Continuing to sell the current model as the new low end seems likely -- they've done this with the iPhone. I'm hoping for an 8GB iPad2 for $299, along with the release of the iPad3. This is $200 less than the current low end model, with half the memory. This would be near cost, but would really suck the oxygen out of the market for competing tablets. $349 is probably more likely, though.
If they follow their release patterns, it does not need to be predicted, Personally happy with the iPad2, I don't know what features they will add to the next version that will want me to buy the new one. I will not be surprised if they extend the life of iPad2 by another 6 - 12 months. Which other tablet is anywhere near to what iPad is?
They can do a lot better if they just spend a year on improving the code base of iOS 5 and making it bug free, sometimes my iPad2 just seems freeze which never happened with the older iOS.
I think they kinda rushed out iOS 5 at the same time as iPhone4S, so has got a lot of chinks that need to be ironed out. IMO iDevices stand out becoz of the OS. there are a lot of other tablets that have better hardware specs than the iDevices, but iOS really stands out.
Because if they could, Apple would sell fewer iPad 2Ss.
So you are claiming Apple didn't want to sell more iPad 2s between October and wheneever the iPad 3 is released. Once again your logic and business savvy astound the world¡
Remember when the iPad came out, and the rumors were saying an iPad 3 was coming in November. It was a sure thing, and everyone should hold off.
What ever happened to that?
A mid-cycle iPad right before Christmas never made any sense.
While I'm still skeptical that a HiDPI iPad can arrive in early 2012 all the signs do point to it so I have to think it will be a possibility. I just hope Apple doesn't push back the special event until February.
Continuing to sell the current model as the new low end seems likely -- they've done this with the iPhone. I'm hoping for an 8GB iPad2 for $299, along with the release of the iPad3. This is $200 less than the current low end model, with half the memory. This would be near cost, but would really suck the oxygen out of the market for competing tablets. $349 is probably more likely, though.
I think that what you are doing is thinking in terms of what you'd like Apple to offer but not seriously considering how this company has behaved in the past. With Apple it has never been about racing to the bottom in terms of price. Apple leaves the bargain end of the market to others. Instead, what Apple would be thinking is that an 8GB iPad is just a bad idea and would lead to customer dissatisfaction. As such, a 16GB model is the lowest Apple will go.
I just don't think that a $300 iPad is high on Apple's priority list. Amazon is offering a product in that price range but it's not even close to being comparable to the iPad and rather rough around the edges at this time. Price has not been a deterrent to iPad sales and really, considering how much more enjoyable to use the iPad is than the typical $300 netbook/laptop, why would it be. You don't buy an Apple product because it compares favourably in terms of price to competitors but because you know you're getting a well-designed device. Competitors could bring out all the lousy $300 tablets it wants and it would barely put a dent in iPad momentum. This is because the perception would be that you're too cheap if you're not buyng the real deal. We can't all afford an M3 BMW but we can all stretch our budgets to accommodate an iPad over a bad competitor.
Apple has worked hard to encourage this sort of reasoning and it only damages its reputation if it unacceptably compromises a product to achieve a particular price point.
The normal product cycle is April. The end of February is only one month early. Why is this so unbelievable?
The 'normal' product cycle is when Apple wants it to be. If they want it to be tomorrow, that's when it will be.
That said, they have been doing with a roughly 1 year for devices for a while as a general rule of thumb so February at 10 months isn't that crazy a rumor.
Then again they majorly went off the general rule with the iPhone 4s launch in October rather than the 'general rule' July. So perhaps while the analysts are right about the typical being 1 year give or take they are adjusting the wrong way and it isn't April minus 1-2 but plus 1-2 and it will be early may to early June before we see it.
And not because of any issue anywhere just like the iPhone was never proven to be any issue of supply, parts, hoping Steve would have an upswing etc. Perhaps just because they want to line it up with the whole Back to School. iPads are growing as a tool and even required for students. Perhaps this time around they will offer a discount to students in general and/or include it in the back to school. It could be like "get $100 gift card for iTunes with the purchase of a computer or an iPad". Or get $100 off an iPad during this period.
And if they were going to do that then delaying the iPad to start with it makes total sense because they know that folks would flock to get the iPad 3 and then flock back to complain about how they want the $100 off or the free gift card cause Junior is a student. Even though they bought the iPad 2-3 months ago. This way they avoid that.
It was a BS rumor, just like it is a BS rumor they are going to do the same thing next year. It will be a BS rumor when it is said about 2013 etc.
Did anyone really take those previous rumours seriously? There was never a sense that it was a sure thing.
As for talk of a retina-like display coming to the iPad, I do think that critics would do well to keep in mind that Apple has not at any point stated that it intends to put such a display in that device. In other words, if there is no such display introduced in a couple of months, in no way will Apple have done anything wrong.
There really is a sense that the retina display is a done deal but Apple is not repeatedly claiming that one is coming. Apple has done nothing wrong if it fails to bring out the iPad with the hardware that others are claiming it will.
By the way, I agree with the point you are trying to make, namely that Apple isn't inclined to release a revised version of the iPad with the notion of it being just a stopgap product to be replaced only a couple of months later. Whatever tech is in the iPad introduced in a couple of months, that will be the iPad as it will be for about a year. Only if a competitor came up with a surprising challenge would Apple be compelled to rush an update to market. That's highly unlikely.
Comments
Here we go again.
Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy my iPad 2.
The normal product cycle is April. The end of February is only one month early. Why is this so unbelievable?
The normal product cycle is April. The end of February is only one month early. Why is this so unbelievable?
I did not realize Apple had disclosed its "normal product cycle."
Absolutely no way would it be $250. Likely $399.
Continuing to sell the current model as the new low end seems likely -- they've done this with the iPhone. I'm hoping for an 8GB iPad2 for $299, along with the release of the iPad3. This is $200 less than the current low end model, with half the memory. This would be near cost, but would really suck the oxygen out of the market for competing tablets. $349 is probably more likely, though.
They can do a lot better if they just spend a year on improving the code base of iOS 5 and making it bug free, sometimes my iPad2 just seems freeze which never happened with the older iOS.
I think they kinda rushed out iOS 5 at the same time as iPhone4S, so has got a lot of chinks that need to be ironed out. IMO iDevices stand out becoz of the OS. there are a lot of other tablets that have better hardware specs than the iDevices, but iOS really stands out.
As if Apple will listen to me lol...
I'm hoping for an 8GB iPad2 for $299?
No way would it be 8GB! People, seriously, it's an iPad!
Any reason why iPad2 users wouldn't be able to upgrade their OS that has siri.
Because if they could, Apple would sell fewer iPad 2Ss.
Because if they could, Apple would sell fewer iPad 2Ss.
So you are claiming Apple didn't want to sell more iPad 2s between October and wheneever the iPad 3 is released. Once again your logic and business savvy astound the world¡
What ever happened to that?
Remember when the iPad came out, and the rumors were saying an iPad 3 was coming in November. It was a sure thing, and everyone should hold off.
What ever happened to that?
A mid-cycle iPad right before Christmas never made any sense.
While I'm still skeptical that a HiDPI iPad can arrive in early 2012 all the signs do point to it so I have to think it will be a possibility. I just hope Apple doesn't push back the special event until February.
Continuing to sell the current model as the new low end seems likely -- they've done this with the iPhone. I'm hoping for an 8GB iPad2 for $299, along with the release of the iPad3. This is $200 less than the current low end model, with half the memory. This would be near cost, but would really suck the oxygen out of the market for competing tablets. $349 is probably more likely, though.
I think that what you are doing is thinking in terms of what you'd like Apple to offer but not seriously considering how this company has behaved in the past. With Apple it has never been about racing to the bottom in terms of price. Apple leaves the bargain end of the market to others. Instead, what Apple would be thinking is that an 8GB iPad is just a bad idea and would lead to customer dissatisfaction. As such, a 16GB model is the lowest Apple will go.
I just don't think that a $300 iPad is high on Apple's priority list. Amazon is offering a product in that price range but it's not even close to being comparable to the iPad and rather rough around the edges at this time. Price has not been a deterrent to iPad sales and really, considering how much more enjoyable to use the iPad is than the typical $300 netbook/laptop, why would it be. You don't buy an Apple product because it compares favourably in terms of price to competitors but because you know you're getting a well-designed device. Competitors could bring out all the lousy $300 tablets it wants and it would barely put a dent in iPad momentum. This is because the perception would be that you're too cheap if you're not buyng the real deal. We can't all afford an M3 BMW but we can all stretch our budgets to accommodate an iPad over a bad competitor.
Apple has worked hard to encourage this sort of reasoning and it only damages its reputation if it unacceptably compromises a product to achieve a particular price point.
The normal product cycle is April. The end of February is only one month early. Why is this so unbelievable?
The 'normal' product cycle is when Apple wants it to be. If they want it to be tomorrow, that's when it will be.
That said, they have been doing with a roughly 1 year for devices for a while as a general rule of thumb so February at 10 months isn't that crazy a rumor.
Then again they majorly went off the general rule with the iPhone 4s launch in October rather than the 'general rule' July. So perhaps while the analysts are right about the typical being 1 year give or take they are adjusting the wrong way and it isn't April minus 1-2 but plus 1-2 and it will be early may to early June before we see it.
And not because of any issue anywhere just like the iPhone was never proven to be any issue of supply, parts, hoping Steve would have an upswing etc. Perhaps just because they want to line it up with the whole Back to School. iPads are growing as a tool and even required for students. Perhaps this time around they will offer a discount to students in general and/or include it in the back to school. It could be like "get $100 gift card for iTunes with the purchase of a computer or an iPad". Or get $100 off an iPad during this period.
And if they were going to do that then delaying the iPad to start with it makes total sense because they know that folks would flock to get the iPad 3 and then flock back to complain about how they want the $100 off or the free gift card cause Junior is a student. Even though they bought the iPad 2-3 months ago. This way they avoid that.
No way would it be 8GB! People, seriously, it's an iPad!
If it was designed to hit the kiddies and such they might.
that said, I doubt it. I suspect they would keep the 16 GB wifi only iPad 2 and the iPad 3 will go 32, 64 and perhaps either 96 or 128.
Remember when the iPad came out, and the rumors were saying an iPad 3 was coming in November. It was a sure thing, and everyone should hold off.
What ever happened to that?
It was a BS rumor, just like it is a BS rumor they are going to do the same thing next year. It will be a BS rumor when it is said about 2013 etc.
It was a BS rumor, just like it is a BS rumor they are going to do the same thing next year. It will be a BS rumor when it is said about 2013 etc.
Did anyone really take those previous rumours seriously? There was never a sense that it was a sure thing.
As for talk of a retina-like display coming to the iPad, I do think that critics would do well to keep in mind that Apple has not at any point stated that it intends to put such a display in that device. In other words, if there is no such display introduced in a couple of months, in no way will Apple have done anything wrong.
There really is a sense that the retina display is a done deal but Apple is not repeatedly claiming that one is coming. Apple has done nothing wrong if it fails to bring out the iPad with the hardware that others are claiming it will.
By the way, I agree with the point you are trying to make, namely that Apple isn't inclined to release a revised version of the iPad with the notion of it being just a stopgap product to be replaced only a couple of months later. Whatever tech is in the iPad introduced in a couple of months, that will be the iPad as it will be for about a year. Only if a competitor came up with a surprising challenge would Apple be compelled to rush an update to market. That's highly unlikely.
I suspect that someone at Citigroup is trying to manipulate the stock again by keeping X-mas iPad sales down.
exactly