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Would Apple ever release two iPads in the same year?

G

gamecube117

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 7, 2012
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They've done this in the past with the iPhone (with minor changes). Example: White iPhone 4 in February 2011. iPhone 4S in October 2011.

Will they make an "S" version or ".5" of the new iPad this year? Or will they wait a full year and release a whole new iPad? Because they can still do some minor upgrades this year (Facetime camera, camera upgrade, heating issues, etc)
 
Not a direct replacement. I suppose if the rumors about a 7" iPad are true, that could be released.
 
I hope not, I just bought the new iPad, I don't want to be outdated by the new iPad s or the super new iPad in a few months......
 
The White iPhone wasn't a new product, it was just a white iPhone. They didn't upgrade any features.

I'd say its highly unlikely that we'll see another iPad this year.
 
i hope notttt coz im gonna be broke if they did it.

ipad 2 is still fast even the new ipad is out now. so i think there is no need to release a second product in the same year.
 
Macman45 said:
No. not this year, but I do see the iPad mini or whatever they choose to call it being released at some stage this year.
Click to expand...

Don't count on it.

There is no market.

They are selling 160,000 iPads a day. That's 15,000,000 a quarter. Why take any of that capacity for a device with so little market cap.

They would need to create a whole new market to make the sales of a niche device remotely interesting.

Selling 1,000,000 a year is simply not interesting.
 
As we don't work for Apple, we don't know. All these responses are pure speculation since none of us sit in on their meetings about product releases. For all we know, a 7.85" iPad could be coming out this summer.
 
thewitt said:
Don't count on it.

There is no market.

They are selling 160,000 iPads a day. That's 15,000,000 a quarter. Why take any of that capacity for a device with so little market cap.

They would need to create a whole new market to make the sales of a niche device remotely interesting.

Selling 1,000,000 a year is simply not interesting.
Click to expand...

Of course there's a market, just because you don't want one doesn't mean there isn't. No one, not even you, can truly say how much interest there would be for an iPad Nano. Maybe they should stop making Macs in different sizes, surely there's no market for an 11" MacBook.
 
The iPad is (inevitably) going to follow the model of the iPod. As it becomes more and more of a household name and gets more and more embedded in peoples' minds as the tablet to have, Apple will diversify the offerings to cover all budgets and needs.

I don't know if the "iPad Mini" will really release this year, but I will not be surprised if it does surface to cover the more budget conscious users and people who want a more affordable e reader. If they make it $199, that would be a slam dunk. I don't think they will price it that low, but even at $250 it would be enough to lure Fire buyers away from Amazon.
 
I continually doubt these rumors. A smaller tablet could cannibalize sales of the full-blown iPad. It doesn't make sense (to me, anyway) for Apple to do such a thing just to get higher market share, since more downloads in the app store isn't really their model. Their model is hardware sales. Always has been. Market share is never a primary goal for Apple.

I could be wrong, of course. Have been before, will be again. :)

I do think that if Apple offers a smaller iPad, it will only be incrementally cheaper than the standard iPad, so as to minimize cannibalization of profits.
 
gopnick said:
I continually doubt these rumors. A smaller tablet could cannibalize sales of the full-blown iPad. It doesn't make sense (to me, anyway) for Apple to do such a thing just to get higher market share, since more downloads in the app store isn't really their model. Their model is hardware sales. Always has been. Market share is never a primary goal for Apple.

I could be wrong, of course. Have been before, will be again. :)

I do think that if Apple offers a smaller iPad, it will only be incrementally cheaper than the standard iPad, so as to minimize cannibalization of profits.
Click to expand...

However, Apple has been quoted multiple times over the years about this subject. They really don't care if sales are cannibalized. If that happens, at least in their book, it is because they are evolving the product line and that's just part of doing business. Tim Cook believes that the iPad is probably cannibalizing some MacBook sales, but that's great for him, because the iPad is slowly starting to become the front page product for Apple. (after the iPhone, that is.)
 
I would hope Apple wouldn't be foolish and start acting like the android market is going right now..buy a phone (in this case a tablet) and get outdated in two months.
 
From the book...

There's a lot of insights into Job's iPad view contained in the biography. There was never a concern of one product cannibalising sales of another. He stated something along the lines of: "if we don't do it, our competitors will." I know Tim Cook is now in charge. I don't think that attitude will change (but what do I know?)

Another discussion about the iPad involved the need to evolve it. The original iPad was more about consumption than creativity/empowerment. The release of the iPad2 was accompanied with apps that allowed the user to do things (garageband, etc.)

Perhaps they'll release a smaller form factor once they can bridge this gap.
 
It sort-of happened with the first ultra-compact iPods:

Apple released the first shuffle back in Jan 2005. I bought one because it was the most compact device available at the time - even if it had no screen.

Then in September of the same year, out came the 1st gen nano. Super compact (as good as a 1G shuffle). Of course, I had to have one of those too, because I was fed up not having a screen on the shuffle. Four times the capacity didn't hurt either.

So I wouldn't completely discount an iPad mini this year. The big things I'm wondering are:
  • How fully featured would it be?
  • Would iPad 3 owners feel the need to buy one?
  • And if so, would it be as a replacement, or an addition (more for on-the-go use)?

Edit: I completely forgot about the 2nd gen iPod mini. (Thankfully, I didn't buy one of those). It was released in Feb 2005. A mere seven months later it was obsoleted by the sexy-thin nano. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod. Those were the early days of the ultra-compact mp3 player category and Apple was throwing new products out the door like there was no tomorrow
 
Last edited:
Arran said:
It sort-of happened with the first ultra-compact iPods:

Apple released the first shuffle back in Jan 2005. I bought one because it was the most compact device available at the time - even if it had no screen.

Then in September of the same year, out came the 1st gen nano. Super compact (as good as a 1G shuffle). Of course, I had to have one of those too, because I was fed up not having a screen on the shuffle. Four times the capacity didn't hurt either.

So I wouldn't completely discount an iPad mini this year. The big things I'm wondering are:
  • How fully featured would it be?
  • Would iPad 3 owners feel the need to buy one?
  • And if so, would it be as a replacement, or an addition (more for on-the-go use)?
Click to expand...

I think this would be the only way they'd release another iPad in the same year if it somehow had a distinctive different appeal from the other rather than a simple upgrade to the same model.
 
iEvolution said:
I think this would be the only way they'd release another iPad in the same year if it somehow had a distinctive different appeal from the other rather than a simple upgrade to the same model.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. I updated my earlier post above to include the 2nd gen mini. (Wasn't that Apple's best selling iPod at the time? I think SJ mentioned that in a keynote, but can't find a reference). Anyway, the mini 2nd gen only lasted seven months before it was replaced by a device with a smaller storage capacity.
 
Buckeyestar said:
Of course there's a market, just because you don't want one doesn't mean there isn't. No one, not even you, can truly say how much interest there would be for an iPad Nano. Maybe they should stop making Macs in different sizes, surely there's no market for an 11" MacBook.
Click to expand...

No market for a smaller tablet. Total up all the 7" tablet sales from all the competition, and it's clear. There is no market for 7" tablet.
 
Apple (like any other for profit company) will release new products on a schedule that benefits Apple the most. If Apple management believes that is once a year it will be once a year. If Apple management believes that it is best to release every 6 months it will be every 6 months.

The answer is yes, it is possible.
 
thewitt said:
No market for a smaller tablet. Total up all the 7" tablet sales from all the competition, and it's clear. There is no market for 7" tablet.
Click to expand...

You're right, but I guarantee there's a 7" iPad market.

HP and others have learned that there's no tablet market at all, regardless of size. However, there's a heck of an iPad market.
 
thewitt said:
No market for a smaller tablet. Total up all the 7" tablet sales from all the competition, and it's clear. There is no market for 7" tablet.
Click to expand...

Perhaps all that means is that the 7-8" market segment is underserved by an immature and confusing slew of hardware? Remember that the competition aren't part of the formidable iOS ecosystem: Dock-connector compatible accessories, apps, retail stores, online stores, in-person support, AppleCare+ "insurance", etc.

When you buy a device from apple now, you're not just buying the device.
 
Arran said:
Not necessarily. I updated my earlier post above to include the 2nd gen mini. (Wasn't that Apple's best selling iPod at the time? I think SJ mentioned that in a keynote, but can't find a reference). Anyway, the mini 2nd gen only lasted seven months before it was replaced by a device with a smaller storage capacity.
Click to expand...

If you care to find the reference you can download the keynote from iTunes podcasts (search for Apple keynotes). But you are right, Steve did say the Mini was their best selling iPod at the time. However, I'm not sure what happened with Mini / Nano has any relevance to what may happen with the iPad. The iPad is a much more complex product than any iPod. It seems to me that Steve must have felt that the Nano was such a significant improvement over the Mini that it was worth disrupting the usual year-long product cycle. I doubt such a leap in product design / function within such a short time is likely for the iPad.
 
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