It's not weird if you've got competitors and if you have indications or a sense they could be gaining on you in some way.
Clearly you don't read most of the posts around here. Apple doesn't have to worry about competition, that's why they don't have to compete with Adroid in their marketspace.
Apple only needs to maintain the status quo doing exactly what they have been, courting a smaller pool of the wealthiest customers by charging a premium with a sizeable profit margin, releasing new products only when they are ready.
Apple doesn't need to do anything on anybody else's schedule.
That's what I'm hoping for. After playing with the mini and the regular iPad, the regular one feels like a brick. Shave a couple pounds off that thing and that's what I'll probably get.
Umm... it weighs 1.44 pounds. So you want a floating iPad? (The mini is .68 for reference)
Does it really make sense to bring out a new version of a product when the previous version still has six months left on the warranty? Customers with a defective product that has to be replaced will end up with the next generation of the product for free.
Seems weird to me.
Analysts have been demanding Apple to become more like Samsung and the other bottom feeders and release numerous updates and upgrades every three moths or so. So what do non Apple customers do when a cheaper better, faster, version of their new toy comes out six weeks after they bought it? Do they whine and moan about having obsolete equipment like the typical iDevice buyer?
I'm in the market for a full sized iPad but after playing with the mini there is no way i'll buy the current full sized one. It's clear that the next iPad will be thinner and lighter.
So at least in my case, the sooner they release a new iPad the better.
Completely agree. Apple has been moving away from fixed release cycles for a while now, starting when they decided to pull out of MacWorld Expo's. I think they may try to target specific releases just before the holiday or school seasons, but otherwise, they'll release products when they can - as soon as they can.
The other thing about getting away from fixed release cycles is that eliminating predictability will probably lessen the "waiting for the new model" phenomenon. This might happen even if, on average, they release 1 new model a year. If sometimes the next release comes in 6 months but other times it's 18, the calculation of, "should I wait," becomes much more complicated due to unknown factors, so people would tend to buy more on need, rather than thinking, "I can wait 3 months," because the next release might actually be as far as 9 months away. Can you wait that long? Maybe not. Do you need it? If you do, you buy it.
The iPad 4 was more of a iPad 3S. The next iPad will probably have the same specs as the last just with a new case design. Later this year it'll probably the speed bump once the new chips (A7X) are ready.
Or this rumor is bunk and you'll get the iPad 5 with A7X and Case redesign in the fall.
Sorry, but just a redesign would be a pretty lame upgrade- it'd look awesome, dont get me wrong. But they would have to bring something else to the table you would think. Already an HD facetime and 5MP back camera- where to go from there?
The Retina Mini will be price $100 higher than the current Mini so there won't be any buyer's remorse.
The iPad 4 was more of a iPad 3S. The next iPad will probably have the same specs as the last just with a new case design. Later this year it'll probably the speed bump once the new chips (A7X) are ready.
I doubt that, since the Retina iPad is in that price range right now. The 4th generation iPad was more than just a slight upgrade over the 3rd as you suggest. The A6X is twice as fast as the A5X.
Does it really make sense to bring out a new version of a product when the previous version still has six months left on the warranty? Customers with a defective product that has to be replaced will end up with the next generation of the product for free.
Seems weird to me.
Only because you don't understand how Apple's warranty exchange works.
Let's say you have a 3GS that fails and is still covered by AppleCare, so you take it to your Apple Store. They replace it with another 3GS, not a 4, 4S or 5. Unless they are completely out of the version you have (which hasn't seemed to happen so far), you get the one that you bought.
I don't like this kind of 6-month cycles at all. Makes customers delay purchases and hurt resale values, which in turns cheapen the brand. Hope it's not happening.
I don't see how it changes that. In fact, it might actually reduce the waiting.
Right now, there are major jumps from one version to the next (no matter what the iHaters say). When the next version is going to be MUCH better than the earlier version, it might make sense to wait. If you go to 6 month cycles, the change from one version to the next will be smaller, so there's not as much incentive to wait.
In addition, let's say you're convinced that you want to wait for the next version for some reason. WIth the current cycle, you might be waiting as much as 11 months. With a twice-a-year cycle, you wouldn't wait longer than 6 months.
The reasoning is obviously that the technology is improving fast enough that it's possible to do mid-year upgrades that would interest some people enough to spur sales.
In addition, it doesn't put them (as much) in the position where a competitor releases a new product 6-9 months after the last iPad/iPhone revision - and Apple appears to have fallen behind simply because of the advance in technology.
Seems too big to me but if the Galaxy Note seems quite popular in many cultures.
PS: didn't run the numbers for the 3:2 960x640 version but it would be a little smaller. I assume Apple will be deprecating the older aspect ratio.
I know this is just anecdotal evidence, but I was in a room full of 50 or so young low wage earners. One guy had just bought a new Galaxy Note, and was showing it off. Everybody who commented said it was ridiculous and just too big. The guy was wearing gym clothes and had no pocket it would fit into.
I personally don't know why the Galaxy Note is so popular, unless it replaces laptops and tablets for the low-wage owner who can't afford both. The trade-offs as a mobile device are just too significant. If anything a mobile phone should be getting smaller, not larger. If I had to guess, the Note-sized phones are a fad based on economies of scale -- thanks to Apple there was a dearth of 3.5" screens so Samsung and others went with larger cheaper screens. I mean a larger smartphone screen seems great (especially when it costs less than a smaller screen) until you start using it in the field.
As for getting rid of 3:2 ar, I can't imagine why. That's merely a template for respective apps. It does not compromise the experience at all, nor does it make a significant deterrent to developers. A few extra lines of code and extra image resources. The iOS does most of the heavy lifting. The reality is, 3:2 is going to be around for at least another 18 months, and 2 more anual iOS updates. If it's supported that long it shouldn't be a big deal to just keep it around.
I am hoping that Apple continues to offer an iPhone 4/S sized phone, and perhaps slightly smaller (the case, not the screen). A compromised budget version ($250-300 unlocked), and a minimally compromised version compared to the 4" flagship. The reality is, if Apple really wanted to, they could shrink the home button and shrink the top and bottom bezels to make the 4" screen fit in the 4/S case. At some point Apple will most likely change the home button which is starting to get a little long in the tooth anyway. There are likely far better ways to implement it, just like the click wheel eventually went away and seems dated today, and it holds them back in terms of design.
Customers delay purchases now, waiting for the next model. Resale value isn't Apple's concern, and it ought not be. None of these things lead to cheapening the brand as long as they maintain the quality of the brand. What would cheapen the brand is a "cheap" iPhone to sell in "developing markets".
I don't think the average consumer delays a purchase, waiting for the next model - unless the window is very short and there is considerable buzz about it in the main stream media already. It's different for us, we're talking about this on an Apple rumors site, so we see the leaks and see Gene Munster's "take" everyday. We know more about what's coming than the average person.
Your average consumer thinks "I have $500 +, I want an iPad, I'm going to go buy it."
I say this because most of my co-workers do this. My in-laws do this. My friends do this. My mom doesn't, because she's learned by now to ask me first. :-)
I know this is just anecdotal evidence, but I was in a room full of 50 or so young low wage earners. One guy had just bought a new Galaxy Note, and was showing it off. Everybody who commented said it was ridiculous and just too big. The guy was wearing gym clothes and had no pocket it would fit into.
I personally don't know why the Galaxy Note is so popular, unless it replaces laptops and tablets for the low-wage owner who can't afford both. The trade-offs as a mobile device are just too significant. If anything a mobile phone should be getting smaller, not larger. If I had to guess, the Note-sized phones are a fad based on economies of scale -- thanks to Apple there was a dearth of 3.5" screens so Samsung and others went with larger cheaper screens. I mean a larger smartphone screen seems great (especially when it costs less than a smaller screen) until you start using it in the field.
I have a friend who bought the Note. His reason was he didn't have much cash but wanted a phone and a tablet - so the Note is close enough to both (for him). It's dreadful in my opinion; for myself, 4" is the max I need, my iP5 is perfect.
If they follow their iPad mini pattern a larger iPhone-like* device would have a 4.904" display. That would allow them to use the 264 PPI display panels already utilized in the iPad (4) whilst maintaining the same resolution of the iPhone 5.
* Uses the same iPhone and iPod Touch apps in the same way the iPad and iPad mini use the same apps.
Thanks for making this calculation. I've also been wondering if they could do a more iPad-like aspect ratio on a larger phone. A five-inch phone pad, in other words.
No one would mistake it for a down-market device, or a concession to Samsung. Except here, of course—there would endless howls of derision until this PhonePad came out, sold in the millions, and shut everybody up.
I can't believe people aren't questioning this rumor. This guys "checks" at CES tell him we're getting updated iPads in March. What "checks" would these be? The same checks that have told these guys Apple is releasing a cheaper iPhone? Or a big screen TV?
I have a friend who bought the Note. His reason was he didn't have much cash but wanted a phone and a tablet - so the Note is close enough to both (for him). It's dreadful in my opinion; for myself, 4" is the max I need, my iP5 is perfect.
Again anecdotal, but this makes sense to me as a reasonable explanation.
Apple could do worse than creating an iPad nano between the 4" iPhone and the 8" iPad mini. Maybe even that's where the iPod Touch evolves ... Getting bigger with 4G LTE. Apple saves face as it's a tablet, not a phone. Then as the device takes off with folks skirting the phone issue with Skype and Google voice, Apple adds full featured calling to it to placate their cellular partners ...
Does it really make sense to bring out a new version of a product when the previous version still has six months left on the warranty? Customers with a defective product that has to be replaced will end up with the next generation of the product for free.
Seems weird to me.
When you give Apple a iPad that is defective, which is a very low percentage rate (under five percent), it does not give you a "new" iPad most of the time. NOr is it required to. Instead, it gives you a refurbished one or "new" stock if your model is discontinued and it doesn't have refurbished ones on hand. It then either repairs yours or uses the parts to handle other iPads needing warranty exchanges.
I think Apple will upgrade the iPad line quicker than once a year. March would be an odd time though because it doesn't usually release a new version of iOS until later.
When Apple stopped numbering the iPad it should have been obvious they would upgraded on a more frequent basis. I have little doubt Apple intends to give the iPad the form factor much closer to the mini overall. Likewise obvious observation was the lack of a retina display on the mini. It certainly could happen in March, and Apple can't have everything launching in just the fall, but if it's going to I would be looking for the rumor articles about 'production drawdowns' soon as the clue.
Also for everyone else, Apple doesn't care about 90% of the stuff that's been mentioned (waiting, warranty, resale..etc)
Given the source, I'm very skeptical, but some of the arguments being used against the rumor don't make sense.
Only because you don't understand how Apple's warranty exchange works.
Let's say you have a 3GS that fails and is still covered by AppleCare, so you take it to your Apple Store. They replace it with another 3GS, not a 4, 4S or 5. Unless they are completely out of the version you have (which hasn't seemed to happen so far), you get the one that you bought.
I don't see how it changes that. In fact, it might actually reduce the waiting.
Right now, there are major jumps from one version to the next (no matter what the iHaters say). When the next version is going to be MUCH better than the earlier version, it might make sense to wait. If you go to 6 month cycles, the change from one version to the next will be smaller, so there's not as much incentive to wait.
In addition, let's say you're convinced that you want to wait for the next version for some reason. WIth the current cycle, you might be waiting as much as 11 months. With a twice-a-year cycle, you wouldn't wait longer than 6 months.
The reasoning is obviously that the technology is improving fast enough that it's possible to do mid-year upgrades that would interest some people enough to spur sales.
In addition, it doesn't put them (as much) in the position where a competitor releases a new product 6-9 months after the last iPad/iPhone revision - and Apple appears to have fallen behind simply because of the advance in technology.
I doubt there's really anything solid behind this rumor. But if it does prove correct I personally think it will be because Apple has nothing else in the pipeline ready and they don't want to go 6 months with no product updates.
I don't think the average consumer delays a purchase, waiting for the next model - unless the window is very short and there is considerable buzz about it in the main stream media already. It's different for us, we're talking about this on an Apple rumors site, so we see the leaks and see Gene Munster's "take" everyday. We know more about what's coming than the average person.
Your average consumer thinks "I have $500 +, I want an iPad, I'm going to go buy it."
I say this because most of my co-workers do this. My in-laws do this. My friends do this. My mom doesn't, because she's learned by now to ask me first. :-)
The "average consumer" may not do it as far out as people reading this site, but I do know people who don't read sites like this and have either done it, or reluctantly bought at the time they did because they, "had to," knowing that a new model would be out soon. Apple's sales numbers approaching new releases also indicate that this happens, as does the flood of pent up demand following a new release.
Comments
Apple only needs to maintain the status quo doing exactly what they have been, courting a smaller pool of the wealthiest customers by charging a premium with a sizeable profit margin, releasing new products only when they are ready.
Apple doesn't need to do anything on anybody else's schedule.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970
That's what I'm hoping for. After playing with the mini and the regular iPad, the regular one feels like a brick. Shave a couple pounds off that thing and that's what I'll probably get.
Umm... it weighs 1.44 pounds. So you want a floating iPad? (The mini is .68 for reference)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I'm not sure of these rumours at all.
Does it really make sense to bring out a new version of a product when the previous version still has six months left on the warranty? Customers with a defective product that has to be replaced will end up with the next generation of the product for free.
Seems weird to me.
Analysts have been demanding Apple to become more like Samsung and the other bottom feeders and release numerous updates and upgrades every three moths or so. So what do non Apple customers do when a cheaper better, faster, version of their new toy comes out six weeks after they bought it? Do they whine and moan about having obsolete equipment like the typical iDevice buyer?
I'm in the market for a full sized iPad but after playing with the mini there is no way i'll buy the current full sized one. It's clear that the next iPad will be thinner and lighter.
So at least in my case, the sooner they release a new iPad the better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtomlin
Completely agree. Apple has been moving away from fixed release cycles for a while now, starting when they decided to pull out of MacWorld Expo's. I think they may try to target specific releases just before the holiday or school seasons, but otherwise, they'll release products when they can - as soon as they can.
The other thing about getting away from fixed release cycles is that eliminating predictability will probably lessen the "waiting for the new model" phenomenon. This might happen even if, on average, they release 1 new model a year. If sometimes the next release comes in 6 months but other times it's 18, the calculation of, "should I wait," becomes much more complicated due to unknown factors, so people would tend to buy more on need, rather than thinking, "I can wait 3 months," because the next release might actually be as far as 9 months away. Can you wait that long? Maybe not. Do you need it? If you do, you buy it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbook
The iPad 4 was more of a iPad 3S. The next iPad will probably have the same specs as the last just with a new case design. Later this year it'll probably the speed bump once the new chips (A7X) are ready.
Or this rumor is bunk and you'll get the iPad 5 with A7X and Case redesign in the fall.
Sorry, but just a redesign would be a pretty lame upgrade- it'd look awesome, dont get me wrong. But they would have to bring something else to the table you would think. Already an HD facetime and 5MP back camera- where to go from there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbook
The Retina Mini will be price $100 higher than the current Mini so there won't be any buyer's remorse.
The iPad 4 was more of a iPad 3S. The next iPad will probably have the same specs as the last just with a new case design. Later this year it'll probably the speed bump once the new chips (A7X) are ready.
I doubt that, since the Retina iPad is in that price range right now. The 4th generation iPad was more than just a slight upgrade over the 3rd as you suggest. The A6X is twice as fast as the A5X.
Only because you don't understand how Apple's warranty exchange works.
Let's say you have a 3GS that fails and is still covered by AppleCare, so you take it to your Apple Store. They replace it with another 3GS, not a 4, 4S or 5. Unless they are completely out of the version you have (which hasn't seemed to happen so far), you get the one that you bought.
I don't see how it changes that. In fact, it might actually reduce the waiting.
Right now, there are major jumps from one version to the next (no matter what the iHaters say). When the next version is going to be MUCH better than the earlier version, it might make sense to wait. If you go to 6 month cycles, the change from one version to the next will be smaller, so there's not as much incentive to wait.
In addition, let's say you're convinced that you want to wait for the next version for some reason. WIth the current cycle, you might be waiting as much as 11 months. With a twice-a-year cycle, you wouldn't wait longer than 6 months.
The reasoning is obviously that the technology is improving fast enough that it's possible to do mid-year upgrades that would interest some people enough to spur sales.
In addition, it doesn't put them (as much) in the position where a competitor releases a new product 6-9 months after the last iPad/iPhone revision - and Apple appears to have fallen behind simply because of the advance in technology.
I know this is just anecdotal evidence, but I was in a room full of 50 or so young low wage earners. One guy had just bought a new Galaxy Note, and was showing it off. Everybody who commented said it was ridiculous and just too big. The guy was wearing gym clothes and had no pocket it would fit into.
I personally don't know why the Galaxy Note is so popular, unless it replaces laptops and tablets for the low-wage owner who can't afford both. The trade-offs as a mobile device are just too significant. If anything a mobile phone should be getting smaller, not larger. If I had to guess, the Note-sized phones are a fad based on economies of scale -- thanks to Apple there was a dearth of 3.5" screens so Samsung and others went with larger cheaper screens. I mean a larger smartphone screen seems great (especially when it costs less than a smaller screen) until you start using it in the field.
As for getting rid of 3:2 ar, I can't imagine why. That's merely a template for respective apps. It does not compromise the experience at all, nor does it make a significant deterrent to developers. A few extra lines of code and extra image resources. The iOS does most of the heavy lifting. The reality is, 3:2 is going to be around for at least another 18 months, and 2 more anual iOS updates. If it's supported that long it shouldn't be a big deal to just keep it around.
I am hoping that Apple continues to offer an iPhone 4/S sized phone, and perhaps slightly smaller (the case, not the screen). A compromised budget version ($250-300 unlocked), and a minimally compromised version compared to the 4" flagship. The reality is, if Apple really wanted to, they could shrink the home button and shrink the top and bottom bezels to make the 4" screen fit in the 4/S case. At some point Apple will most likely change the home button which is starting to get a little long in the tooth anyway. There are likely far better ways to implement it, just like the click wheel eventually went away and seems dated today, and it holds them back in terms of design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anonymouse
Customers delay purchases now, waiting for the next model. Resale value isn't Apple's concern, and it ought not be. None of these things lead to cheapening the brand as long as they maintain the quality of the brand. What would cheapen the brand is a "cheap" iPhone to sell in "developing markets".
I don't think the average consumer delays a purchase, waiting for the next model - unless the window is very short and there is considerable buzz about it in the main stream media already. It's different for us, we're talking about this on an Apple rumors site, so we see the leaks and see Gene Munster's "take" everyday. We know more about what's coming than the average person.
Your average consumer thinks "I have $500 +, I want an iPad, I'm going to go buy it."
I say this because most of my co-workers do this. My in-laws do this. My friends do this. My mom doesn't, because she's learned by now to ask me first. :-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac_128
I know this is just anecdotal evidence, but I was in a room full of 50 or so young low wage earners. One guy had just bought a new Galaxy Note, and was showing it off. Everybody who commented said it was ridiculous and just too big. The guy was wearing gym clothes and had no pocket it would fit into.
I personally don't know why the Galaxy Note is so popular, unless it replaces laptops and tablets for the low-wage owner who can't afford both. The trade-offs as a mobile device are just too significant. If anything a mobile phone should be getting smaller, not larger. If I had to guess, the Note-sized phones are a fad based on economies of scale -- thanks to Apple there was a dearth of 3.5" screens so Samsung and others went with larger cheaper screens. I mean a larger smartphone screen seems great (especially when it costs less than a smaller screen) until you start using it in the field.
I have a friend who bought the Note. His reason was he didn't have much cash but wanted a phone and a tablet - so the Note is close enough to both (for him). It's dreadful in my opinion; for myself, 4" is the max I need, my iP5 is perfect.
Thanks for making this calculation. I've also been wondering if they could do a more iPad-like aspect ratio on a larger phone. A five-inch phone pad, in other words.
No one would mistake it for a down-market device, or a concession to Samsung. Except here, of course—there would endless howls of derision until this PhonePad came out, sold in the millions, and shut everybody up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbook
The Retina Mini will be price $100 higher than the current Mini so there won't be any buyer's remorse.
It may be priced higher, but that's not why Apple would do it. They don't operate this way.
Apple could do worse than creating an iPad nano between the 4" iPhone and the 8" iPad mini. Maybe even that's where the iPod Touch evolves ... Getting bigger with 4G LTE. Apple saves face as it's a tablet, not a phone. Then as the device takes off with folks skirting the phone issue with Skype and Google voice, Apple adds full featured calling to it to placate their cellular partners ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
I'm not sure of these rumours at all.
Does it really make sense to bring out a new version of a product when the previous version still has six months left on the warranty? Customers with a defective product that has to be replaced will end up with the next generation of the product for free.
Seems weird to me.
When you give Apple a iPad that is defective, which is a very low percentage rate (under five percent), it does not give you a "new" iPad most of the time. NOr is it required to. Instead, it gives you a refurbished one or "new" stock if your model is discontinued and it doesn't have refurbished ones on hand. It then either repairs yours or uses the parts to handle other iPads needing warranty exchanges.
I think Apple will upgrade the iPad line quicker than once a year. March would be an odd time though because it doesn't usually release a new version of iOS until later.
When Apple stopped numbering the iPad it should have been obvious they would upgraded on a more frequent basis. I have little doubt Apple intends to give the iPad the form factor much closer to the mini overall. Likewise obvious observation was the lack of a retina display on the mini. It certainly could happen in March, and Apple can't have everything launching in just the fall, but if it's going to I would be looking for the rumor articles about 'production drawdowns' soon as the clue.
Also for everyone else, Apple doesn't care about 90% of the stuff that's been mentioned (waiting, warranty, resale..etc)
I doubt there's really anything solid behind this rumor. But if it does prove correct I personally think it will be because Apple has nothing else in the pipeline ready and they don't want to go 6 months with no product updates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by allenbf
I don't think the average consumer delays a purchase, waiting for the next model - unless the window is very short and there is considerable buzz about it in the main stream media already. It's different for us, we're talking about this on an Apple rumors site, so we see the leaks and see Gene Munster's "take" everyday. We know more about what's coming than the average person.
Your average consumer thinks "I have $500 +, I want an iPad, I'm going to go buy it."
I say this because most of my co-workers do this. My in-laws do this. My friends do this. My mom doesn't, because she's learned by now to ask me first. :-)
The "average consumer" may not do it as far out as people reading this site, but I do know people who don't read sites like this and have either done it, or reluctantly bought at the time they did because they, "had to," knowing that a new model would be out soon. Apple's sales numbers approaching new releases also indicate that this happens, as does the flood of pent up demand following a new release.