If the N7 costs $199 to make, you can bet Apple can get the cost of their 7.85" iPad with a cheaper screen and CPU around $150 with their bulk purchasing power. Sold at $299, there's your standard %50 profit margin for Apple.
Bloomberg: 7-8" iPad Mini in ~October
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killertofu
Member
How reliable is Bloom about all this? Have they had a rumor story before regarding Apple that has come true?
The $399 iPad 2 isn't the same iPad 2 that was sold for $499. They can shrink the processor (requiring smaller, cheaper battery) and put in IGZO displays (requiring fewer backlights, and smaller/cheaper battery) which will cut costs down enough.
You can put NFC and better cameras, including a FaceTime HD camera in the new iPad. And whatever hardware upgrades are in the new iPhone.
Maybe the next iPad will have some unknown killer feature, but unless there's something very new I don't see a third gen model revised to that extent and a true next iPad having sufficient differentiation to pull off the current arrangement. The retina display was an obvious large improvement that could justify the cost - I don't see a 30-50% increase in CPU performance being adequate in that sense.
NFC doesn't make much sense in a tablet - cardless payments are the only really useful consumer implementation I can think of and that's very much phone-only. Cameras in a tablet are neither here nor there and I think the market agrees with that.
The iPhone 4S sold over double the iPhone 4, with nothing much but camera and processor upgrades.
NFC would work with iPhones for inter-device connectivity. Think of the TouchPad and Pre 3.
The market does use tablets as cameras, especially for FaceTime, which is why they bother to upgrade the MacBook Air with FaceTime HD cameras and how they upgraded the iSight cameras on the new iPad.
Didn't Tim Cook say the S stood for Siri? That was definitely how the device was sold; people weren't lining up for a new CPU and GPU.
The post-holiday bump was for China sales, the 2nd largest market for iPhones after the US, and Siri doesn't exist in China.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I just realized October is only a few months away. I kept on thinking: "That'll be cool when it comes out in nine months." But it's only like three months!
Being thinner, lighter, faster and with more memory worked fine to differentiate the iPad 2 from the OG iPad, and the new iPad can surely use to be a little lighter and thinner with better battery life.
And Apple discontinued the original iPad immediately - without the costly retina display to differentiate between the $399 and $499 tiers I'm saying that Apple will instead have the entry new iPad at the $399 tier. I'm not saying that Apple won't be able to produce a compelling fourth generation iPad, I'm saying we won't continue to see the previous generation at $399.
HollovVpo1nt
Banned
Wow a 7-8" iPad, that's the best solution to show people that iPad isn't just a blown up iPod!
Who am I kidding, everyone will buy it.
Who am I kidding, everyone will buy it.
I think they'll make a 4G/more storage version of the 7.85" iPad to fill the $399 price point and keep the newest retina iPad at $499.
This is quite possible, yes. I'd say 4G is more likely given having a $399 32GB model below the entry 16GB full size model is probably more confusing than Apple like their product lines. That said, they haven't fixed the awkwardness of the 13" Macbook lineup so maybe I'm giving them too much credit.
WordAssassin
Member
Not saying I don't believe, but why is it that the next iPhone, which will be available by the end of the year, has already had a shitload of parts leak, yet this new iPad Nano, which supposedly will also be available by the end of the year, has had no leaks what-so-ever?
The reports say it'll go into production around September, right? Does that mean the next iPhone is already in active production?
The reports say it'll go into production around September, right? Does that mean the next iPhone is already in active production?
Dr.Palutena
Member
Is this even an issue anymore? I don't think I've heard anyone bring that up as if it's a negative in like forever. Kinda funny.
krypt0nian
Banned
It's not an issue but a huge benefit.
krypt0nian
Banned
Sales side with me.
WordAssassin
Member
Do people still not understand that having four times the screen real estate means that much more can be done with the iPad than the iPod Touch? Seriously?
WordAssassin
Member
Something about that bezel looks really... off. Bad.
I mean, I get that the iPhones and iPod Touches have little to no bezel on the sides, and that the iPad has the same size bezel all around it, due to how we hold and use the devices. But that mock-up's bezel just doesn't look right. I imagined it looking more like the MacRumors mock-up - just a smaller iPad.
I very much doubt it will look like this.
Apple never made netbooks, even though it was a very popular growth segment at the time, because the margins were too low. They might regard a 7" tablet market the same way.
I think the obvious answer is that the iPad rumors are controlled leak i.e. PR leak from Apple. The iPhone 6 leaks are real leaks.
You can also make an argument that iPad mini will come out later than iPhone 6.
The reports also say they are going to be built in brazil, not china. All the part leaks previously come from china.
Them and WSJ are usually the best. I'm sure it's a mix of actual controlled leaks and real sources they have in the company. These are some recent Bloomberg rumors that turned out to be accurate:
Baidu in iOS 6: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...d-baidu-as-iphone-search-engine-in-china.html
Retina MBP at WWDC: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...thinner-mac-laptops-sporting-intel-chips.html
Retina iPad with LTE in March (they also stated quad core, though they probably got mixed up about the GPU--which is indeed quad core.): http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...-3-debut-with-sharper-screen-faster-chip.html
Sprint w/unlimited data on iPhone 4S in October: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...ata-with-iphone-5-to-stand-out-from-pack.html
And here's the WSJ on the iPad mini: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304141204577506471913819412.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
There's no point in them making this if it's not to compete on price.
I don't understand the "Apple will make this more expensive than its competitors" argument. That hasn't been how they work for the last few years.
The profit margins of netbooks were under 10% (just look at quarterly results from places like Acer). We're talking about Apple having to give up on 40-50% margins.
Their profit margins went up even after they lowered the price of iPad 2 to $399 and released the new iPad (which was expected to have lower margins). They'll be putting this 2-year old tech with 5-year old screens and a smaller battery. Nearly everything in this supposed mini iPad has already been manufactured by Apple for at least 2 years (okay, the A5 will be 5 months shy of 2 years). I'm sure they'll do fine with margins, especially since they upswell things like AppleCare, extra storage and 3G/LTE for heavy margin gains, or convince people to buy expensive accessories like Smart Covers or things they don't need like styluses.
And where can you readily buy it?
-Pyromaniac-
Member
fucking google. Doesn't even understand what a launch is, or what communication is, or what pre-ordering is. I show good faith in a company and what happens? I get swindled. I'l probably enjoy my Nexus 7 when it comes, but I hope Apple shits all over them during their launch for a lesson learned. Show em how it's done.
FUCKYO.
What?
Apple rumors are an unstoppable beast
Phoenix
Member
You don't have to worry about that. Apple actually understands retail because they are actually IN retail. Apple's problem is always keeping up with demand. They have put in place an excellent retail strategy (something I originally doubted when they announced it years ago) and it has given them absurd amounts of consumer intelligence. Its the same type of unfair advantage that Google will have over Apple in the search and voice arenas.
These are the times when the places where the companies have differentiated investments will start to mean something.
Dreams-Visions
Member
it did??!? wut
The iPad mini rumors got WAY more press this past week, especially mainstream press despite Nexus 7 launching this Friday (went on sale in Gamestop, Staples, etc and Google shipped out the initial pre-order batches Friday).
Dreams-Visions
Member
try a nook color or something of similar size. it's a popular design for a reason.
Its been selling out everywhere.
Stores got extremely small shipment numbers from what I have read, like gamestops getting less than 10 units for a store. Google completely mismanaged this launch, I can't see how it can be spun any other way.
Still doing pretty good with no tv advertisement.
There's been zero news for a week. This topic was just bumped. If you are going to make claims like this post links.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
$$$$$
Google sold out of tablets for a form factor everyone thought was stupid while Apple is scrambling to Cook up a copy cat replacement in a sad attempt at staying relevant.
Phoenix
Member
To be fair, while the Nexus 7 is a good device - it is largely ignored by the mass media because its not a mainstream device yet. Same could be said of why the Samsung GS3 has had to fight tooth and nail to get mainstream coverage whereas the very suggestion that an iPhone might burn you if you remove it from an open flame will gather mass coverage.
Mass coverage grows as the number of units ship, and Samsung is starting to claim their place as the representative of the Android phone/tablet market. Gamestop selling out of the 1 unit they received in stock isn't really news, and Google's retail strategy has been a haphazzard abortion about as stupid as Sega launching a console but not telling their retail partners that it was coming.
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