Apple’s (AAPL) iPad has one big advantage going for it that the iPhone can’t match: it doesn’t rely on wireless carriers to be distributors. Barron’s points us to a new note from Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi outlining the reasons why it’s “highly unlikely” that Apple’s share of the tablet market will ever fall to the level of its smartphone market share. The most important factor, writes Sacconaghi, is that ”the iPad has stronger global distribution through Apple stores, carrier partners and network of resellers, including third-party retail outlets (e.g., Best Buy, Wal-Mart, carrier stores) and third-party websites (e.g., Amazon.com).” In contrast, the iPhone is distributed by just 240 carriers worldwide, which Sacconaghi notes is “significantly lower than Samsung (005930) and Nokia (NOK), which have essentially global distribution, and Blackberry (BBRY), which is distributed by >2x the number of carriers.”
Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows RT platform for tablets has not been well received. The media was very critical in early looks at the new operating system, and reviews of Microsoft’s Surface tablet almost unanimously found that the stunning hardware was being held back by mediocre software. Consumer response to products doesn’t always mirror the sentiment of reviewers but in the case of Windows RT, it looks as though the mass market hasn’t shown much interest in Microsoft’s most recent tablet play. More →
Apple (AAPL) has long been rumored to be prepping a completely redesigned full-size iPad that will debut this year, and the new tablet will reportedly be unveiled at a press conference later this month. A number of well-known Apple bloggers held a public discussion on social site Branch on Tuesday, and they covered a number of topics. Among them were Apple’s efforts to overhaul the user interface in iOS 7 and the company’s plans to unveil its next-generation iPad during a press conference this month. Earlier reports suggested that Apple will release a redesigned iPad this year and images of a purported rear shell from the fifth-generation iPad leaked in January, revealing a new design resembling Apple’s smaller iPad mini tablet.
Google (GOOG) and vendor partner Asus are reportedly planning to launch their next-generation Nexus 7 tablet in or around this coming July. The news comes on Tuesday from Reuters, which claims the new device will be powered by a Snapdragon processor. The report also states that Google is aiming to ship 8 million Nexus tablets in the second half of the year, which is a goal that could be quite attainable if the company’s second-generation Nexus 7 slate is sold for just $149, as Reuters’ unnamed source says it may be. Earlier reports suggested that Google’s next tablet will be called the Nexus 7.7 and will ship with a display panel close to the size of Apple’s (AAPL) iPad mini display.
Earlier reports have suggested that Samsung (005930) is working on a new full-sized Galaxy Tab tablet set to debut later this year. The slate was said to feature either a 10.1-inch or 11.6-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution, an eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor and the name Galaxy Tab 3 Plus. Now, a new report claims that Samsung will instead look to capitalize on the success of its Galaxy S line of smartphones and will bring the tablet to market as the Samsung Galaxy S Tab. More →
With consumers largely ignoring Windows RT so far, Microsoft (MSFT) may be considering cutting licensing fees to make Windows RT tablets cheaper and help them compete with low-cost Android tablets. Topeka Capital analyst Brian White has released a new research note claiming that Microsoft is planning to release a cheaper version of Windows RT that could result in “a 35-40% price reduction” in Windows RT tablets going forward. News that Microsoft plans to push low-cost Windows tablets comes after the company made some changes to its Windows 8 hardware certification guidelines last week that significantly lowered the minimum resolution requirements for devices, thus potentially paving the way for OEMs to make smaller 7-inch tablets.
It has been over year since HTC (2498) has released a tablet, however a new report suggests the struggling company is preparing to take on the iPad once more. According to NPD DisplaySearch, HTC will reportedly debut a new tablet later this year, FocusTaiwan reported. The slate is expected to be equipped with a 10.1-inch full HD 1080p display and run Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows 8 operating system. The research firm believes mass production began in the first quarter of this year and the tablet could be announced in the coming months. HTC previously released the 7-inch HTC Flyer in February 2011 and the 10.1-inch HTC Jetstream tablet in September 2011, both of which ran the Android operating system. The company has not unveiled a new tablet since then, however.
AT&T (T) on Monday announced the availability of Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle Fire HD 8.9 4G LTE tablet online and in stores later this week. AT&T is selling the tablet for $399 and will allow customers to add the device to their existing Mobile Share plans for $10 a month. However the carrier also says it will knock off $150 for customers who sign a two-year service agreement, lowering the overall cost to $249. The Kindle Fire HD is equipped with an 8.9-inch 1920 × 1200 pixel display, 1GB of RAM and a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor. More →
One thing has been missing from Microsoft’s (MSFT) foray into the tablet world so far: A cheaper, smaller tablet that can go toe-to-toe with the Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini. ZDNet reports that recent changes to Windows 8 hardware certification guidelines suggest that Microsoft is giving OEMs more freedom to make 7-inch tablets since ”the new guidelines relax the minimum resolution for Windows 8 devices to 1024 x 768 at a depth of 32 bits.” ZDNet says that OEMs need to justify to Microsoft why they’re using lower resolutions, however, so it doesn’t give them carte blanche to release big-screen devices that have inferior displays. Microsoft said in releasing the guidelines that “partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful,” so it certainly sounds as though we’ll be seeing some low-cost Windows 8 tablets in the near future.
Apple (AAPL) has continued to move away from its dependence on Samsung’s manufactured components in new products. David Hsieh of NPD Group’s DisplaySearch said on Thursday that the company will rely on Taiwanese firm Innolux and China’s Century Display for touch panels in its next-generation iPad mini, the Taipei Times reported. Innolux revealed earlier this week that it plans to ship its first touch panels for smartphones and tablets with its touch-on-display technology by the end of this year. Digitimes also reported that Apple will move away from Samsung (005930) and instead rely on components from LG Display (LPL), Sharp (SHCAY), Japan Display and AU Optronics (AUO) for the iPad mini.
In some potentially exciting news for people who have been waiting for the second-generation iPad mini to come out, Digitimes reports that Apple (AAPL) is cutting its iPad mini shipments in the second quarter of 2013 “to between 10-12 million units.” Digitimes‘ sources also say that Apple is currently “adjusting its reserves for the next-generation iPad mini, which is likely to be released in the third quarter.” This lines up with earlier rumors we’ve heard that the second-generation iPad mini will launch this fall and will come with the same high-resolution Retina display found in the 9.7-inch iPad and the iPhone 5.
A new report suggests Samsung (005930) is preparing to unveil a new Galaxy Tab tablet later this year. According to SamMobile, the slate will be equipped with either a 10.1-inch or 11.6-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution and an eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor. The tablet could come to market as the Galaxy Tab 3 Plus to separate the device from other non-HD Galaxy Tab models. An earlier report claimed that Samsung would debut the Galaxy Note III and Galaxy Tab 3 in September at the IFA trade show in Berlin.
