Apple's 'iPad 5' and 'iPad mini 2' on track for Q4 release, low-cost mini coming in 2014

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Apple's component suppliers will start shipping parts for both a next-generation iPad and iPad mini late in the third quarter, says well-connected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, with mass production and release to follow shortly thereafter.

iPad EMS


In a research note obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo said he expects Apple's iPad business to transition late in quarter three with component shipments and initial assembly of the "iPad 5" and "iPad mini 2." The analyst is quick to note, however, that the new iPads' build schedule likely preclude the tablets from being unveiled at Apple's Sept. 10 media event.

The late refresh cycle for the iPad 5 is due to a rumored redesign that will bring the device more in line with the existing iPad mini. These changes will affect mass production, which won't happen until quarter four, Kuo said. The analyst also predicts the iPad 5 to boast TDD-LTE support, a somewhat exotic cellular protocol used by China Mobile.

As for the second-generation iPad mini, Kuo expects the tablet to have a Retina display and next-generation "A7X" processor, which will also be used in the iPad 5. The extra horsepower is needed to drive the high-resolution screen, Kuo said, though it is unclear if the system-on-chip will be under clocked to preserve battery life.

According to the analyst, Apple pulled in the launch timeline for the "iPad mini 2" to contend with an expected range of competing small form factor tablets using high-resolution displays. This suggests the company's original plan was to debut the second-gen device in 2014.

Instead, Kuo predicts a second, less-expensive iPad mini model will be released next year. To cut down on parts costs, the current model's screen will be carried over to the budget tablet, as will a processor based on Apple's existing A6 architecture.

Interestingly, Kuo's supplier estimates show that the iPad 2 will remain in Apple's stable, which would suggest the company is planning to market two tablet tiers to consumers: Retina and non-Retina. A similar scenario is playing out with the MacBook Pro lineup.

Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn, is to handle production of all next-gen 9.7-inch iPads and will share responsibility for the iPad mini 2 with Pegatron and Casetek. Pegatron is thought to up its share of iPad mini production to between 70 and 75 percent in the third quarter, and 80 to 85 percent in the fourth, up from 60 to 65 percent in quarter two.

Kuo sees Apple launching both the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 by year's end, though a specific date range has yet to be established.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47
    Yeah, but there were rumors of a low cost iPhone for several years before it happened, I mean will happen.
  • Reply 2 of 47
    Hmm... interesting... a "less-expensive" iPad mini...

    Is it just me or is this "new trend" in Apple's strategy a bit concerning?
  • Reply 3 of 47
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    I would say that a "less expensive" iPad mini only makes sense if the one they are debuting soon is actually more expensive than the current one, which seems like a ridiculous proposition.  They have "gone retina" on almost their entire product line without increasing prices, why would a retina mini cost more?  And if it stays the same price as expected, it's currently one of the cheapest, best mobile computers you can buy.  

     

    Just over $320 is a ridiculously low price already for what it is.  Unless they are going to flood the market with cheap (under $100) plastic iPads I don't see the point, and anyway if they did that, why not make cheap regular sized iPads as well? 

  • Reply 4 of 47
    sennensennen Posts: 1,472member
    Quote:


    The analyst is quick to note, however, that the new iPads' build schedule likely preclude the tablets from being unveiled at Apple's Sept. 10 media event.


     

     

    It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that we already know that iPads won't be on the program for Sept. 10? Analysts, ffs.

  • Reply 5 of 47
    eckergus wrote: »
    Hmm... interesting... a "less-expensive" iPad mini...

    Is it just me or is this "new trend" in Apple's strategy a bit concerning?

    Apple has done this often when a market gets mature for a device. Apple can still maintain good margins by opening a new market with a new product category.

    Apple is wise to not ignore price erosion as a market matures, yet by offering a two-tier product offering Apple can maintain its caché place in the market while skimming some of the middle market too.
  • Reply 6 of 47
    shenshen Posts: 434member

    A lower priced mini does not concern me, because I assume it will also include hardware to match, and two iPad versions, two mini versions and two phone versions seems pretty reasonable.  A "pro" mini with retina screen and A7x cpu looks like a great deal, especially if they can keep the price the same or raise it only a small amount ($350?) while selling a "cheaper" regular screen A6 or A5 based mini.  In other words exactly what they seem to have in mind with the rumored 5C iPhone.

     

    Mostly this fails to concern me because we have already seen that in phones most iPhone users stay, many android users upgrade to iPhones.  It seems that this is the reason to have a cheaper iPhone: to cut out the middle step of owning a cheap android phone fr 2 years first.  Isn't that an equally good idea for iPads?  If you can get a $275 or $250 iPad mini and then consider the top line when you upgrade, why is this a concern for Apple?  If you don't consider the higher end but stay in the Apple ecosystem, why should Apple be concerned by this?  The lower margins on a sale that you would have lost to a cheap knock of company is 100% more than no margin at all.... 

  • Reply 7 of 47
    gazoobee wrote: »
    I would say that a "less expensive" iPad mini only makes sense if the one they are debuting soon is actually more expensive than the current one, which seems like a ridiculous proposition.

    It is a ridiculous idea, and won't happen. The new iPad mini will slip into the price point of the old one and the "Low-cost" version will fill an under $300 price point with specs pretty much in line with the current iPad Mini. What this does make me wonder about is, "Where does the iPod Touch find a slot in this compressed pricing scheme?"
    Just over $320 is a ridiculously low price already for what it is.  Unless they are going to flood the market with cheap (under $100) plastic iPads I don't see the point, and anyway if they did that, why not make cheap regular sized iPads as well? 

    Apple won't price the iPad Mini at $100. Like I made allusion to above, Apple needs to maintain enough spread in price between the iPod Touch and the low-cost iPad Mini, or drop the iPod Touch. It's bad marketing to have overlapping priced products. I really expect to see the low-cost iPad Mini come out in colored polycarbonate like the new low-cost iPhones, but otherwise have the same specs as the current iPad Mini.
  • Reply 8 of 47
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member
    It's not concerning to me. They're not going after the bargain basement market. They're still making quality products, and only as a supplement to the flagship products. Mac pro vs. iMac vs. Mac Mini
  • Reply 9 of 47
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    The "cheap" mini will be the original- if they keep it at all. The mini 2 will stay at the same price and the 1 will drop to $249 maybe? Again- IF it even stays around.

    The big news here is the iPad 2. Please Apple- kill that off when the 5th iPad comes around. Way too outdated to sell brand new and have your name on it. If you want to modify the 2 with a faster chip- say an A6- fine. Maybe just call it the iPad (non retina) and retina iPad to differentiate. But not in its current iteration.
  • Reply 10 of 47
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post

     

    I would say that a "less expensive" iPad mini only makes sense if the one they are debuting soon is actually more expensive than the current one, which seems like a ridiculous proposition.  They have "gone retina" on almost their entire product line without increasing prices, why would a retina mini cost more?  And if it stays the same price as expected, it's currently one of the cheapest, best mobile computers you can buy.  

     

    Just over $320 is a ridiculously low price already for what it is.  Unless they are going to flood the market with cheap (under $100) plastic iPads I don't see the point, and anyway if they did that, why not make cheap regular sized iPads as well? 


     

    Wrong side of bed today?

  • Reply 11 of 47
    Was this the anaylist who said a month or two ago that there may NOT be a ipad mini retina this year? Last I read that was him.
  • Reply 12 of 47
    Only 2,183,000 iPad Mini 2 for 4Qtr? Over 10,500,000 for the nobody going buy iPad5? How does this allocation make any sense? Should be the other way around! Just look at sales in in 2012-2013 between Mini and full size.
  • Reply 13 of 47

    My guess is that Apple will drop the price of the original iPad Mini to somewhere around $200 when they announce the Mini 2. Maybe $300 for a Mini 2 with Retina display? 

  • Reply 14 of 47
    harry wild wrote: »
    Only 2,183,000 iPad Mini 2 for 4Qtr? Over 10,500,000 for the nobody going buy iPad5? How does this allocation make any sense? Should be the other way around! Just look at sales in in 2012-2013 between Mini and full size.

    I'm thinking that number is low because Apple won't be introducing that model at the beginning of the quarter, and more likely toward the end of the quarter.
  • Reply 15 of 47
    andysol wrote: »
    The "cheap" mini will be the original- if they keep it at all. The mini 2 will stay at the same price and the 1 will drop to $249 maybe? Again- IF it even stays around.

    The big news here is the iPad 2. Please Apple- kill that off when the 5th iPad comes around. Way too outdated to sell brand new and have your name on it. If you want to modify the 2 with a faster chip- say an A6- fine. Maybe just call it the iPad (non retina) and retina iPad to differentiate. But not in its current iteration.

    The cheap mini will be packaged to look like the new cheap iPhones, otherwise the internal specs will stay the same. I really don't believe the iPad two will remain in the line as it would be the ONLY product Apple would make that uses the old connector. Plus, from what I've heard, the iPad 2 won't run iOS7. It would be a total bastard in the Apple line-up.

    I'd more likely expect Apple to introduce an iPad 2+ that can run iOS7 and has the new connector. Apple may even slip it into a polycarbonate case like the iPhone 5c.
    Apple has found a great niche for the iPad 2 for companies doing promotions, and to not offer something at that promotional price point would be a mistake.
  • Reply 16 of 47
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eckergus View Post



    Hmm... interesting... a "less-expensive" iPad mini...



    Is it just me or is this "new trend" in Apple's strategy a bit concerning?

    What Apple MIGHT do based on what we suspect with the iPhone 5C, maybe Apple might release a Flagship iPad with aluminum or higher grade case materials in the future with the latest and greatest, and then start releasing cheaper version of the last year's flagship, if you will with a polycarb case and lower the price so they at least make a decent profit, while offering the previous year's flagship product only with a less expensive case material, and in the mean time, they offer the  refurbished units at whatever market will bear.

     

    This is PURE speculation and an observation. But plausible.

  • Reply 17 of 47
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    gazoobee wrote: »
    I would say that a "less expensive" iPad mini only makes sense if the one they are debuting soon is actually more expensive than the current one, which seems like a ridiculous proposition.  They have "gone retina" on almost their entire product line without increasing prices, why would a retina mini cost more?  And if it stays the same price as expected, it's currently one of the cheapest, best mobile computers you can buy.  

    Just over $320 is a ridiculously low price already for what it is.  Unless they are going to flood the market with cheap (under $100) plastic iPads I don't see the point, and anyway if they did that, why not make cheap regular sized iPads as well? 

    Actually, we can see retina 7" tablets for $229, and with 32Gb flash, for $259, so the Mini isn't priced all that low. If Apple wants to get some marketshare back, and recent trends are troubling, they must also compete in that lower price bracket. We're seeing $100 tablets from Chinese makers, and while they aren't great, parts prices allows them to come up with something acceptable. Of course we won't see a $100 Apple tablet, at least not for years, but they need to compete in the mid $200 area. And by keepi g the old iPad 2 in the line, they have a $399 9.6" tablet.

    I don't know if I agree with what they're doing though. I think they need to allow their margins to drop just a little bit so that they can offer 32GB for the current 16GB prices.
  • Reply 18 of 47
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    harry wild wrote: »
    Only 2,183,000 iPad Mini 2 for 4Qtr? Over 10,500,000 for the nobody going buy iPad5? How does this allocation make any sense? Should be the other way around! Just look at sales in in 2012-2013 between Mini and full size.

    A lot of people are going to buy the iPad 5, myself included, and I'll likely pick up a Mini 2 as well. I know a number of people who have allocated for one or the other.

    But these numbers are just guesses at this point.
  • Reply 19 of 47
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    karmadave wrote: »
    My guess is that Apple will drop the price of the original iPad Mini to somewhere around $200 when they announce the Mini 2. Maybe $300 for a Mini 2 with Retina display? 

    If they do keep it, I think they will drop the price, but going from $329 to $200 is too much. $259 is more like it. But they may discontinue both that and the ipad 2 next year for a polycarbonate backed set, as they've done with the iPhone 5C. That would cut costs a fair amount as the aluminum backs are expensive.
  • Reply 20 of 47
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Quote:

     As for the second-generation iPad mini, Kuo expects the tablet to have a Retina display and next-generation "A7X" processor, which will also be used in the iPad 5. The extra horsepower is needed to drive the high-resolution screen, Kuo said, though it is unclear if the system-on-chip will be under clocked to preserve battery life.


     

    I find that curious, I was expecting the Retina iPad 2 mini to incorporate the A6X from the iPad 4 as a differentiator to the A7X expected in the iPad 5 as its supposed to be a more affordable lower-end variation of the full-size iPad. The A6X already does a fine job in the Retina iPad 4, why incorporate the newer more expensive chip? Not that I'm complaining...que sera, sera.

     

    Also it does seem that come next year, Apple will be doing to the iPad range what its now doing to the iPhone, two tier mid and high-end offerings. iPads with standard resolution displays (to begin with, upgrading to Retina later) plastic housings and last generation SoC's for the mid-range aka the iPhone 5C and metal construction together with the latest premium components for the high-end. A good strategy I think, Apple still retains its premium image while offering a larger more affordable range of products. Just no plastic MacBook Airs please!

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