Search Results for: "ipad mini"

Despite numerous reports suggesting Apple’s second-generation iPad mini will ship later this year with a Retina display, one industry watcher believes the Retina-equipped version of Apple’s latest tablet won’t launch until sometime in 2014. According to NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim, Apple’s next iPad mini will use the same display as the current model, though it will feature an upgraded processor and a slimmer design. The analyst also says Apple will launch a new Retina iPad mini in early 2014, though his claims are riddled with holes.

More →

Apple’s new entry-level iPhone and its next-generation iPad mini with a Retina display will reportedly begin shipping from Apple’s manufacturing partner later this summer ahead of launches this fall. Numerous earlier reports claimed Apple is diversifying its manufacturing a bit this year, and now Digitimes’ unnamed supply chain sources claim that Pegatron has indeed been tasked with building a portion of two upcoming Apple devices. iPhones and iPad tablets had previously been built by Foxconn. The report says Pegatron will begin taking delivery of components for the entry-level iPhone and Retina iPad mini next month and the devices will start shipping in August.

While much of the concern about Apple’s margins has come from speculation about the company’s plans to release a cheaper version of the iPhone, the company may also be pondering releasing a cheaper version of its popular iPad mini tablet. Barron’s points us to a new research note from Citigroup analyst Glen Yeung, who believes that Apple will be forced to release a cheaper version of the iPad mini by the end of the year to maintain its market share against a flood of cheap Android tablets. More →

That chomping sound you hear is the iPad mini eating into the sales of its older sibling. Unnamed sources have told Digitimes that Apple shipped 12.5 million iPad minis last quarter that accounted for roughly 64% of all iPads shipped. The reported iPad mini shipment numbers would give Apple’s 8-inch tablet a significant edge over the rival Google Nexus 7 tablet, which Digitimes‘ sources say has totalled around 4.5 million units shipped since its launch last summer. Earlier rumors have indicated that Apple might be working on two newer versions of the iPad mini for fall release: A more expensive version with a full Retina display and a cheaper version that could be priced competitively with the Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

One of the big knocks on Apple’s iPad mini is that it’s priced significantly higher than rival tablets such as the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. MacRumors points us to a new research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claiming that Apple has apparently taken this criticism to heart and is now working to produce a cheaper version of the iPad mini that will cost between $200 and $250 when it releases. In particular, Kuo writes that “to cut costs, Apple might push for lower component prices, use a more advanced process to produce the A5 processor, simplify metal casing production, remove the rear camera, cut storage to 8GB and find more component suppliers to lower costs.” From the sound of things, it seems that Apple is taking a similar approach to producing a cheaper iPad mini that it’s taken with producing a cheaper iPhone by trying to figure out how to create a product at a lower cost that doesn’t sacrifice quality.