Impending iPad refresh viewed as Apple's most important since the first iPad
Apple this week is widely expected to introduce a redesigned fifth-generation iPad that will be thinner and lighter --?and, in the eyes of one Wall Street analyst, the most important update to the full-size iPad since the first model was released in 2010.
Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald said in a note to investors on Monday that he believes Apple's anticipated update to the 9.7-inch iPad could be the highlight of its Tuesday event. In his recent trips to Taiwan and China, he's been told the new iPad will be about 15 percent thinner and as much as 30 percent lighter than the current fourth-generation iPad.
The width of the new iPad is also expected to be reduced by as much as 10 percent, as leaked parts have suggested Apple will reduce the bezels on the side of the display when using the iPad in portrait mode. The changes will make the design of the full-size iPad akin to the iPad mini.
This iPad launch will be particularly important for Apple, according to White, because the company's tablet sales were down 27 percent year over year in the third quarter of fiscal 2013. That marks the first time in the history of the iPad that Apple saw a year over year decline.
He expects that iPad sales were also off about 21 percent during the just-concluded September quarter. But he has projected that the iPad will return to positive territory in the current holiday quarter, driven by the launch of a new fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad mini.
"Apple has a massive installed base of iPads, and we believe this will drive the biggest upgrade ever for the iPad franchise," White said. "In our view, this October launch will prove beneficial for Apple this holiday season."
As for the iPad mini, White expects a "modest" upgrade for the second-generation model. While recent rumors have suggested the device will pack a high-resolution Retina display, he's not entirely convinced, revealing that sources on his recent trip to Asia were "less conclusive" on the new iPad mini.
"For example, some of our contacts believe that Apple will unveil a new iPad mini this week but may wait to launch an iPad mini with Retina display until (the first quarter of calendar 2014)," White wrote. "If Apple unveils an iPad mini with Retina display this week, we would view this as an incremental surprise."
Apple is scheduled to hold a media event on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif. AppleInsider will be there for full, live coverage.
Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald said in a note to investors on Monday that he believes Apple's anticipated update to the 9.7-inch iPad could be the highlight of its Tuesday event. In his recent trips to Taiwan and China, he's been told the new iPad will be about 15 percent thinner and as much as 30 percent lighter than the current fourth-generation iPad.
The width of the new iPad is also expected to be reduced by as much as 10 percent, as leaked parts have suggested Apple will reduce the bezels on the side of the display when using the iPad in portrait mode. The changes will make the design of the full-size iPad akin to the iPad mini.
This iPad launch will be particularly important for Apple, according to White, because the company's tablet sales were down 27 percent year over year in the third quarter of fiscal 2013. That marks the first time in the history of the iPad that Apple saw a year over year decline.
He expects that iPad sales were also off about 21 percent during the just-concluded September quarter. But he has projected that the iPad will return to positive territory in the current holiday quarter, driven by the launch of a new fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad mini.
"Apple has a massive installed base of iPads, and we believe this will drive the biggest upgrade ever for the iPad franchise," White said. "In our view, this October launch will prove beneficial for Apple this holiday season."
As for the iPad mini, White expects a "modest" upgrade for the second-generation model. While recent rumors have suggested the device will pack a high-resolution Retina display, he's not entirely convinced, revealing that sources on his recent trip to Asia were "less conclusive" on the new iPad mini.
"For example, some of our contacts believe that Apple will unveil a new iPad mini this week but may wait to launch an iPad mini with Retina display until (the first quarter of calendar 2014)," White wrote. "If Apple unveils an iPad mini with Retina display this week, we would view this as an incremental surprise."
Apple is scheduled to hold a media event on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif. AppleInsider will be there for full, live coverage.
Comments
And still I don't care.
How do you know there won't be any surprises?
But can you really call the iPad important?
I can definitely call it more important than your irrelevant perception of it not being important.
And still I don't care.
Then don't buy it, and don't pollute the comment area with junk comments.
Being in Asia, specifically China, right now, I can tell you people around here BS like no tomorrow just to get attention, or to make you believe what they want you to believe.
Any time I hear a Wall Scum anal-yst use the words "Asia" and "sources" in the same sentence, I immediately discount everything he says, knowing he's likely 99% full of crap.
And if he doesn't mention the word Asia, then I know he's just 98% full of crap.
What are the chances that 32GB becomes the new minimum?
I know that most people are streaming most things so local storage is less important, but it would be nice to carry around one's photo library as well and not need to rely on a network connection.
Most important update since the first iPad? Give me a break.
Retina mini? Sure. Very important.
Larger form factor? Sure. Something totally new is always important.
Going on the evidence this analyst is using? Oh boy.
Haha even if there are no surprises the stock isn't going to dive 13%. The only thing that could make it happen is if they're quarterly earnings are horrible.
Which, because they had to give the SEC notice that they were revising their guidance up? We know it is not going to be.
iPad mini with retina, get in my hands!
This may be the year that between the iPad, iPad mini and iPod touch? We see a ton of choices, especially in the lower price points, from $199-$799 (excluding LTE iPads), and will give people wanting Apple products a choice in a variety of price points.
Here, let me play analyst for a minute...
The question becomes, what do the do with the current iPad mini. Assume the keep it. Do the drop it $50? $100? Dropping it $100 makes it the same price as the 16 GB iPod touch (Retina but no rear camera). Which is why the top chart is what I think will happen, but the bottom wouldn't surprise, either.
And I threw in the obligatory "we need a 128 GB iPod touch to finally kill the classic" in there, too.
Most important by what means??
It says WSJ.
nothing to see here folks.
Impending iPad refresh viewed as Apple's most important since the first iPad
By whom? Why? And no. In that order.
Oh great. The CNet troll deciding to infest other sites.
Mods... Ban this guy. He has a great ability to turn any thread into a wasteland.