Consumers are still buying larger tablets but it seems as though they’re now more drawn to cheaper, smaller models such as the iPad mini and the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Research firm DisplaySearch has found that “LCD tablet PC panel shipments reached 27 million units in March… primarily driven by 7-inch panels, which accounted for 48% of total tablet PC panel shipments.” The rise of smaller tablets is hardly surprising given the aggressive pricing that both Google and Amazon have established with their $200 7-inch tablets. However, DisplaySearch says that some of biggest growth is coming from emerging markets where white label manufacturers are selling 7-inch tablets for as little as $69 and putting significant pressure on established tablet manufacturers’ profit margins.
We have all seen plenty of images and videos of Apple’s new iOS 7 software running on the iPhone, but Apple was so rushed ahead of WWDC this year that it didn’t even have time to get an iOS 7 beta for the iPad ready for last Monday’s debut. While the iOS 7 experience on the iPad will obviously be similar to the iPhone experience in many ways, the iPad’s interface always varies from the iPhone’s in a number of areas, of course. Now, Apfelpage.de has posted several images of iOS 7′s iPad UI that were pulled out of Apple’s emulator software. Several additional screenshots of iOS 7 on the iPad follow below, and Apple’s first beta of iOS 7 for the iPad is expected to become available in the coming weeks. More →
We’ve known for a while now that Google has been planning to release a sequel to its Nexus 7 tablet, and now we might have gotten our first look at its specs. Engadget reports that specifications for an unknown Asus tablet have popped up on the Federal Communications Commission’s website and show what is likely a 7-inch tablet with a Qualcomm APQ-8064 S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz processor, front and rear-facing cameras, a 4,000 mAh battery and LTE connectivity. The two big reasons to suspect this might be the new Nexus 7 are that Asus similarly manufactured the original Nexus 7 and that the mystery tablet’s specs match up with earlier rumors we’ve heard about the device.
Microsoft apparently thinks that its Siri-mocking strategy is a winner because it’s come out with yet another ad that cleverly uses Apple’s voice-enabled personal assistant to bash the iPad. The ad takes the iPad to task for not having a zoomable home screen, for lacking an SD card slot and for not being able to multitask as efficiently as Windows RT. As 9to5Mac points out, that last claim is somewhat misleading because Apple has added more robust multitasking capabilities in iOS 7, although those won’t be widely available to iPad users until the fall. All the same, the new ad isn’t as misleading as Microsoft’s earlier effort that bashed the iPad for lacking access to Microsoft Office even though Microsoft itself was primarily responsible for not offering an iOS-compatible version of its popular productivity software. The full video is posted below. 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.
Apple may want to ditch Samsung, but it’s had a tough time so far finding another component supplier that’s capable of delivering the consistent quality and scale that it needs for its hugely popular mobile devices. Because of this, Korea’s ETNews reports, Apple will likely turn to Samsung to supply LCD displays for its upcoming Retina-equipped iPad mini that’s slated to launch by the end of the year. This is particularly interesting because we heard rumors last year that Apple’s feud with Samsung was one of the major reasons why it faced shortages for its first-generation iPad mini, which manufacturers reportedly had trouble mass producing at first because its thinner side bezels made it trickier to manufacture than traditional iPads.
A new version of the Nexus 7 tablet was expected to be the highlight of Google’s I/O Developers Conference last month, but the device was a no-show. According to a report from Digitimes, the second-generation Nexus 7 will debut this summer instead. Oddly enough, the website claims the device will be priced higher than its current $199 price point to “avoid competing directly against entry-level tablets.” Earlier reports have suggested that the new Nexus 7 will be equipped with a 7-inch 1,920 x 1,200-pixel display, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 4,000 mAh battery and support for Qi wireless charging. The second-generation Nexus 7 is reportedly scheduled to launch in July with the 16GB model starting at $229
AT&T has scored exclusive rights to carry Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 on its network, the company announced on Wednesday. AT&T did not announce pricing or a release date for the 8-inch tablet and only said that it would be available “in the coming weeks.” Samsung first debuted the Galaxy Note 8.0, which takes its design cues from Samsung’s popular Galaxy S smartphone series, at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. The tablet’s specs include an 8-inch 1280 x 800-pixel TFT display, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, microSDXC support, a 4,600 mAh battery and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that tablets have only been around for a little more than three years. The New York Times reports that the latest numbers from the Pew Research Center show that 34% of all Americans over the age of 18 own a tablet, or nearly double the 18% share who owned tablets in April 2012. The Times notes that tablet adoption is growing fastest among “more affluent households making over $75,000 a year, college graduates as well as adults between the ages of 35 to 44, especially parents.” With tablet shipments expected to eclipse notebook shipments by the end of 2013, it’s not surprising that tablet adoption has surged over the last year and will likely only increase as users opt to buy them over more expensive PCs going forward.
When Google unveiled its Nexus 7 tablet with respectable specs and a $199 price tag, it opened up the Android tablet market to a whole new group of users. 7-inch tablets and other smaller-sized slates have since exploded in popularity, and even Apple felt the heat enough to launch its own iPad mini. The $199 price point made tablets a much more reasonable purchase for many people, but in 2013 Android slates could become an impulse buy. According to Digitimes’ sources within unnamed manufacturers in the Far East, several Android tablet vendors could begin selling $99 Android tablets as soon as the third quarter this year. The report notes that Asus already offers a tablet for $129 and Acer’s Iconia B1 retails for just $149, but the next wave of 7-inch slates could undercut these already affordable options.
Intel’s plan to shake up the pay-TV industry looks like it will come at a heavy price. Reuters reports that Intel is willing to pay 75% more than cable company rates for the rights to broadcast live television over the Internet on its upcoming set-top box. Reuters‘ sources say that despite offering such a huge premium, Intel has yet to actually close out deals with any media companies for the rights to stream content. What’s more, Intel has apparently tried to sweeten the deal for broadcasters by suggesting that its set-top box will make it impossible for viewers to skip through commercials the first time they watch a program. We still don’t have any firm details on when Intel’s set-top box and associated service will come out or what they will cost, although the company has said that it will include a Kinect-like sensor designed to collect data for advertisers on users’ viewing habits.
Samsung is reportedly preparing to release its biggest tablet yet. According to ETNews, the company plans to launch a Galaxy Note tablet with a 12.2-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel display later this year. The slate will include an S-Pen stylus and could possibly be equipped with an Intel processor, similar to the smaller Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. No other details were provided. Despite the influx of smaller and more affordable tablets, Samsung believes there is a market for larger devices — the company is reportedly looking to sell 12 million units per quarter. Samsung is said to be interested in releasing the Galaxy Note 12.2 before Apple launches its next iPad and will reportedly announce the tablet sometime in the third quarter.
