Rumor: Suppliers preparing for October launch of Apple's iPhone 5, iPad 3
Apple's component suppliers in Taiwan are gearing up and preparing materials for the production of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, set to hit the market in October, according to a new report.
Citing sources in Apple's supply chain, DigiTimes reported on Friday that the fifth-generation iPhone and third-generation iPad will debut in September, and go on sale in October. It was said that Apple will only launch one new iPhone model, while the iPad 3 was just recently added to production schedule.
"Apple is considering designing an even thinner and lighter tablet PC with its panel resolution increasing to 250dpi," the report said. No details on what the next iPhone might feature were given.
Apple is expected to produce between 6 million and 7 million iPhone 5 units in the third quarter, and with the iPhone 4, total shipments will reach 24 million to 25 million units. And with the supposed launch of a third-generation iPad, total iPad sales could crack 40 million in 2011.
Named in the report are suppliers Simplo Technologies and Dynapack International Technology as battery suppliers; TPK Holding and Wintek for touch panels; Catcher supplying chassis; and Largan Precision providing cameras. As usual the devices will be assembled by Foxconn.
While a fifth-generation iPhone is widely expected to launch later this year, rumors of a third-generation iPad launching as well are not new, but still surprising. The iPad 2 launched in March, and Apple even appeared to downplay rumors of a new iPad arriving this year by declaring 2011 the "Year of iPad 2."
Friday's news contradicts a report from earlier this week that pegged a so-called "iPad 3" launch in 2012. FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said his supply chain sources indicated a prototype iPad 3 would be made early next year.
And Apple has even struggled to meet demand for the iPad 2 since it went on sale earlier this year. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said crushing demand for the second-generation tablet created "the mother of all backlogs" for Apple.
As for the so-called iPhone 5, most rumors have suggested that the upgrade will be relatively modest, with the same design and an upgraded 8 megapixel camera. Alleged iPhone 5 components also showed that the LED flash could be moved farther from the lens to allow better picture quality and reduce red eye.
Still, other rumors have suggested that the new iPhone will sport a slightly larger screen, while one report from April claimed that the new device will be a "major redesign" with a multi-touch "gesture area" where the home button is currently located, along with a 3.7-inch display.
Citing sources in Apple's supply chain, DigiTimes reported on Friday that the fifth-generation iPhone and third-generation iPad will debut in September, and go on sale in October. It was said that Apple will only launch one new iPhone model, while the iPad 3 was just recently added to production schedule.
"Apple is considering designing an even thinner and lighter tablet PC with its panel resolution increasing to 250dpi," the report said. No details on what the next iPhone might feature were given.
Apple is expected to produce between 6 million and 7 million iPhone 5 units in the third quarter, and with the iPhone 4, total shipments will reach 24 million to 25 million units. And with the supposed launch of a third-generation iPad, total iPad sales could crack 40 million in 2011.
Named in the report are suppliers Simplo Technologies and Dynapack International Technology as battery suppliers; TPK Holding and Wintek for touch panels; Catcher supplying chassis; and Largan Precision providing cameras. As usual the devices will be assembled by Foxconn.
While a fifth-generation iPhone is widely expected to launch later this year, rumors of a third-generation iPad launching as well are not new, but still surprising. The iPad 2 launched in March, and Apple even appeared to downplay rumors of a new iPad arriving this year by declaring 2011 the "Year of iPad 2."
Friday's news contradicts a report from earlier this week that pegged a so-called "iPad 3" launch in 2012. FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said his supply chain sources indicated a prototype iPad 3 would be made early next year.
And Apple has even struggled to meet demand for the iPad 2 since it went on sale earlier this year. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said crushing demand for the second-generation tablet created "the mother of all backlogs" for Apple.
As for the so-called iPhone 5, most rumors have suggested that the upgrade will be relatively modest, with the same design and an upgraded 8 megapixel camera. Alleged iPhone 5 components also showed that the LED flash could be moved farther from the lens to allow better picture quality and reduce red eye.
Still, other rumors have suggested that the new iPhone will sport a slightly larger screen, while one report from April claimed that the new device will be a "major redesign" with a multi-touch "gesture area" where the home button is currently located, along with a 3.7-inch display.
Comments
One day AAPL will actually go where it should be ... /sigh
I'd be surprised if it's not around $400 by the year end.
I'd be surprised if it's not around $400 by the year end.
It'll shuffle between 320 and 340 like it has all year. And it'll keep doing that until the whiners in Wall Street see a press release saying Steve Jobs is back.
I find a 2nd new iPad unlikely for 2011 but if they do they will have the tablet market locked down for the foreseeable future.
I agree, but I also think they already have locked down the market for the foreseeable future. Lack of apps ( especially netflix) have really hurt all other competitors...
In other words, no-one has a clue what's coming up.
Not Apple's stock, apparently.
HEY-O!
It'll shuffle between 320 and 340 like it has all year. And it'll keep doing that until the whiners in Wall Street see a press release saying Steve Jobs is back.
Guess you could see $350 before July, 18th.
I find a 2nd new iPad unlikely for 2011 but if they do they will have the tablet market locked down for the foreseeable future.
The only reason I see for Apple to refresh the iPad this Fall is if they think there will be a marketing challenge from Android for Holiday sales. Note, I'm not saying there will be a legit hardware or software challenge from Android. But if come Holiday shopping season there are a bunch of "greatest thing since sliced bread" marketing campaigns for new Android tablets and Apple's offering is perceived as a 9-months old dinosaur, it could take some sales away. Remember, many consumers don't appreciate the differences between devices. They will just go out and buy little Sally and Jonny whatever they think is the latest-and-greatest.
This "iPad 3 in 2011" rumor is amongst them. The people who make up these rumors are pulling them them out of a body orifice. I'll give you three guesses as to which, but you're only going to need one.
As others have pointed out on here, what is with this insistence that Apple will release another new iPad this year? When has apple EVER released 2 major revisions of a single product in the same year?
It would be unusual in the iPhone/iPad production space, but it would definitely give the competition even more of a slap-down. The danger is that they don't do it and Samsung puts out a 2560x1600 tablet and makes Apple's iPad screens look terrible in comparison. That's not where Apple wants to be.
Suddenly Samsung can legitimately run ads showing a view of a tablet that looks like an iPad through rose-tinted blurry glasses, and then the glasses get pulled off, things get sharp, and you're looking at a Samsung tablet with ultra-res or whatever dorky name they're giving it. Sure, another tablet that you can't remember the name of, but still... and not that I want to give Samsung any ad ideas...
Don't worry. 95-98% of all Apple rumors end up being false.
This "iPad 3 in 2011" rumor is amongst them. The people who make up these rumors are pulling them them out of a body orifice. I'll give you three guesses as to which, but you're only going to need one.
The left nostril?
Damnit, I always get this wrong!
It would be unusual in the iPhone/iPad production space, but it would definitely give the competition even more of a slap-down. The danger is that they don't do it and Samsung puts out a 2560x1600 tablet and makes Apple's iPad screens look terrible in comparison. That's not where Apple wants to be.
Suddenly Samsung can legitimately run ads showing a view of a tablet that looks like an iPad through rose-tinted blurry glasses, and then the glasses get pulled off, things get sharp, and you're looking at a Samsung tablet with ultra-res or whatever dorky name they're giving it. Sure, another tablet that you can't remember the name of, but still... and not that I want to give Samsung any ad ideas...
Oh please please please do. Then people can run buy the Samsung tablet... and I'll get iPad Pro when it comes out
It'll shuffle between 320 and 340 like it has all year. And it'll keep doing that until the whiners in Wall Street see a press release saying Steve Jobs is back.
Nonsense. This has nothing to do with Steve.
It would be unusual in the iPhone/iPad production space, but it would definitely give the competition even more of a slap-down. The danger is that they don't do it and Samsung puts out a 2560x1600 tablet and makes Apple's iPad screens look terrible in comparison. That's not where Apple wants to be.
Suddenly Samsung can legitimately run ads showing a view of a tablet that looks like an iPad through rose-tinted blurry glasses, and then the glasses get pulled off, things get sharp, and you're looking at a Samsung tablet with ultra-res or whatever dorky name they're giving it. Sure, another tablet that you can't remember the name of, but still... and not that I want to give Samsung any ad ideas...
I can imagine a Retina Display non-Apple tablet. It will run really slowly because the OS can't handle it. If it were an Android-based tablet, it would be 16-bit graphics. On a webOS tablet, it would be 18-bit graphics.
Either way, the device would lock up when rendering Flash on a web page. But hey, it'll be adequate for a photo slideshow, a $500 digital photo frame.
I wouldn't be surprised if this rumour was part of a dirty tactics campaign, conducted by a competitor to stall sales of iPad2.
Sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I do not think it is out of the realms of possibility for a company such as Samsung to behave in such a way.
I find a 2nd new iPad unlikely for 2011 but if they do they will have the tablet market locked down for the foreseeable future.
The fact that they already have the market locked down and the competitors scrambling is one of the main reasons I think this is unlikely also.
IMO there's not much point in an "iPad 3" unless there is an A6 chip to run it and we haven't had any rumours of A6's being near production as far as I recall.
The fact that there's *something* going on with the iPods this year and that Apple seems to be completely re-aligning their product release schedule makes me think there is an outside chance that the iPad 3 rumour is really a new product altogether like an iPhone nano or perhaps a new iPod touch. It could easily be just be nothing at all though.
... and an announcement of the iPhone 5 in September to be released in October. More bullshit... unless it's announced on Friday September 30th and released on Saturday October 1st. There is no way Apple will have a long wait between announcement and release... this aint the iPhone 1.