Roger Fingas
Questionable assertions continue to claim that there will be no new "iPad Air 3" this fall, only a faster "iPad mini 4," due to Apple's alleged newfound conservativeness about tablets.
The updated iPad mini is effectively ready to go, and Apple's supply chain is already preparing components, industry sources told Taiwan's DigiTimes. Even that tablet is expected to be a modest upgrade over the iPad mini 3, however, which itself added only Touch ID and a gold color option to the second-generation iPad mini.
Another Taiwanese publication, the Economic Daily News, made virtually identical claims in July, but further suggested that the "iPad mini 4" would be the last-ever version of the diminutive tablet. It argued that there would be no "iPad Air 3" this year in order to focus on the 12.9-inch "iPad Pro", and to alleviate pressure on Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner.
Both DigiTimes and the Economic Daily News have a mixed record with Apple hardware predictions. Other rumors have been contradictory, hinting that an "iPad Air 3" is still coming later this year.
The tablet market has softened considerably in the past couple of years. The iPad still remains the most popular individual brand worldwide, but Apple has seen sales of the device decline consistently for several quarters.
Much of this has been blamed on the growing popularity of smartphones over 5 inches, such as Apple's own iPhone 6 Plus, which is big enough to fulfill many of the same purposes as a tablet. Tablet upgrade cycles are also believed to be slower than those of smartphones, more akin to PCs that last 5 years or more.
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74 Comments
Well, at least there's quality competition in the Surface tablets, if Apple's just going to let the lineup stagnate. The logic of "oh the upgrade cycle" is bogus; people don't buy Macs every two years but Apple does both yearly and in some cases twice a year upgrades with them.
[quote name="sog35" url="/t/187723/new-rumor-repeats-claim-that-apple-wont-include-ipad-air-3-in-fall-lineup#post_2761097"]I have no problem with this. The tablet is obviously a 3-5 year upgrade device. No sense wasting money making upgrades to the models every year. Its obvious that people won't upgrade iPads every year or even every 3 years even with big updates. So why spend money updating every year? I would like Apple to do this: 2015 -No iPadAir refresh -iPadMini refresh -iPad Plus 2016 -iPadAir refresh -No iPadMini refresh 2017 -No iPadAir refresh -iPad Plus refresh -discontinue Mini So basically they will update the Plus and regular iPad every other year. Then no update for Mini in 2016, and no mini after 2016. What will this do? 1. increase margins. Getting rid of the extremely low margin Mini. 2. Cut costs of updated multiple iPads every year. 3. Stop the canibalization of the regular iPad from the Mini. 4. Ability to sell the same model of iPad for 2 years at the same price. The Air2 will still start at $499 till next Oct. [/quote] I don't agree with this. For what I do, a new tablet every year is a very good thing, as long as the performance is significantly better. The only one I didn't get, for several reasons, was the iPad 4. Evidence is that Apple has been selling as many, or more, Minis as full size models. I don't see how they could get rid of them, if that remains even close to being true. And not upgrading the Air would be just stupid. How many buying an Air would buy the Pro instead? Not only would that be much bigger and heavier, but also much more expensive, around what the Surface Pro goes for. It's not a substitute for many people who want the, I suppose we should call it, midsize tablet. People would wait until the new model comes out, reducing yearly sales further. I just don't see that idea as being viable. Apple has to cater to people using tablets for more than just web browsing, book reading and e-mail.
One problem with this rumor. The source.
I don't get the ambivalence about iPads .... I love mine and use it all the time. It's not necessarily a laptop replacement, but it sure does the vast majority of things I would have previously turned to a laptop or desktop. And in a good portion of those, the iPad is more fun and easier to do it on.
I will say, however, that you have to have a case that allows for angled typing ... that makes it WAY more productive when you are filling out forms or doing work stuff. When I am just reading or goofing around, I pull it out of my Apple case to make it lighter.
fyi: I have a 6+ and the watch ... I think the iPad fits in well within the system.
That would be a bummer. I was looking forward to finally upgrading my iPad2 this go-around.