Apple rumored to counter Amazon Kindle Fire with 'iPad mini' in 2012
Spurred by the recently announced Amazon Kindle Fire and its $199 price, Apple is rumored to be exploring a new low-cost iPad for release in the first few months of 2012.
Spurred by the recently announced Amazon Kindle Fire and its $199 price, Apple is rumored to be exploring a new low-cost iPad for release in the first few months of 2012.
Apple reportedly has prototypes for its third-generation iPad already circling in its supply chain, but no new model is expected to arrive this year as a true second-place tablet has yet to emerge.
Apple is said to have chosen two suppliers to provide batteries that will be thinner and lighter, but also up to 30 percent more expensive, for its third-generation iPad.
Orders to Apple's manufacturing partners for the second half of the year indicate iPhone shipments will grow roughly two-fold through a combination of existing iPhone 4 models and next-generation iPhone 5s, setting the company up for what's likely to be two consecutive record-breaking quarters in a row.
Apple this week continues to align component suppliers for its third-generation iPad, now expected to launch sometime in early 2012, including three primary LCD makers and two backlight-unit suppliers, according to a new report.
Apple is aligning with its far eastern component suppliers and manufacturers for a trial production of a high-resolution, third-generation iPad ahead of a planned launch in 2012, as the electronic maker looks to continue to outpace would-be rivals in the high-stakes tablet space, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A rumor that Apple is planning to invest $1 billion in a new Sharp factory for building screens for its iPhone and iPad products has resurfaced, just days after a separate report claimed that the next-generation iPad has been delayed in part because of production constraints from the supplier.
According to sources within Apple's supply chain partners, Apple has canceled its supply schedule for the iPad 3 in the second half of 2011 because of production constraints for higher-resolution display panels.
A new rumor claims Apple will begin production of a so-called "iPhone 4S," along with a new iPad model in the first week of September, on track for release in October.
Apple's next-generation A6 processor, expected to arrive in future versions of the iPad and iPhone, is said to have gone into trial production ahead of a launch expected in the first half of 2012.
Apple is looking to merge its iOS and Mac OS X operating systems into one unified platform for applications and cloud services as soon as next year starting with the MacBook Air, one Wall Street analyst believes.
A new unverified report suggests that Apple intends to release its next-generation iPhone between Sept. 6 and Sept. 15 with an initial shipment of 4 million units, while suggesting that component shortages may have delayed the release of the next iPad until after this year's Thanksgiving holiday.
Apple is said to be vastly expanding its number of integrated circuit suppliers for an anticipated third-generation iPad, adding four companies from Taiwan to keep costs low.
LCD display makers LG and Samsung are said to be close to landing significant orders from Apple to produce high-resolution low temperature polysilicon 2048-by-1536-pixel displays for a third-generation iPad.
Photos showing what is claimed to be an internal component for a new, third-generation iPad have surfaced online, fueling speculation that an updated and redesigned model could launch this year.
Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is said to be working to persuade the company into signing a new deal that would make it the sole builder of a new iPad model, rumored to launch later this year.
Apple is said to be planning to add a second manufacturer this fall, in addition to Foxconn, in order to be able to produce a rumored third-generation iPad for launch this year.
If Apple does release a new iPad this year, it will be a high-end model with a greater pixel density display rather than an entirely new third-generation model, according to a new report.
Apple's component suppliers in Taiwan are gearing up and preparing materials for the production of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, set to hit the market in October, according to a new report.
A second investment research firm on Monday cited sources in Taiwan as indicating that Apple's fifth-generation iPhone will hit the market early in the third quarter and also did its part to pour cold water on rumors of an iPad 3 launch prior to next year and a low-cost iPhone in 2011.
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