Apple predicted to launch lighter, thinner 9.7" iPad 'as quickly as possible'

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
While Apple surprised with the announcement of a new fourth-generation iPad this week, the company may quickly update the product once again with a thinner and lighter model early next year, one insider believes.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities thinks Apple may feel pressure from Microsoft's new Surface tablet, especially considering that the fourth-generation iPad is the same weight and thickness as the third-generation model.

"Though the iPad mini is expected to be successful, we think launching the lighter, thinner 9.7" iPad as quickly as possible matters more for Apple strategically," Kuo explained.

If Microsoft Surface does catch on with consumers and businesses, it would pose a risk to Apple's current dominance of the "post-PC" world. For that reason, he thinks Apple will move quickly to redesign the iPad once again in the near future.

Apple is expected to employ "GF DITO" touchscreen technology, otherwise known as GF2, in its redesigned iPad, according to Kuo. In combination with more power-efficient chips, Apple is expected to "dramatically lower the weight and thickness of the 9.7" iPad," Kuo wrote.

iPad


Apple is said to already be employing GF2 display technology in the new iPad mini. That helped to make the device 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the full-size iPad.

The fourth-generation iPad unveiled by Apple on Tuesday marked an uncharacteristically short product life cycle for the company. It completely replaced the third-generation model, while the $399 iPad 2 remains without a high-resolution Retina display.

The new fourth-generation iPad carries the same price points as its predecessor, while packing in faster performance with a new A6X processor that Apple said doubles the speed of the system's CPU and GPU. It also features Apple's new Lightning connector, replacing the legacy 30-pin design found on the third-generation model.

Customers who recently purchased a third-generation iPad may be able to return their purchase and exchange it for the updated fourth-generation model at certain Apple retail stores.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 106


    So… tomorrow, then. The 4th gen is already discontinued, moving to the 5th gen.


     


    ????

  • Reply 2 of 106
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member


    Apple is sure focusing on iPads more than anything now. Not surprised, but other products like Mac Pro are just crying in the corner.

  • Reply 3 of 106


    Originally Posted by iVlad View Post

    …other products like Mac Pro are just crying in the corner.


     


    Specifically stated to be receiving an update next year.

  • Reply 4 of 106
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member


    This guy is up to something. Very fishy analysis.

  • Reply 5 of 106
    I believe Apple will do whatever it can to keep the iPad out front as a market leader in tablets. On that note, I'll order the 4th generation, the 5th generation and such as long as there's eBay!
  • Reply 6 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    So… tomorrow, then. The 4th gen is already discontinued, moving to the 5th gen.


     


    ????



    I think it's about time we start talking about the 6th gen iPad. 

  • Reply 7 of 106


    Originally Posted by Rabbit_Coach View Post

    I think it's about time we start talking about the 6th gen iPad. 




    The "iPad 5", as it were. image

  • Reply 8 of 106
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Oh come on this guy again, this guy crawled out from underneath some rock and is trying to make a name for himself. He making all sort of speculations. He obviously think apple does like other companies in the past which was every time a competitor does something Apple will match them.

    Apples has never done that except when Jobs was not not there, even with him gone that have recipe they are following and I have yet to see any deviation form that which it not to react to the competitions offers.
  • Reply 9 of 106


    If this is true, before the warranties on the launch day 3rd gen iPad expire, the successor to the successor of that device will be announced.  That is an insane pace, by Apple's previous standards.

  • Reply 10 of 106


    This is absolute silliness.  This type of article pops up almost every time Apple makes a product announcement.  History shows us that Apple updates their products once a year and sometimes a year-and-a-half. I think people publish this type of article just to get hits on their website.

  • Reply 11 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    So… tomorrow, then. The 4th gen is already discontinued, moving to the 5th gen.



     


    If you consider the 4th  gen iPad as just a speed bump, then the idea that they'd release a completely updated design in the Spring, which would, among other things, likely be lighter and thinner, isn't far fetched, and is probably the basis for his "analysis", more so than his rationale regarding the Surface.

  • Reply 12 of 106
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    I would like a thinner lighter iPad 5! It is clearly possible it will happen sooner.
  • Reply 13 of 106


    So now that everything is updated (save Mac Pro, which is coming soon) what do we have to look forward to/argue about?  Apple TV?  Since everything has been updated from iPod to Macs, seems there isn't much to wish for? Right?

  • Reply 14 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


     


    If you consider the 4th  gen iPad as just a speed bump, then the idea that they'd release a completely updated design in the Spring, which would, among other things, likely be lighter and thinner, isn't far fetched, and is probably the basis for his "analysis", more so than his rationale regarding the Surface.



     


    But they wouldn't update the iPad in the spring and not the iPad mini at the same time, would they?  Surely not

  • Reply 15 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    This guy is up to something. Very fishy analysis.



     


    All analysts are fishy. They don't want to be caught off guard if it turns out that Apple is moving to little updates every 6 months on these products (and I could see it for the iPad, maybe not the Mini until after they have the first year to judge the line up fully) so they will make claims and then when it looks like they are wrong they will trump up some component etc delay to "explain" why it's not happening instead of admitting they pulled the whole thing out of their butts

  • Reply 16 of 106


    Unless "Ming-Chi Kuo" means "inside" in Chinese, I don't see why he would be labeled an insider.


     


     


     


    The surprise of yesterday's iPad update, to me, was that they called it a 4th generation iPad. There is another way to interpret "this", the 5th generation iPad (lighter or otherwise) isn't coming out until next October.


     


    Any mention of what they will do with remaining inventory of 3rd G iPad once 4th gen iPads become available?

  • Reply 17 of 106


    Originally Posted by allenbf View Post

    …what do we have to look forward to/argue about? Apple TV?


     


    Ugh… yes. That thing. ????






    Originally Posted by Harbinger View Post

    Any mention of what they will do with remaining inventory of 3rd G iPad once 4th gen iPads become available?



     


    Seems they just no longer exist. They must be being held back for replacements. The iPad 3 is available in the refurb store, though.

  • Reply 18 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cpenzone View Post


    This is absolute silliness.  This type of article pops up almost every time Apple makes a product announcement.  History shows us that Apple updates their products once a year and sometimes a year-and-a-half. I think people publish this type of article just to get hits on their website.



     


    and now history shows that sometimes they will do it in half a year. 


     


    Sorry but 'history shows' appears to be weakening as Tim Cook takes Steve Job's advice and runs with it. He's not necessarily doing as Steve did and the whole 'once a year' may go out the window for some things. This could be the first one. 


     


    It's time to restart 'history' and expect anything. 

  • Reply 19 of 106
    Wonder if it will keep the 4:3 ratio
  • Reply 20 of 106

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by allenbf View Post


    So now that everything is updated (save Mac Pro, which is coming soon) what do we have to look forward to/argue about?  Apple TV?  Since everything has been updated from iPod to Macs, seems there isn't much to wish for? Right?





    There is still the Mac Pro.


    It's a matter of time before they upgrade the Cinema Display to to same thickness, or thinness of the new iMac.


     


    As for the TV thing, Michael Gartenberg mentioned something smart the other day: The entire TV market, at $30B, isn't quite large enough to interest Apple. That's amazing thing about Apple - whatever market they go after needs to have a potential grow really, really, really ginormous.

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