'iPhone 5,' 'iPad mini' among 8 new Apple products coming before end of 2012
Apple is gearing up for a monster holiday season with a total of 8 new products reportedly set to go on sale, including a new iPhone, a smaller iPad, new iPods and updated Macs.
Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities indicated on Friday that Apple's new product launch schedule for the fourth quarter of 2012 will be jam-packed with new devices. Chief among them is the so-called "iPhone 5," which Apple is expected to unveil at a media event on Sept. 12.
According to Kuo, September is also likely to see the unveiling of a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, a new iPod touch, and a new 21.5-inch iMac.
Then, in October, reports have indicated that Apple is planning to hold a second media event at which it will unveil a smaller iPad with a 7.85-inch display. Joining the so-called "iPad mini" in October, according to Kuo, will be a new iPod nano, a "modified new iPad," and a new 27-inch iMac.
Apple's crowded fall lineup is a result of some component and assembly issues that the company allegedly experienced with new products earlier in the year. Kuo indicated that some products were intended for release late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2012, but production problems led to internal delays.
With the new iPhone, Kuo said the main issue has been with assembly of the device. He said the in-cell touch panels that Apple is expected to utilize for the next iPhone have not been an issue for production.
As for the "iPad mini," Apple has reportedly seen production yield issues with a "very thin panel module" being utilized in the new device.
As for the "new iPad" that Apple is apparently planning to launch, Kuo said the hardware will look largely identical to the current model. He said the most noticeable change will be adoption of the new 9-pin dock connector Apple is expected to feature in the new iPhone, iPod touch and iPad mini.
The new iPod touch and iPod nano will also feature new panel technology and sport all-new designs this year, according to Kuo. In particular, the new iPod nano is expected to feature wireless connectivity that will allow it to download content from the iTunes Store and iCloud.
The difficulty in placing a Wi-Fi chip inside of the new iPod nano is likely what caused an internal delay for that product, Kuo said. He believes the problem has been resolved, allowing Apple to launch the product in mid-October.
Finally, as for the new Mac hardware, Kuo said the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display will feature an all-new design and an entry price between $1,100 and $1,300. He expects strong demand for the new notebook will make it difficult for Apple to meet market demand prior to mid or late October.
The new iMac will not have a Retina display this year, however, he said. The all-in-one desktop is expected to be updated with a new design that will improve display quality.
"Apple has demanded full-lamination between the panel and the cover glass," Kuo wrote. "Lamination for the relatively large 27-inch panel comes with a lower yield, so we expect the 27-inch iMac to trail 21.5-inch iMac by 6-8 weeks in hitting the marketplace."
Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities indicated on Friday that Apple's new product launch schedule for the fourth quarter of 2012 will be jam-packed with new devices. Chief among them is the so-called "iPhone 5," which Apple is expected to unveil at a media event on Sept. 12.
According to Kuo, September is also likely to see the unveiling of a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, a new iPod touch, and a new 21.5-inch iMac.
Then, in October, reports have indicated that Apple is planning to hold a second media event at which it will unveil a smaller iPad with a 7.85-inch display. Joining the so-called "iPad mini" in October, according to Kuo, will be a new iPod nano, a "modified new iPad," and a new 27-inch iMac.
Apple's crowded fall lineup is a result of some component and assembly issues that the company allegedly experienced with new products earlier in the year. Kuo indicated that some products were intended for release late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2012, but production problems led to internal delays.
With the new iPhone, Kuo said the main issue has been with assembly of the device. He said the in-cell touch panels that Apple is expected to utilize for the next iPhone have not been an issue for production.
As for the "iPad mini," Apple has reportedly seen production yield issues with a "very thin panel module" being utilized in the new device.
As for the "new iPad" that Apple is apparently planning to launch, Kuo said the hardware will look largely identical to the current model. He said the most noticeable change will be adoption of the new 9-pin dock connector Apple is expected to feature in the new iPhone, iPod touch and iPad mini.
The new iPod touch and iPod nano will also feature new panel technology and sport all-new designs this year, according to Kuo. In particular, the new iPod nano is expected to feature wireless connectivity that will allow it to download content from the iTunes Store and iCloud.
The difficulty in placing a Wi-Fi chip inside of the new iPod nano is likely what caused an internal delay for that product, Kuo said. He believes the problem has been resolved, allowing Apple to launch the product in mid-October.
Finally, as for the new Mac hardware, Kuo said the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display will feature an all-new design and an entry price between $1,100 and $1,300. He expects strong demand for the new notebook will make it difficult for Apple to meet market demand prior to mid or late October.
The new iMac will not have a Retina display this year, however, he said. The all-in-one desktop is expected to be updated with a new design that will improve display quality.
"Apple has demanded full-lamination between the panel and the cover glass," Kuo wrote. "Lamination for the relatively large 27-inch panel comes with a lower yield, so we expect the 27-inch iMac to trail 21.5-inch iMac by 6-8 weeks in hitting the marketplace."
Comments
Boom!
Samsung is going to be busy ....
Damn. No doubt Apple is going to crush all previous earning/sales records this Holiday quarter. I mean, crush. Might very well be the best quarter of any company in history. Or have they already accomplished that? I forget. Either way it should be epic, and I expect the stock to follow suit.
I'm still not sold on the iPod nano getting Wi-Fi.
The entire housing is metal, and the screen has metal shielding behind it. It's basically a tiny metal box, the absolute worst possible form factor for Wi-Fi reception. It's also so small that even if they find a way to put an antenna inside that actually has some reception, it's likely to lose that reception as it moves around the Wi-Fi zone in that it would be much more susceptible to skip and interference from even small metallic objects in the room with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I'm still not sold on the iPod nano getting Wi-Fi.
The entire housing is metal, and the screen has metal shielding behind it. It's basically a tiny metal box, the absolute worst possible form factor for Wi-Fi reception. It's also so small that even if they find a way to put an antenna inside that actually has some reception, it's likely to lose that reception as it moves around the Wi-Fi zone in that it would be much more susceptible to skip and interference from even small metallic objects in the room with it.
It's Apple. They'll figure it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I'm still not sold on the iPod nano getting Wi-Fi.
The entire housing is metal, and the screen has metal shielding behind it. It's basically a tiny metal box, the absolute worst possible form factor for Wi-Fi reception. It's also so small that even if they find a way to put an antenna inside that actually has some reception, it's likely to lose that reception as it moves around the Wi-Fi zone in that it would be much more susceptible to skip and interference from even small metallic objects in the room with it.
You're assuming that it will stay all metal. If they give it Wi-Fi, they'll redesign it so housing isn't all metal.
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Where is the Mac Mini in all of this?? The current one is well over a year old and needs a refresh too. On top of that B&H Photo has constrained availability on some models lately.
I have a feeling it's coming but as has been said before, it will be updated quietly. My optimism is starting to grow upon hearing these rumors since we're not hearing about stupid lawsuit garbage for the time being.
Apple already patented antenas integrated into the display so i think that`s solution for both WI-Fi iPod NaNo and full metal iPhone.
All 8 of those sound right to me.
I’d have doubted a tweak to the iPad 3, but keeping a consistent dock connector makes sense. (They might even tweak the iPad 2! Probably not—just drop it and let the Mini fill in the bottom end for now.)
"APPLE IS RELEASING NEW VERSIONS OF EVERY PRODUCT THEY MAKE IN UNDER FOUR MONTHS"
*Apple doesn't do this*
"APPLE IS DOOMED. SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL! SELL!"
Every. Single. Year.
More than DigiTimes, why do we repost this idiocy?
WiFi in the iPod nano. That's interesting. Guess you'll be able to sync it with iCloud.
Of course what would be really interesting is if they brought Siri to it. An internet connection would make that a possibility and the ability to operate such a small product with voice would be very useful. Although the need to be within range of a WiFi network is a serious limitation.
Quiet update
I'm wondering about the whole Apple TV thing, the Cinema Displays etc.
I'm not sure how the retinal display MacBook Pro is going to be priced at $1100. The current unit starts at $1199. In the 15", the entry unit is $1799, but the entry retina is $2199. If the retina 13" comes in at $1100, that would mean Apple would have to severely drop the price of the 15". It would be hard to justify paying double the price for a machine 2 inches bigger.
If it is true it's more likely iTunes in the cloud/iTunes match than actual iCloud
I would think that Apple will announce the various iMac models and availability will be determined based on screen size. I don't think Apple will announce iMacs on two different dates just because one isn't as readily available if it is only a month later in terms of shipment dates. The 13inch MBPR is more than a 30 day delay, so I would assume that that would require a separate announcement.
I want that rMBP 13 in. and iMac! Please do release them asap Apple
Apple will probably price the basic 13 in. rMBP the same as the high end classic 13 in MBP (just a guess lol)