- release new iPhones with the latest tech some time in spring because iPhones are usually bought depending on when the carrier contract expires (at least I understand in the US - in Europe we've moved away a bit from the subsidy model).
- release new iPads (using the 4-6 months old tech from the spring iPhone release) in time for the holiday season as iPads are much more likely to be given as a gift, considering they don't depend on carrier contracts and are less "necessary" (compared to phones) and therefore better suited as gifts. Separating iPhone and iPad release flattens the top line as the hikes after new releases are spread over the year.
- let the iPad mini trail one generation of CPU/GPU compared to the full-size iPad or the iPad Pro to allow for a price differenciation
Until the release of the iPad 4 I think the iPads were always released after the iPhones, and with the latest release Apple indeed let the iPad mini trail one generation. But neither appears to be an actual marketing concept.
Huh? What difference would spring make?? Contracts expire throughout the year depending upon when you signed up.
IMO the release of the iPadMini was a mistake by Apple. Great for consumers but horrible for Apple. Why? iPads already have terrible gross profit margin compared to the iPhone and Mac lines. Too many people choose to buy the cheaper iPadMini vs the iPad. That $100 less in revenue per unit is killer. With the 6+ its high time for Apple to phase out the Mini. At this point it is too niche of a product and hurts Apple's bottom line. The iPadMini2 at $299 and Mini3 at $399 are dirt cheap prices. I don't think Apple makes much profit at all on those models. I think at first the Mini was introduced to gain market share. But really the only thing that happenned was allow people to cheap out and buy an iPad for $100 less.
Just look at the average selling price of ipads.
1. In the first 2 years of iPad (before mini) the averaging selling price was over $600
2. Last quarter the average selling price was $430
That is ridiculously bad. The only way to reverse that trend is to phase out the cheap Mini and introduce the Pro. Apple needs to get the ASP of iPads back to the $500-$600 level.
That's like saying the iPod Mini, Nano, and Shuffle were terrible mistakes because they took away Classic revenue. :no:
An iPhone release in the spring wouldn't work well in the U.S. The iPhone is Apple's bread and butter and the Fall/Winter is the biggest shopping season for the U.S.
May be true, but my assumption was that you buy an iPhone whenever your contract expires (so it doesn't matter when it's released), but buy an iPad only during shopping season. I don't live in the US however... I think the shopping season effect is less distinct here in Europe.
Huh? What difference would spring make?? Contracts expire throughout the year depending upon when you signed up.
Exactly. i don#t care for the spring release with regard to the iPhone, my intention was to suggest a holiday season release for the iPad and, to have a few months in between, this results in a spring release for the iPhone.
"As such, AppleInsider cannot verify the following claims and presents them for purposes of discussion. "
Please, don't insult our intelligence AI. You present these baseless rumors from unreliable sources for the sole purpose of clicks. Nothing more, nothing less.
"It has been reported that Apple's spaceship campus is an actual spaceship and capable of flight, however, we have not been able to get comment from Apple. They are not responding to questions for confirmation. Nor has NASA responded to comments. We present this for discussion only. It is speculated to be flight-capable by 2018. Office space in Silicon Valley is a constant source of concern and having a move-able office building would be a natural advantage."
That's like saying the iPod Mini, Nano, and Shuffle were terrible mistakes because they took away Classic revenue. :no:
If all of Apple's decisions are solely based on what generates the biggest margins then I seriously question where they're headed as a company. Apple should be about making the best products full stop, not how do I design a product to maximize gross margins. It seems the latter is what they did with the iPad mini so it would not surprise me if sales stagnated. But I suppose some wouldn't mind at all if Apple killed off the iPad and told people to just buy the bigger iPhone because that makes them more money. :rolleyes:
If anything Apple has been more conservative about retiring older products since Tim Cook took over. Sometimes they keep around multiple generations of older products whereas in the past they would have just replaced the current one with the new one, or kept 2 generations at most. I don't think this report is very likely.
- release new iPhones with the latest tech some time in spring because iPhones are usually bought depending on when the carrier contract expires (at least I understand in the US - in Europe we've moved away a bit from the subsidy model).
- release new iPads (using the 4-6 months old tech from the spring iPhone release) in time for the holiday season as iPads are much more likely to be given as a gift, considering they don't depend on carrier contracts and are less "necessary" (compared to phones) and therefore better suited as gifts. Separating iPhone and iPad release flattens the top line as the hikes after new releases are spread over the year.
- let the iPad mini trail one generation of CPU/GPU compared to the full-size iPad or the iPad Pro to allow for a price differenciation
Until the release of the iPad 4 I think the iPads were always released after the iPhones, and with the latest release Apple indeed let the iPad mini trail one generation. But neither appears to be an actual marketing concept.
1. People have contracts expire year round so a spring release makes little sense. In addition, a fall release is closer to the holiday season in the U.S. And closer to the lunar NEw year in Asia.
2. So release iPads as normal in the fall.
3. If it's gonna be a new update, it should be new.
1. People have contracts expire year round so a spring release makes little sense. In addition, a fall release is closer to the holiday season in the U.S. And closer to the lunar NEw year in Asia.
2. So release iPads as normal in the fall.
3. If it's gonna be a new update, it should be new.
Worst product update? What about for those who didn't have an iPad before?
$100 for TouchID? Anyone with a brain bought the Mini 2 instead. And Mini 2 owners did not upgrade.
I own most Apple products. Of all of them, I have to say that the iPad Mini is the one that is close to redundant. It's been sitting there, gathering dust, for a a long time time now. (Incidentally, the iMac is #2 on the redundancy list).
I realize this is only one data point, so save the brickbats.
$100 for TouchID? Anyone with a brain bought the Mini 2 instead.
Count me in that group. TouchID is a feature worth paying a premium for on a phone (or watch) when it's combined with Apple Pay for mobile payments. But not on an iPad where it's mostly used to make unlocking a bit more convenient.
As for getting rid of the Mini -- I personally find that I reach for my Mini far more often than my iPad 3 when I need to take a device out for watching or extended browsing. The size is far more convenient to carry around. However, I have an iPhone 5 and might feel differently if I had an iPhone 6+.
Could somebody informed predict iPad Pro prices v. capacities? Will they stick with 16/64/128 or plus 256 or 32/128/256 GB. Then we would see clearer picture compare to 12" MacBook. Thanks
BTW. Apple will do what they think is good for them. In case they feel Air 2 is still best tablet and has no real competition then they can just update TouchID sensors and keep it till spring when Pro will see first signs of demand saturation. Then it will get A9, force touch and faster flash. And God knows USB-C.
Minis are a great size for portability and for kids. I'm not getting them a bigger one to drop more often, nor am I hand them my 6, the wife's 6 ok, but not mine... Lol.
I also prefer the mini. If I need bigger I grab the laptop.
Count me in that group. TouchID is a feature worth paying a premium for on a phone (or watch) when it's combined with Apple Pay for mobile payments. But not on an iPad where it's mostly used to make unlocking a bit more convenient.
You underestimate the importance of that convenience.
I have a 5S which does not have ?Pay and I don't know how I lived without Touch ID before it. So much so, that every time I pick up my iPad 3G, I press the home button and leave my finger there waiting for it to unlock, until I realize I have to enter my 4-digit code. It's frustrating enough that I'm contemplating upgrading to a new iPad with Touch ID even though my iPad 3G is still perfectly functional and does everything I need.
Also, Touch ID can be used on my iPhone 5S to confirm App Store and iTunes purchases, even without ?Pay, and considering my Apple ID password is quite long and complicated for security purposes, makes my life much easier. So the secure element is still quite useful without ?Pay, and meets your standard for justification.
Moreover, there's no reason the iPad, and iPod Touch couldn't be used for ?Pay. I would expect Apple to eventually support it on all of their mobile devices, and even the Mac for online purchases. So all the more reason to buy an iPad with Touch ID for future compatibility.
There's nothing particularly "stupid" about the rumor. In terms of processing power, the iPad 2 is already overkill for its uses,
Hardly. In fact I'm not sure where this idea that iPad is overkill ever came from as you are not the only one I've heard it from. IPad simply doesn't have the performance to run one of its primary apps well which in case you are wondering is Safari.
Apple might not see the need to update it, especially if it wants marketing focus to be on the iPad Pro.
The problem is we are talking entirely different markets here. IPad Air owners for the most part don't want a massive iPad. For big I can grab my laptop.
It's not without precedent, but i'm sure Apple has thought of the pros and cons of such a potential strategy more deeply than you have,
I have a 5S which does not have ?Pay and I don't know how I lived without Touch ID before it. So much so, that every time I pick up my iPad 3G, I press the home button and leave my finger there waiting for it to unlock, until I realize I have to enter my 4-digit code. It's frustrating enough that I'm contemplating upgrading to a new iPad with Touch ID even though my iPad 3G is still perfectly functional and does everything I need.
I've never owned a device with TouchID, so I'm still very used to using a 4-digit code. I've entered it so many times that I can literally do it subconsciously at this point. Would it be more convenient to have TouchID? Sure. But $100 is steep premium for a few milliseconds of time saved. Especially on a device that I don't use as often as my phone.
Quote:
Also, Touch ID can be used on my iPhone 5S to confirm App Store and iTunes purchases, even without ?Pay, and considering my Apple ID password is quite long and complicated for security purposes, makes my life much easier. So the secure element is still quite useful without ?Pay, and meets your standard for justification.
And I maybe buy something from the App Store or iTunes once every 4 or 5 days on average. So again, $100 is a steep premium for a couple of seconds of convenience a few times a month.
After getting a 6+ I rarely take my iPad out of my home. I see no reason to continue to make the Mini unless they make it out of plastic or use really old internals. Its just not worth the trouble and canibalization of the iPad.
I guess I'm from the generation that's used to watching movies on a large screen TV. So, for me, the Mini is about as small as I want to go for watching movies on the go. I don't understand how someone can really get into an action movie or sporting event on a phone-sized screen, but to each their own.
I can see Apple doing this approach. iPad Air 2 is extremely powerful and I never had any performance issues. Before I bought iPad Air, I had iPad mini and it was as fast as my new one. I don't see the point of refreshing again. It's robust, high performant, and stable. Now, with the iOS9 being more optimized for storage, I think it will have more time before it expires.
Comments
If I had a say in Apple, I'd do the following:
- release new iPhones with the latest tech some time in spring because iPhones are usually bought depending on when the carrier contract expires (at least I understand in the US - in Europe we've moved away a bit from the subsidy model).
- release new iPads (using the 4-6 months old tech from the spring iPhone release) in time for the holiday season as iPads are much more likely to be given as a gift, considering they don't depend on carrier contracts and are less "necessary" (compared to phones) and therefore better suited as gifts. Separating iPhone and iPad release flattens the top line as the hikes after new releases are spread over the year.
- let the iPad mini trail one generation of CPU/GPU compared to the full-size iPad or the iPad Pro to allow for a price differenciation
Until the release of the iPad 4 I think the iPads were always released after the iPhones, and with the latest release Apple indeed let the iPad mini trail one generation. But neither appears to be an actual marketing concept.
Huh? What difference would spring make?? Contracts expire throughout the year depending upon when you signed up.
That's like saying the iPod Mini, Nano, and Shuffle were terrible mistakes because they took away Classic revenue. :no:
An iPhone release in the spring wouldn't work well in the U.S. The iPhone is Apple's bread and butter and the Fall/Winter is the biggest shopping season for the U.S.
May be true, but my assumption was that you buy an iPhone whenever your contract expires (so it doesn't matter when it's released), but buy an iPad only during shopping season. I don't live in the US however... I think the shopping season effect is less distinct here in Europe.
Huh? What difference would spring make?? Contracts expire throughout the year depending upon when you signed up.
Exactly. i don#t care for the spring release with regard to the iPhone, my intention was to suggest a holiday season release for the iPad and, to have a few months in between, this results in a spring release for the iPhone.
Quote:
"As such, AppleInsider cannot verify the following claims and presents them for purposes of discussion. "
Please, don't insult our intelligence AI. You present these baseless rumors from unreliable sources for the sole purpose of clicks. Nothing more, nothing less.
"It has been reported that Apple's spaceship campus is an actual spaceship and capable of flight, however, we have not been able to get comment from Apple. They are not responding to questions for confirmation. Nor has NASA responded to comments. We present this for discussion only. It is speculated to be flight-capable by 2018. Office space in Silicon Valley is a constant source of concern and having a move-able office building would be a natural advantage."
If all of Apple's decisions are solely based on what generates the biggest margins then I seriously question where they're headed as a company. Apple should be about making the best products full stop, not how do I design a product to maximize gross margins. It seems the latter is what they did with the iPad mini so it would not surprise me if sales stagnated. But I suppose some wouldn't mind at all if Apple killed off the iPad and told people to just buy the bigger iPhone because that makes them more money. :rolleyes:
If anything Apple has been more conservative about retiring older products since Tim Cook took over. Sometimes they keep around multiple generations of older products whereas in the past they would have just replaced the current one with the new one, or kept 2 generations at most. I don't think this report is very likely.
2. So release iPads as normal in the fall.
3. If it's gonna be a new update, it should be new.
Worst product update? What about for those who didn't have an iPad before?
1. People have contracts expire year round so a spring release makes little sense. In addition, a fall release is closer to the holiday season in the U.S. And closer to the lunar NEw year in Asia.
2. So release iPads as normal in the fall.
3. If it's gonna be a new update, it should be new.
Worst product update? What about for those who didn't have an iPad before?
$100 for TouchID? Anyone with a brain bought the Mini 2 instead. And Mini 2 owners did not upgrade.
The iPod is the Apple II of our time. Apple's going to ride it into the ground.
Especially since Apple released the worst product update in history with the Mini 3; I would hope they didn't expect it to sell in serious volume.
It is a shame as the iPod is an iconic brand.
I don't know the Apple II story, but there clearly is a future for the iPod. Especially since ? music allows for offline listening.
A redesigned iPod nano would actually make toast of the Fitbit. If only Apple would give their iPod a little love ...
I realize this is only one data point, so save the brickbats.
$100 for TouchID? Anyone with a brain bought the Mini 2 instead.
Count me in that group. TouchID is a feature worth paying a premium for on a phone (or watch) when it's combined with Apple Pay for mobile payments. But not on an iPad where it's mostly used to make unlocking a bit more convenient.
As for getting rid of the Mini -- I personally find that I reach for my Mini far more often than my iPad 3 when I need to take a device out for watching or extended browsing. The size is far more convenient to carry around. However, I have an iPhone 5 and might feel differently if I had an iPhone 6+.
Could somebody informed predict iPad Pro prices v. capacities? Will they stick with 16/64/128 or plus 256 or 32/128/256 GB. Then we would see clearer picture compare to 12" MacBook. Thanks
BTW. Apple will do what they think is good for them. In case they feel Air 2 is still best tablet and has no real competition then they can just update TouchID sensors and keep it till spring when Pro will see first signs of demand saturation. Then it will get A9, force touch and faster flash. And God knows USB-C.
I also prefer the mini. If I need bigger I grab the laptop.
I have a 5S which does not have ?Pay and I don't know how I lived without Touch ID before it. So much so, that every time I pick up my iPad 3G, I press the home button and leave my finger there waiting for it to unlock, until I realize I have to enter my 4-digit code. It's frustrating enough that I'm contemplating upgrading to a new iPad with Touch ID even though my iPad 3G is still perfectly functional and does everything I need.
Also, Touch ID can be used on my iPhone 5S to confirm App Store and iTunes purchases, even without ?Pay, and considering my Apple ID password is quite long and complicated for security purposes, makes my life much easier. So the secure element is still quite useful without ?Pay, and meets your standard for justification.
Moreover, there's no reason the iPad, and iPod Touch couldn't be used for ?Pay. I would expect Apple to eventually support it on all of their mobile devices, and even the Mac for online purchases. So all the more reason to buy an iPad with Touch ID for future compatibility.
Knowing a few businessmen I highly doubt that.
I have a 5S which does not have ?Pay and I don't know how I lived without Touch ID before it. So much so, that every time I pick up my iPad 3G, I press the home button and leave my finger there waiting for it to unlock, until I realize I have to enter my 4-digit code. It's frustrating enough that I'm contemplating upgrading to a new iPad with Touch ID even though my iPad 3G is still perfectly functional and does everything I need.
I've never owned a device with TouchID, so I'm still very used to using a 4-digit code. I've entered it so many times that I can literally do it subconsciously at this point. Would it be more convenient to have TouchID? Sure. But $100 is steep premium for a few milliseconds of time saved. Especially on a device that I don't use as often as my phone.
And I maybe buy something from the App Store or iTunes once every 4 or 5 days on average. So again, $100 is a steep premium for a couple of seconds of convenience a few times a month.
After getting a 6+ I rarely take my iPad out of my home. I see no reason to continue to make the Mini unless they make it out of plastic or use really old internals. Its just not worth the trouble and canibalization of the iPad.
I guess I'm from the generation that's used to watching movies on a large screen TV. So, for me, the Mini is about as small as I want to go for watching movies on the go. I don't understand how someone can really get into an action movie or sporting event on a phone-sized screen, but to each their own.