages for those factory workers.
 
More expensive?!

Assuming the new models are more expensive, I can't believe people will pay for them.

I still don't get the lure of the iPad. It can't do what my Macbook does (e.g. watch videos and email at same time) and it is not portable cf. my iPhone for mobile use.

I understand its positioned in a mystical "third category", but it is clearly not designed with me and my needs in mind. I'm not "against" iPads, I just don't get them.

I'm curious - who will pay more (hypothetically, vis this article) for a new iPad, and what will it be used for primarily?
 
I don't believe Apple will actually increase the price. When was the last time that they did so on a new revision of a product? And I don't mean dropping the lowest model of something to make the base price more expensive (Ex. if they were to get rid of the 16 GB model, the base price would be more expensive, but the prices would remain the same).

Last time Apple did this was with the original flat screen iMac. Apple raised the price back up by $100 due to high memory prices if my memory serves correctly.

I've slept since then though.
 
A price hike is basically Apple saying "Hey, lets turn the tablet market into the PC market, we are tired of dominating it so lets price ourselves out of it and become a niche product again. We're tired of accumulating so much money!"

With Android competitors lowering their prices while increasing features and usability, a simultaneous price hike from Apple basically means you'll be able to get a "not as good but still really cool" tablet for a few hundred bucks less going the Android way.

I'll probably end up paying and getting it anyway, only because I have the money and I like Apple's stuff, but a lot of casual buyers are going to look at $570 and then turn around and see an android tablet at $399 or $349 and wonder if the iPad is worth the 50% to 70% premium.

On the other hand, if Apple priced a retina-display iPad for $499 with the speed improvements and better camera, it could really secure its dominance big time. That extra $70 psychologically will make a big difference ($499 sounds so affordable, $570 sounds like whoa, expensive!)

I hope this rumor is proven false!!!
 
I'd probably be ok with the price hike if they raised the minimum capacity to 32GB and top end to 128GB. I just can't imagine 16GB giving you much usable space with a retina display and higher resolution cameras.

I'll just be hoping these rumors don't pan out, otherwise I'll have to find something else to spend my $500 on. I've already made it this long without an iPad after all.
 
I just realized that with all the plane shipments to various airports and the way the report reads, the iPad 3 could possibly be primed for a heist not unlike the Lufthansa heist at JFK.
 
Last edited:
Prediction: iPad 2 drops price to $399 and iPad 2X (for 2X resolution display) is launched at a higher price than previous generation.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A406 Safari/7534.48.3)

atomicbloke said:
Given that the iPad has been such a spectacular failure, Apple would be wise to just drop the product. Or else it could lead to an unmitigated disaster on the future of the company.

Apple should concentrate on the iPhone, which has the potential to be a successful product.

In fact I strongly feel, that the March 7 event, will be an announcement that Apple is dropping the iPad, and introducing the next model of iPhone.
I'm guessing your joking....but If your serious your quite wrong
 
If Apple wants to further penetrate the mobile PC market, I don't think they would raise the price. But if for some reason they decided they wanted to raise the price, making the iPad 3 more of an addition to the line (keeping the iPad 2 in public consciousness), rather than a replacement is the way to do it.
 
I don't mind the price increase..

I really don't mind the $79 (approx. 16%) price increase over the previous base model since my salary has increased by 16% too from last year...oh, wait it hasn't.:(
 
100 billion in the bank and the still keep sticking to us. I might just wait to see what Amazon does with the 10" Fire.
 
So, you all want:

- A bleeding-edge retina display
- In a shell no more than 1mm thicker than an iPad 2
- With LTE
- Made by people paid a respectable wage
- Made by people with an appreciating currency

And yet any price increase is a deal breaker?
 
There is no way a $100 tablet can compare to an iPad, and Apple doesn't even try to please the market segment looking for tablets that cheap.

that $100 tablet most definitely has to be cr@p

but Asus makes solid tablets (performance wise) and they will be making budget transformers now

ipad has the apps tho, there is no denying that
 
Not really seeing how this is any type of News.

No more than when Amazon or BB puts prices and release dates as placeholders for items that are coming.

I mean, you really think apple informs ANY of it's retailers how much the iPad is going to cost? No, they find out on the announcement day, just like everyone else.

So some retailer posted what they think the price is going to be on an UNANNOUNCED product and MR posts it as a news article so now everyone takes it as fact and has their panties in a bunch.

Great reporting... :rolleyes:
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

ChrisTX said:
Not liking the idea of a price increase. :(

If true it could change the market. That puts a nearly 400 window between the kindle fire and the new iPad for other players to insert themselves. At 499 it is much harder to get I. There but this would open things up. Even if they keep the two it still allows competition to slip in there
 
I don't buy this at all. It is not very Apple like to raise their price lines on their staple products (iPhone, iPad, iPod). They are known for their set prices that stay the same each year. I don't think a retina display is enough to justify the extra cost for most people, especially when it's still only 16gb storage. They will just buy a refurbished/dropped price iPad 2 and call it good. Unless there is something coming with the new iPad that none of us will see coming, I don't expect a price hike. Apple will keep the set prices for the models, and continue the 16gb iPad 2 for $399-$450. This is just some random Chinese site. As others have guessed, maybe the iPad will be increasing in China.
 
Given that the iPad has been such a spectacular failure, Apple would be wise to just drop the product. Or else it could lead to an unmitigated disaster on the future of the company.

Apple should concentrate on the iPhone, which has the potential to be a successful product.

In fact I strongly feel, that the March 7 event, will be an announcement that Apple is dropping the iPad, and introducing the next model of iPhone.

If nothing else, Apple can make some money selling mice and keyboards. I feel sorry for them sometimes.

RE: The price,

I was under the impression the iPad 3 was more for professionals and would start at closer to $1k. The iPad 2 was planned to remain the more mainstream product. I am surprised the prices are as cheep as listed.

Some people are saying the iPad 3 might be canceled and replaced with an iPad III. The iPad III will be exactly the same as the iPad 3, only with a different name.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.