Well I agree that 250$ is ipod touch money but a 8" tablet starting at 350$ will be great for educational. Right now apple cheapest educational laptop is a 1000$ Air and they are losing sales to windows on educational. A 350$ ipad and a 800$ Air will get them back selling to shcools IMHO...
Or perhaps it's not about price point or competing with KIndle etc. Just like Apple has 4 Macbooks from 11" to 17" for different users, it makes sense that at some point they will adopt that strategy to iOS. There are plenty of people who would pay $300 to $350 (depending on capcity) or even higher for an 8" iPad simply because the size and weight are better suited to their needs.
As a iOS developer, I'll point out that there is a difference between making a 7.5" device a "big iPod touch" or a "small iPad." The former implies that it runs iPhone apps, just on a bigger screen; the latter implies that it runs iPad apps on a smaller screen. Both would be problematic, but the former would be worse. It would run no apps better than a normal iPod touch, everything would just be weirdly big. It would be better at viewing movies, but that's it. On the other hand, most iPad apps would probably run ok on a slightly smaller screen, but at the margins you'd have user experience problems. Some UI elements would be a little to small if shrunk further.
Of course this presupposes that Apple isn't going to spring a new gotcha at iOS developers: "you now need to provide THREE interfaces to your apps instead of 2; enjoy!" I'm confident that that isn't in the cards for this year.
So what's the point?
Quote:
But over 70% of everyone already is fine with paying $500. Apple caters to the middle ground, not fringe cases.
Technically current iPad apps will run but it'll be a horrible experience. iPad apps have buttons designed for a 10.1" screen. They'll be too small on a 7" screen.
I can't believe for a second that Apple would allow current iPad apps to run on a 7" mini-iPad device without modification.
Technically current iPad apps will run but it'll be a horrible experience. iPad apps have buttons designed for a 10.1" screen. They'll be too small on a 7" screen.
I can't believe for a second that Apple would allow current iPad apps to run on a 7" mini-iPad device without modification.
Hmm, no bezel?
WHOLE new slew of problems. And it doesn't address any of the ones we've already brought up.
WHOLE new slew of problems. And it doesn't address any of the ones we've already brought up.
And as we already know from past experience, the chances of this rumor being true are slim to none. :D
At $500, the iPad is wreaking havoc on Kindle and Nook sales…
This just in. . Apple will release a $49 eBook reader. Don't buy a Kindle. ;-)
Just have them add ePub support to the iPod nano. One step closer to Dick Tracy status, reading your little dossier there and all…
…now on the other hand, this guy's about as far from Dick Tracy status as is possible. Imagine someone like him walking around in the '40s.
I really hope they get more storage at a reasonable price. You can get a 32GB thumb-drive for $20 these days. Why is it an additional $200 to go from 16GB to 64GB? And I get it (engineering, cost of materials, different flash used than thumbdrive, etc.). The 64GB iPod touch should be at $199 by now.
Let's not get melodramatic.
I don't see that. I DO see storage being cheaper on the Ivy Bridge MacBook Air-equivalent, however…
Actually a small bezel plus the same ipad1 resolution will make a 8' ipad work. iPad app icons wont be that small that they are unusable IMHO...
If they do have a 350$ Mini ipad android tablets are dead forever, win 8 will be the only competitor because they will sell to enterprice and buisness in mass...
My theory is ... Apple is doing their best to find the mole/leak coming from their high profile meetings.
For example ... Tim Cook privately setup `Meeting One` for 20 people. Cook mentioned "iPad Mini" to 'em. Tim Cook also setup `Meeting Two` for 20 more different people. He mentioned "iPad Midget" to 'em.
So whoever leaked "iPad Midget" coming from his profile meeting then he knows that Meeting Two is responsible, not the other. He will hammer 'em down till the last one who was the responsible for it.
Hope this make sense.
What you are describing is called a "canary trap".
They had one on Game of Thrones earlier this season. The canary got what he deserved.
I already bought a sub 250$ 7" iPad in the Galaxy Tab 2 7" and it came with a universal remote app that also works with IR devices natively. It's all I've ever wanted out of the iPad, and it's something the iPad will never have. Apple can kiss it.
The lack of IR was something that I really missed on the iPhone. I'm not sure why Apple neglected that feature.
Although I'm convinced that Apple will release a smaller iPad 7.85" (2/3 screen area rather than 7" 1/2 area), I'm not convinced by this rumour.
8Gb is not enough now even for a basic model. Making their Apps hi-res for compatibility has caused a bloat in some App sizes. 8Gb just isn't enough even if it used to be. Apple will want room for you to buy Apps & Content.
The price is also too low.
This is much like all the other rumors of iPad mini 7" device, it doesn't make sense because Apple does not do response product creating just because other makers have a device in that form-factor... does not mean they will also want to do so. They're able to offer the updated iPad2 for 399, at micro-center and other places you can pick up an iPad 2 Wifi for 359 which is far better value than a $199 Kindle Fire..
Next year you'll be able to buy the iPad 2 for $199, iPad (3rd gen) for $399, and iPad 4th gen for $499. Effectively using the manufacturing strategy without wasting additional machining materials to create a different form-factor device at 7"/7.85"
That's all I've got so far.
I don't think the iPad 2 gets much cheaper over time. The iP4 hasn't (only dropped $100 in its unsub price and its BOM hasn't crashed just because there are 120M out there already). The problem with component pricing is that generally volume makes them cheaper, not age. Look at memory - the cheapest memory is almost always close to the newest, fastest, best chips since those are the ones with massive volumes. PC-1066 is cheaper than PC-8500 which is cheaper than PC-5300. Apple could probably engineer a 7.85" 1024x768, 8GB tablet at $279 and still make Apple money. It's economies of scale in Al milling, batteries, NAND, etc. gives it a huge advantage. They could also guarantee Sharp or whoever 5M sales which no other OEM could to get a deal on the screens.
Looking at the iPod Touch 8GB and drawing conclusions is not a good since we don't know it's margins. We know they use cheaper components that the iPhone equivalent (lower cost/quality retina display, etc.) Still really good and thoroughly fit for purpose, but engineered to a price. The iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S base models have very similar estimated BOM costs (hence the iPhone drives much higher margins). A correctly engineered iPad Mini (8" is much more useful than 7" BTW) could be the iPod Mini or Nano that really takes the middle ground away from the competition and leaves nothing but $120 craplets available to OEMs. At the same time solidifying the ecosystem as the king of tablets.
Overall, I expect the iPad to follow a path more akin to the iPod than the iPhone. Stronger model coverage makes more sense if you wish to dominate a market rather than just skim/cherry pick profits in a market where the carriers still control many major decisions on pricing, availability , etc.
If there is one thing Apple doesn't do, it's listen to nerds (no offense, I too would be happy with any/all of those things). We've always said that Apple doesn't sell specs and overall is the better for it. However, as individual nerds, we always want more GBs, more Ghzs etc. It is a dichotomy that won't be closed in our favor.
None of your suggestions are likely to ever happen because the vast majority of Apple users don't care for them. USB - you want it for host mode...most don't care (use the cloud), SD - for storage, Apple will never give you part of their profit margins, for input, buy the camera adapter, and FM radio - in an iPad... 1936 called... wants its tech back ;-)
There are also trade-offs for all of these minority demands... most involve either less room for the enormous battery or more drain on the battery - both of which we would complain about. Can't have your cake, eat it, then get lots of other slices and rub them all over your body with wanton abandon.
There is no evidence from the market or consumers that people think that the current prices and features create a poor value equation. Adding any of your features would barely move any more iPads. Anyone holding out for those features either doesn't like Apple anyway (Droid-er) or doesn't really want a tablet, but more of a laptops sans keyboard.
You can either afford it or you can't - that is the value equation that matters to Apple. The iPad mini would be the answer if there was adequate profit to be found in the market that answers "No" to the affordability question.
True. Maybe decimate is a better word.
Decimate is probably too kind - it only means to kill 1 in 10. Apple appears to have killed 1 in 3 or 4 Fires.
To be honest, Amazon did most of the killing - the Fire just wasn't good enough... no camera, missing sensors, average battery life, average quality, weak app market, Amazon shilling everywhere to buy their content. Not so pleasant compared to the iPad. Word of Mouth counts.
Technically current iPad apps will run but it'll be a horrible experience. iPad apps have buttons designed for a 10.1" screen. They'll be too small on a 7" screen.
I can't believe for a second that Apple would allow current iPad apps to run on a 7" mini-iPad device without modification.
A lot of UI buttons in my apps are about the same size as the iPhone buttons. I think you'd be surprised how well an 8" tablet would work out at 1024x768. 8" is 25% more screen than 7" (which does feel too small).
I already bought a sub 250$ 7" iPad in the Galaxy Tab 2 7" and it came with a universal remote app that also works with IR devices natively. It's all I've ever wanted out of the iPad, and it's something the iPad will never have. Apple can kiss it.
Sheesh.
How interesting to find an individual that is willing to spend so much on a remote control!
Are you aware that an iPad will change the channel for you if you throw it 'just right'?
Gamers - Check out Bioshock Infinite.
Gamers - Check out Bioshock Infinite.
To me the (near) perfect product line up for non-iPhone iOS devices would be: (right now and for a year or 3 more)
1. iPod touch - 3.5-4" Retina $149 (8GB) and up - 100g - for kids $199 32GB model to be best seller - $149/199/279 - 8/32/64GB
2. iPad Mini - 7.85-8" XGA $279 (8GB) and up - 300-400g $329 16GB model to be best seller - $279/$329/399 - 8/16/32GB + $120 for 4G on top model
3. iPad - 9.7-10.1" 2xXGA $399 (16GB last version) and up 550-650g $599 32GB model to be best seller $399/499/599/699 (Wifi) 16/32/64GB + $130 for 4G
Touch becomes an entry-level device to get kids hooked on the ecosystem (and let them amortize their parents' purchases)
Mini - covers large number of people who just find the iPad too big and heavy (lots of them exist: readers, gamers, kids, travellers - even for me a 3hr gaming session puts some strain on the wrists - gaming, I said, just gaming ;-) Minor trade-offs on battery life and screen DPI (~260 vs. 316)
iPad - full resolutionary experience with max power, life, features
Obviously the GBs would rise over time, as would resolutions.
When I say perfect line up, I don't mean what I personally want (iPad3/128GB/4G = $599)but what would make most sense for Apple in terms of maximizing profit, then revenue, then unit sales.
These segments offer several key things:
1) attractive initial price points - Touch (untouchable), iPad Mini (close to Fire, kills GTab 7), iPad 3 (Rules)
2) strong upgrade pricing/margins (25% for base, 40% for mid, 50% for high-end)
3) worthwhile trade-offs at the range overlaps - 64GB Touch vs. 8GB iPad Mini, 32GB Mini vs. 16GB iPad2, 32GB+4G iPad Mini vs. 16-32GB iPad 3 Wifi.
Car companies do this well already - maxed out 1-series vs. mid-level 3-series BMW, 2-seat sports car vs. 4-seat coupe, etc. all at similar price points. People who do that well maximize profit at each segment. e.g. BMW sell more 3-series than 1 even though they are more expensive, but sell very high-margin, loaded 1M models to the sub-M3 crowd rather than get them into a lower margin 335i or similar. Apple already did this very well in iPods - Classic vs. Touch, Nano vs. Touch, all had price overlaps but segmented on form-factor and fulfilling a job to be done - All your music vs mobile computer vs. work-out buddy, etc. I think these models would work similarly. We know Apple is great at getting buyers to generally buy mid-range models, not the base and sell more high-end models than any gadget brand has any right to. I would presume the mid-range units with the stronger margins would still be the best sellers in these models too.
The market has already spoken that 8GB seems to be enough for a low-end touch as is 16GB for an iPad (not that I could live with those storage levels). 8GB enough for the iPad Mini? - don't know.
I think this gives Apple almost total market coverage and I bet this would all be achievable at Apple's preferred margins - 25-50% depending on model. Entry models may only have 25% GM but they won't be the big sellers.
The missing parts are the iPad Mini (and the cheaper Touch). If and when the Touch gets an upgrade to the rumored iPhone 4" screen, it could probably handle a $30 bump in price. ($50 if they add more NAND).
The BOM/build for the iPad Mini 8GB could be $200 and still make 30-40% margins. Add $10 of NAND to get to 16GB and the margin is >50%
Before you all go mental about costs... for reference, the estimated BOM for the 16GB Wifi iPad 2 is $236 + $8 to manufacture it. This has more material, bigger screen, battery, etc. so $200 or $210 is not out of the question.
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4238216/New-iPad-has-higher-BOM-than-iPad-2--says-IHS
I do not call BS on this rumor. If I were Apple, I would be doing everything I could to make this come true. iPad = iPod FTW!!
(2) 2010 27" iMac i7, 2012 15" Retina MacBook Pro i7, 2011 Mac Mini i5
iPad 4, iPad Mini, (2) iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5, iPod Nano 7
Time Capsule 4, Airport Extreme 5, (3) Apple TV 3
(2) 2010 27" iMac i7, 2012 15" Retina MacBook Pro i7, 2011 Mac Mini i5
iPad 4, iPad Mini, (2) iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5, iPod Nano 7
Time Capsule 4, Airport Extreme 5, (3) Apple TV 3
(2) 2010 27" iMac i7, 2012 15" Retina MacBook Pro i7, 2011 Mac Mini i5
iPad 4, iPad Mini, (2) iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5, iPod Nano 7
Time Capsule 4, Airport Extreme 5, (3) Apple TV 3
(2) 2010 27" iMac i7, 2012 15" Retina MacBook Pro i7, 2011 Mac Mini i5
iPad 4, iPad Mini, (2) iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5, iPod Nano 7
Time Capsule 4, Airport Extreme 5, (3) Apple TV 3
To me the (near) perfect product line up for non-iPhone iOS devices would be: (right now and for a year or 3 more)
1. iPod touch - 3.5-4" Retina $149 (8GB) and up - 100g - for kids $199 32GB model to be best seller - $149/199/279 - 8/32/64GB
2. iPad Mini - 7.85-8" XGA $279 (8GB) and up - 300-400g $329 16GB model to be best seller - $279/$329/399 - 8/16/32GB + $120 for 4G on top model
3. iPad - 9.7-10.1" 2xXGA $399 (16GB last version) and up 550-650g $599 32GB model to be best seller $399/499/599/699 (Wifi) 16/32/64GB + $130 for 4G
etc...
Agree with the awesome post thing.
And well communicated.
I see they didn't make you a Capt. for nothing.
Gamers - Check out Bioshock Infinite.
Gamers - Check out Bioshock Infinite.
If and when they get around to integrating stylus input into iOS devices, I think it's a rather obvious move to go bigger as well as smaller. As an artist myself, I would kill for an 18 or 20 inch iPad that allowed for using a proper stylus. Such a device would rule the market in it's category and be better than anything Wacom ever envisioned in their wildest dreams.
I'd be very nervous if I were you. Steve Jobs may just rise up out of his grave and git you for even using the word stylus and iPad in the same sentence.
Yesterday on the subway, within 5 feet of me, I saw one iPad, one Playbook and 3 e-readers (1 Kindle, 1 Sony and 1 that I didn't recognize). I never thought of my iPad as being large. But when I saw these individuals doing what they were doing on the devices, the advantages of a smaller device, particularly for reading, became apparent.
For their reading pleasure, many may prefer for a 6 or 7-incher. I believe such a market is likely to be dominated by women, who can also keep such a device in their purses.
