Rumor: Apple's trio of new iPads may not launch until second half of 2017
Though rumors have pegged an Apple event for March to unveil three new iPads, the latest supply chain scuffle suggests that the updated 9.7-, 10.5- and 12.9-inch touchscreen tablets may not find their ways into the hands of consumers until the latter half of the year.
Citing details gleaned from the upstream supply chain, DigiTimes reported on Thursday that the internals of the tablets are still in the planning phases. As a result, shipment of new tablets from Apple may not happen until the second half of 2017.
It should be noted that while DigiTimes is a good supply chain trend monitor, the publication has a spotty record detailing specifications and timelines of future Apple products.
For example, back in 2014, the Taiwanese outlet nailed many of the details about Apple's then-rumored 12-inch MacBook, but gave the ultraportable handset an incredibly vague 15-month launch window. The notebook ultimately launched in April of 2015.
Regarding Thursday's latest iPad rumor, the latest supply chain information discovered suggests that the 10.5-inch iPad, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will have Apple's beefed-up "A10X" processor. Not clear is what processor will power the 9.7-inch iPad, as it is said to focus on the education sector, in much the same way as the eMac originally did, and the MacBook Air does now.
The display for the 9.7-inch iPad will shift to Korea-based Seoul Semiconductior according to the latest information, shifting away from current supplier Nichia. Other components for the entry-level device will reportedly be sourced from "secondary suppliers."
The first rumors about a 10.5-inch iPad started circulating in August, with other discussions focusing on a 10.9-inch model the same thickness as the iPad Air.
From an OS perspective, the 10.5-inch size makes more sense than the 10.9-inch one. If it keeps the same proportion and pixel density as its predecessors, the width of the 10.5-inch iPad is the same height as the iPad mini. A switch to a 10.5-inch screen would allow Apple to boost its flagship model to a 326-pixel-per-inch screen density, an upgrade from the current 264 pixels per inch.
There have been no recent supply chain reports suggesting that the iPad mini, which has not been updated since 2015, will see a refresh.
Citing details gleaned from the upstream supply chain, DigiTimes reported on Thursday that the internals of the tablets are still in the planning phases. As a result, shipment of new tablets from Apple may not happen until the second half of 2017.
It should be noted that while DigiTimes is a good supply chain trend monitor, the publication has a spotty record detailing specifications and timelines of future Apple products.
For example, back in 2014, the Taiwanese outlet nailed many of the details about Apple's then-rumored 12-inch MacBook, but gave the ultraportable handset an incredibly vague 15-month launch window. The notebook ultimately launched in April of 2015.
Regarding Thursday's latest iPad rumor, the latest supply chain information discovered suggests that the 10.5-inch iPad, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will have Apple's beefed-up "A10X" processor. Not clear is what processor will power the 9.7-inch iPad, as it is said to focus on the education sector, in much the same way as the eMac originally did, and the MacBook Air does now.
The display for the 9.7-inch iPad will shift to Korea-based Seoul Semiconductior according to the latest information, shifting away from current supplier Nichia. Other components for the entry-level device will reportedly be sourced from "secondary suppliers."
The first rumors about a 10.5-inch iPad started circulating in August, with other discussions focusing on a 10.9-inch model the same thickness as the iPad Air.
From an OS perspective, the 10.5-inch size makes more sense than the 10.9-inch one. If it keeps the same proportion and pixel density as its predecessors, the width of the 10.5-inch iPad is the same height as the iPad mini. A switch to a 10.5-inch screen would allow Apple to boost its flagship model to a 326-pixel-per-inch screen density, an upgrade from the current 264 pixels per inch.
There have been no recent supply chain reports suggesting that the iPad mini, which has not been updated since 2015, will see a refresh.
Comments
Big news! Backlights being supplied by Seoul Semiconductor instead of Japan's Nichia! (But only for the poor old 9.7.)
That's also pretty bad for spreading revenues around the year.
and I've been waiting for these updates to decide what to replace it with...
Still, as tempting as "sooner rather than later" seems,
I think I'd opt for "righter rather than wronger", if that's in play.
Could be that this is the reason that Tim Cook said a year ago or so that the iPad line would return to revenue growth, though he did say that would happen before the end of 2016. Maybe the 10.5 is late in coming out, or maybe the higher ASPs for the line, with its two Pro models, are what he was counting on to raise revenues. We shall see at the end of this month.
But it didn't used to be that way -- the iPad 2 used to be a perfectly cromulent device for web surfing. I think what has changed is that the web has added a bunch of CPU-draining cruft. If the iPad 2 supported a version of iOS that allowed Safari content blockers, then perhaps that would be a way around part of that cruft. But alas, it does not.
I'm finding that even my iPad Air is starting to have some performance issues.
I'm with you.
iOS 10 is really beating up my iPad 4 to the point where it's not enjoyable to use. It's choppy, sluggish, and lots of times it just stops responding to input for a while. I assume that iOS 11 will not even be made available for it. I plan on buying a new iPad as soon as new models come out. (Not all that interested in buying the two year old iPad Air 2, though)
But as I look at the 2009 Mac Pro sitting on my desk, I do seriously worry about that "Pro" moniker.