Thursday, February 10, 2011

Apple : Opinion: iPad 3 in 2011? Don't hold your breath

Apple : Opinion: iPad 3 in 2011? Don't hold your breath

Opinion: iPad 3 in 2011? Don't hold your breath

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 08:48 AM PST

Although the iPad 2 hasn't yet arrived (or even been officially revealed by Apple), speculation is mounting regarding the iPad 3 release date after pundit John Gruber suggested on his blog that HP's 'summer' TouchPad release might coincide with Apple's tablet update-after-next.

"If my theory is right, they're not only going to be months behind the iPad 2, but if they slip until late summer, they might bump up against the release of the iPad 3," he wrote.

In subsequent posts, Gruber elaborates on his thinking, saying the iPad's annual release moving to September would enable Apple to replace the autumn iTunes/iPod announcement (which he considers "old news") and that it would scupper rumours during the holiday season that people should hold fire for an updated model. "Shipping new hardware in April adds another milestone to the iOS release schedule, too," he adds.

The problem with this thinking is that it's a very US-centric viewpoint and a shift to September would essentially force Apple to seriously ramp up inventory prior to launch.

With the original iPad, an April US release was subsequently followed by a limited release elsewhere (including the UK) a month later, with several more countries getting the device in July.

Initially, supplies were also seriously constrained. Move the refresh date six months and Apple has a problem if it follows the same pattern: a late September US release would likely lead to an October (or later) arrival in the UK, and December in other territories, with associated holiday season shortages.

Cannibalising iPad 2 sales

In addition, if the iPad 2 is rolled out in a similar manner to the original, Apple will be in the absurd position of rolling out the iPad 2 in the likes of Ireland and Mexico only a couple of months before the iPad 3 shows up in the US, which is a bigger recipe for hold-outs than the existing one.

Furthermore, there's also the question of sales spikes. An April release spikes sales relatively early in the year in the US, during a time of relatively quiet consumer activity, and in the summer elsewhere.

The holiday inevitably looks after itself. Move the iPad release much closer to the holidays and one can imagine a massive spike at the end of the year, but little to seriously drive iPad sales above their normal levels until the next refresh.

That's not to say Gruber is wrong. Refreshes to the iPad are likely being spread out over multiple revisions, so perhaps we'll see a FaceTime camera added in April and a Retina display at the end of the year, these quickfire updates ensuring Apple's tablet stays ahead of the competition.

But if this is the case, Apple will have to do a much better job of getting its hardware to countries outside of the US in a timely manner and figure out how to keep interest high after the glut of holiday sales is over.

In Depth: iOS 4.3 news and rumours: what you need to know

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 07:53 AM PST

We get awfully excited about iOS updates, so we're delighted that another one is around the corner: the iOS 4.3 UK release date could be as early as next week, and there are plenty of things in the iOS 4.3 features list to delight iPad, iPhone and iPod touch fans. So what's what?

The iOS 4.3 release date is Valentine's Day

"Sources close to the matter" have told MacStories that the iOS 4.3 update will drop on Valentine's Day, 14 February. If you miss dinner to install it, your partner may kill you. Don't say we didn't warn you.

iOS 4.3 could bring games to the Apple TV

Rumours don't get much more juicy than this: gaming on the Apple TV, with a new controller. That's what Engadget reckons, anyway, based on references to ATVGames and ATVThunder, leaderboards and game scheduling in what looks awfully like Game Center for the Apple TV.

The iPad orientation lock is back

You know how the iPad switch became a mute button instead of a rotation lock? With iOS 4.3, you get to choose what it does.

iAds now do full screen banners.

Let joy be unconfined.

iOS 4.3 personal Wi-Fi hotspots will probably cost us

The Verizon iPhone in the US introduced Android-style (or jailbreak-style, if you prefer) personal hotspots, so it's not a great surprise to discover similar personal hotspot features inside the iOS 4.3 beta. What we don't know yet is whether personal hotspots are coming to everyone, or whether they'll be limited to specific countries. Like tethering, we'd expect such hotspots to cost real cash money over and above your existing pay monthly or pay as you go contract.

We'll be fascinated to see what, if any, effect personal hotspots have on sales of 3G iPads.

iOS 4.3's multitouch has so many points, you'll need to use your feet

Okay, that's probably overstating things. But once you've installed iOS 4.3 you'll be able to take advantage of four and five-fingered gestures to control your iPod touch, iPad or iPhone.

iOS 4.3 has improved AirPlay

One for the Apple TV owners, this: iOS 4.3 AirPlay support has been beefed up to include third-party apps and apparently, third-party web apps too.

iOS 4.3 has special video effects

And this one's for the FaceTime fans: special effects for your iOS device's camera, allowing you to pretend it's an X-Ray or a thermal camera.

iOS 4.3 supports app subscriptions

The Guardian leaked this one in December: support for recurring app subscriptions.

iOS 4.3 won't work on the iPhone 3G (or second generation iPod touch)

MacStories reports that iOS 4.3 for the iPhone 3G is a no-show, with second-generation iPod touches excluded from the 4.3 party too. That's not a huge surprise: sticking 4.0 on the iPhone 3G made it do a brilliant impression of a brick.

iPad 3 release date: September 2011?

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 01:56 AM PST

The iPad 2 hasn't even been officially announced but it seems that the iPad 3 is already poised for a September launch.

Hinting at things to come in the tablet market, influential blogger John Gruber from Daring Fireball reckons that the iPad 3 release date will indeed by 2011 – which is an estimated six months after the iPad 2 is launched.

September launch

Now, we would love to give you some mouth-watering iPad 3 specifications, but these are very thin on the ground.

Gruber, who was musing about the HP TouchPad's potential summer release said: "Summer feels like a long time away.

"If my theory is right, they're not only going to be months behind the iPad 2, but if they slip until late summer, they might bump up against the release of the iPad 3."

If Gruber is right about this and the iPad 3 features in an Apple autumn line-up, then it looks like Apple is going to start offering a new iPad every six months.

It will be interesting to see what iPad 3 specifications – if any – trickle through over the next few weeks, considering we are all still waiting with bated breath to see what the iPad 2 will be like.
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