I know Kuo is usually right, but I hope he's wrong this time. The iPad Mini Retina display's colour gamut is way off the that of the iPad Air (I've checked them both out myself at my local Apple store, and you can see the difference!) and its competition from Google and Amazon. That needs to be addressed and Touch ID is a no-brainer too. I don't think its beyond Apple's capabilities this year to incorporate an A8 SoC, Touch ID and improved display in the Mini. As for the rumoured 'iPad Pro' - I really hope that does happen this year too. That 12 inch size would really suit my needs perfectly! But again I know Kuo is usually correct in his predictions, so to be honest I'm a little worried.
I know Kuo is usually right, but I hope he's wrong this time. The iPad Mini Retina display's colour gamut is way off the that of the iPad Air (I've checked them both out myself at my local Apple store, and you can see the difference!) and its competition from Google and Amazon.
The displays definitely aren't in the same class but I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. I think it came down to "we can either ship a non-Retina display with an excellent color gamut or we can ship a Retina display with a poor color gamut on the iPad mini this year." This isn't unlike the iPad 3 having the tradeoff of being much thicker and heavier than even the 1st gen iPad when it went Retina. I suspect next year it should be better because unlike the iPad 3 I think this came down to sourcing components more than advancements in technologies that allowed the iPad 3 to become the iPad Air.
Kuo has a strong track record with respect to predicting Apple's future product plans, having correctly predicted most of the company's 2013 product releases months before anyone else. He also revealed the company's entire fall 2012 lineup a year prior.
If you actually look at his past predictions from 2012 and 2013, you'll find they're mostly comprised of product refreshes that line up with the normal cycles. It doesn't take any intelligence to figure that out and put it on a cheesy timeline graphic.
For 2012, he saw the iPad mini coming with parts ramping up, and correctly said Apple was going to start laminating the iMac's glass to the LCD panel.
What did he get wrong? He said the dock connector (Lightning) would be 9-pin, and it would be coming to the iPod touch. And that iPod touch and iPod nano would use a new kind of display panels. And the iPod nano would be wireless.
For 2013, he was totally wrong about a new design for the MacBook Pro, modified iPod touch, and iPod nano refresh. He completely missed the iPad Air. The only thing he got correct is a redesigned iPhone 5.
He also predicted the fingerprint sensor parts would be installed under a convex home button. That mades no sense, but it's what happens when you have all the parts and not enough technical knowledge to put them together.
There were a couple things he knew were coming (iPad mini and iPhone 5 redesign), he's predicted a lot of things that didn't happen, details he got completely wrong, and things he never saw coming.
Kuo calls up suppliers and asks what they're producing and shipping. And potentially fields information provided by leaky insiders. That's all.
Based on his track record, if you pick any one thing he predicts, outside of an expected product refresh, statistics say it will be wrong. But, there's always one thing he gets right, and it's usually big. The question is, what's the one thing he got right?
What did he get wrong? He said the dock connector (Lightning) would be 9-pin, and it would be coming to the iPod touch. And that iPod touch and iPod nano would use a new kind of display panels. And the iPod nano would be wireless.
If the details are coming from someone that gets a quick peak at the Lightning connector 9-pins would make sense if you think the surrounding metallic material is the ground on the male end. If you look in the female end and see the two little clips you may think it could have 10-pins. So even though he was technically wrong his source may have had access to the actual components.
He also predicted the fingerprint sensor parts would be installed under a convex home button<span style="line-height:1.4em;">. That mades no sense, but it's what happens when you have all the parts and not enough technical knowledge to put them together.</span>
If he would have said concave I would have given it to him because on the Space Grey iPhone 5S I can see it giving that impression since it's recessed slightly and the sensor ring matches the rest of the elements well.
I wonder why he (or his source) thought it would be convex? An error in communication, an earlier prototype where it required a slight bulge, or just a wild guess?
Apple has been working towards a more flexible OS for different sized displays for years now, they have this under control.
Actually, they've punted on this again and again and again. Instead of telling developers to dynamically resize layouts and assets, they've done the "retina" pixel-doubling dance on the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook Pro.
Apple needs to take a deep breath and tell its WWDC attendees, 'THIS is the year of resolution independence. Do it now, update your apps this one time, and you'll be good on all Apple devices and screens going forward."
Getting tired of all these biased reports and reviews. Kuo has been good at 'product road maps' apparently whenever someone with knowledge of the Apple production sends him a slide or an entire deck, but when it come to his 'projections' and analysis of the numbers, he has been certainly a lot less than stellar. --- dailyfirstpages
I say units will ramp - with Obamacare loaded up - ramping - small businesses are busy firing people - and need to be more efficient - Apple lets us small business operators to survive with this "great" health care plan
If it is good for Apple than I am in favor of it too.
I felt that withholding Touch ID in 2013 was a clear indication that the next version of the iPad mini and Air would otherwise see a modest bump in 2014. Touch ID in 2013 felt like the thin edge of of a much bigger wedge. Given it's initial success with a limited audience I can imagine Apple backing touch ID in a big way. Aside from enabling big push into mobile payments I'd really like to see them connect touch ID to a system-wide password keychain and simplify access for multiple users (such as child v parent accounts with different access restrictions).
In 2013 I was planning to get a retina iPad mini and iPhone 5S but given that my iPhone 4S and iPad 3 are still going strong I opt to wait until 2014 for a potential screen resolution bump on the iPhone and standardised touch ID across the iPad lineup.
While Kuo is one of the most accurate analysts out there, last year at about the same time he gave a similar prediction about the ipad mini with retina display. Turned out supply was constrained, but the retina mini did launch in late 13. Even the best are not always correct. I think we will see the ipad pro in late 2014, and it will be cool.
Multiple Profiles is a SW thing... although I'm sure in doing it right there are HW variables that could be tweaked (more flashRAM).
In general, 6 months prior predictions easy to make/remake/unmake and make again. No news here... move on.
1) A better color gamut would be welcomed and perhaps expected by many in-the-know.
2) Even though profiles are SW they may not be feasible until the HW evolves more. There are plenty of examples of SW features being excluded from less powerful HW. Note: I would be surprised if profiles come in the foreseeable future due to the many logistical problems that would be faced by having multiple, instant-access users.
Actually, they've punted on this again and again and again. Instead of telling developers to dynamically resize layouts and assets, they've done the "retina" pixel-doubling dance on the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook Pro.
Apple needs to take a deep breath and tell its WWDC attendees, 'THIS is the year of resolution independence. Do it now, update your apps this one time, and you'll be good on all Apple devices and screens going forward."
I think most of the "resolution independence" debate will be put to rest in the next couple of years for all technology companies, including Apple, MS and Google.
This due to HTML5, CSS3 and SVG vector graphics becoming the standard and being implimented across all platforms and browsers. As apposed to "bitmap rendering" of GUI assets. Bitmaps will go back to being used for pictures only, rather than a colored block with text in it.
All 3 of the above technologies "draw to the canvas" based on the size of the canvas, and can be further manipulated to "fit the canvas" at render time, or after with scripts and/or direct user control.
It is for this reason, and I would argue the biggest reason of all that GUIs have went "flat" across OS and browser vendors. The average user only sees it as a trend. I see it as the ability for GUI designers and developers being able to make "the switch" without a user even noticing it in the near term.
Comments
The displays definitely aren't in the same class but I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. I think it came down to "we can either ship a non-Retina display with an excellent color gamut or we can ship a Retina display with a poor color gamut on the iPad mini this year." This isn't unlike the iPad 3 having the tradeoff of being much thicker and heavier than even the 1st gen iPad when it went Retina. I suspect next year it should be better because unlike the iPad 3 I think this came down to sourcing components more than advancements in technologies that allowed the iPad 3 to become the iPad Air.
Kuo has a strong track record with respect to predicting Apple's future product plans, having correctly predicted most of the company's 2013 product releases months before anyone else. He also revealed the company's entire fall 2012 lineup a year prior.
If you actually look at his past predictions from 2012 and 2013, you'll find they're mostly comprised of product refreshes that line up with the normal cycles. It doesn't take any intelligence to figure that out and put it on a cheesy timeline graphic.
For 2012, he saw the iPad mini coming with parts ramping up, and correctly said Apple was going to start laminating the iMac's glass to the LCD panel.
What did he get wrong? He said the dock connector (Lightning) would be 9-pin, and it would be coming to the iPod touch. And that iPod touch and iPod nano would use a new kind of display panels. And the iPod nano would be wireless.
For 2013, he was totally wrong about a new design for the MacBook Pro, modified iPod touch, and iPod nano refresh. He completely missed the iPad Air. The only thing he got correct is a redesigned iPhone 5.
He also predicted the fingerprint sensor parts would be installed under a convex home button. That mades no sense, but it's what happens when you have all the parts and not enough technical knowledge to put them together.
There were a couple things he knew were coming (iPad mini and iPhone 5 redesign), he's predicted a lot of things that didn't happen, details he got completely wrong, and things he never saw coming.
If the details are coming from someone that gets a quick peak at the Lightning connector 9-pins would make sense if you think the surrounding metallic material is the ground on the male end. If you look in the female end and see the two little clips you may think it could have 10-pins. So even though he was technically wrong his source may have had access to the actual components.
If he would have said concave I would have given it to him because on the Space Grey iPhone 5S I can see it giving that impression since it's recessed slightly and the sensor ring matches the rest of the elements well.
I wonder why he (or his source) thought it would be convex? An error in communication, an earlier prototype where it required a slight bulge, or just a wild guess?
Apple has been working towards a more flexible OS for different sized displays for years now, they have this under control.
Actually, they've punted on this again and again and again. Instead of telling developers to dynamically resize layouts and assets, they've done the "retina" pixel-doubling dance on the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook Pro.
Apple needs to take a deep breath and tell its WWDC attendees, 'THIS is the year of resolution independence. Do it now, update your apps this one time, and you'll be good on all Apple devices and screens going forward."
---
dailyfirstpages
An analist? Those guys are wrong every time!
So I think that Apple will release all three. So I am an analyst now!
I say units will ramp - with Obamacare loaded up - ramping - small businesses are busy firing people - and need to be more efficient - Apple lets us small business operators to survive with this "great" health care plan
If it is good for Apple than I am in favor of it too.
Oh, boy! Well, if Ming-Chi Kuo says something, we better really pay attention. /s
In 2013 I was planning to get a retina iPad mini and iPhone 5S but given that my iPhone 4S and iPad 3 are still going strong I opt to wait until 2014 for a potential screen resolution bump on the iPhone and standardised touch ID across the iPad lineup.
Patiently waiting for an iPad mini with support for multiple profiles and Touch ID to select between them.
TouchID is the only reason for a mini refresh...
Multiple Profiles is a SW thing... although I'm sure in doing it right there are HW variables that could be tweaked (more flashRAM).
In general, 6 months prior predictions easy to make/remake/unmake and make again. No news here... move on.
1) A better color gamut would be welcomed and perhaps expected by many in-the-know.
2) Even though profiles are SW they may not be feasible until the HW evolves more. There are plenty of examples of SW features being excluded from less powerful HW. Note: I would be surprised if profiles come in the foreseeable future due to the many logistical problems that would be faced by having multiple, instant-access users.
I think most of the "resolution independence" debate will be put to rest in the next couple of years for all technology companies, including Apple, MS and Google.
This due to HTML5, CSS3 and SVG vector graphics becoming the standard and being implimented across all platforms and browsers. As apposed to "bitmap rendering" of GUI assets. Bitmaps will go back to being used for pictures only, rather than a colored block with text in it.
All 3 of the above technologies "draw to the canvas" based on the size of the canvas, and can be further manipulated to "fit the canvas" at render time, or after with scripts and/or direct user control.
It is for this reason, and I would argue the biggest reason of all that GUIs have went "flat" across OS and browser vendors. The average user only sees it as a trend. I see it as the ability for GUI designers and developers being able to make "the switch" without a user even noticing it in the near term.