iPad 3 Release Date

As the whole world is getting ready for iPad3’s release, it seems Apple is quietly working on its next product. According to some Asian supplier’s, Apple is working on a new device of size around 8-inches. No prizes in guessing that this move is to blunt the competition arising from Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Availability of choice in choosing device size is one item that was on top of the wish lists of iPad users.

As per reports, Apple is qualifying suppliers for these new devices and is working with Taiwan based AU Optronics & South Korea’s LG. These devices are supposed to come with resolution similar to iPad 2 – ie. 1024×768. The new designs are only in the testing phase and nothing concrete about future plans though. But a move like this definitely fits the bill allowing Apple to have best of both worlds – targeting both high-end consumer with configuration like iPad3 and not so high-end consumers with a iPad Mini like device. Apple followed similar strategy in its iPod product line where it catered to a number of shapes and sizes.

Not just Kindle Fire, even Samsung’s Galaxy Note comes in small size at 5.3 inches and is doing well. This clearly shows that there is market at this Form Factor also. Samsung’s Galaxy tab comes in three different sizes and maybe it’s time Apple gives its tablet users also the choice in device size.

According to DigiTimes, Samsung, LG and Sharp have already shipped around 1 million high-resolution display panels in October for Apple’s iPad 3. Further 2 million more are to be shipped by the end of November. As per our previous post, these are Retina displays that have a resolution of 2048X1536 pixels and PPI (Pixels per Inch) of 264. This means twice the resolution of iPad 2. These retina displays will be complemented by touch modules from TPK Holding and Wintek . As per DigiTimes Asian sources in the Apple supply chain, TPK Holding and Wintek together will scale up to one million touch modules per month starting from mid-November or December. Once these components are shipped, Apple’s contractor Foxconn will start assembling of iPad 3 in January 2012 for a release in the first-quarter.

Even if the recent rumors and estimates are off by one month, we can clearly see the momentum building towards iPad 3’s release. Recent developments and the increasing competition in tablet space can signify a release timeline of first-quarter of 2012. With the entry of low-cost, 7-inch devices like Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook tablet, the tablet market is just getting hot. In a scenario like this, Apple would definitely like to maintain its annual refresh on time. In the light of this competition, there were even rumors of an iPad Mini.

At the same time there are reports of Apple slashing its orders for iPad 2 displays in the fourth-quarter of 2011. Apple already has an inventory sufficient for assembling 15-16 million iPad’s in the fourth-quarter. Considering iPad 2’s sales in the third-quarter, analysts are of the view that Apple’s production targets are around 3-4 million less than the display parts. Analyst’s view this difference can be due to the shipping of iPad 3 displays which has already started. Do you think these reports can influence the holiday season shoppers and make them wait for an iPad 3 instead of buying an iPad 2?

In our previous post, we told about how analysts are predicting an early 2012 release of iPad3 based on the increased estimates of iPad builds. Now the latest buzz as per a report from Taiwan United Daily News is – that Apple is contemplating with the idea of a 7.35-inch tablet. Could this be an iPad Mini – a new category of product from Apple?

This could be a surprising move, because Steve Jobs previously dismissed the idea of a tablet with this size. He was joking that these tablets should come with sandpaper so that users can sand down their fingers to use these devices. As per Jobs, Apple did extensive user testing and they know their stuff in this area. Considering this, what could be the reason for a move like this now? It is possible that the soon to be released 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire might have changed the equations. Apple might be thinking to take Kindle Fire head on and maintain its supremacy in tablet market.

There’s another point of view also. Brian White of Ticonderoga feels that ‘mini’ might be from the price perspective – a tablet around $200 range. This is also very much possible, as a move like this will help Apple in taking on the Android based tablets. While iPad caters to the high-end market, with a low-cost iPad Mini Apple can have best of both worlds. In this quarter, iPad sales crossed 10million for the first time since its launch and this indicates the future potential of tablet market. We have to wait and watch if Apple will indeed launch an iPad Mini. But if it does, do you think consumers will queue for them also?