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iPad (2021)

3,801 'iPad' stories February 2010 - November 2013
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Apple's tablet debuted in 2010. Since the original version, it's expanded into multiple screen sizes and Pro and non-Pro options.

The iPad is Apple’s base tablet model. In its ninth generation, the iPad focuses on being the perfect tool for education and people who seek a bigger screen to read and surface the web compared to the iPhone. With Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, the iPad has never been better.

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History

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The iPad is a line of tablets designed and developed by Apple. It was originally announced in 2010, three years after the first iPhone was introduced. With a 9.7-inch screen and with iPhone OS 3.2 the iPad was a success, hitting 1 million tablets sold in over three months, half the time the first iPhone took to reach this mark.

Steve Jobs then unveiled the iPad 2 in March of 2011. About 33% thinner than its predecessor and 15% lighter, the second generation used the A5 chip, twice as faster as its predecessor. The iPad 2 also introduced front and back cameras that supported FaceTime video calls.

The successor of the iPad 2 wasn’t a success at all. The third generation was introduced in March of 2012 with a Retina display and the A5X processor. The problem with this tablet it was too heavy and the battery didn’t last long enough. In October of the same year, Apple announced the fourth generation with the A6X processor, HD FaceTime camera, improved LTE capabilities, and the Lightning connector.

At this October event, Apple also introduced the first iPad mini. In 2013, Apple went with the first iPad Air and the iPad mini 2. In 2015, the company introduced the first Pro model, with two different sizes.

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In March of 2017, Apple announced the fifth-generation iPad with the A9 processor. It was a budget option compared to the other tablets. It was in 2018 that the company brought expressive news to the base iPad line. The sixth-generation had the A10 Fusion processor and fully supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.

A year later, the seventh generation was announced with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for the Smart Keyboard as well. It retained most of the specs of the previous model.

In September of 2020, the eighth generation was introduced alongside the fourth-generation iPad Air model. The eighth generation received an upgraded processor, now with the A12 Bionic, while keeping the same storage options: 32GB and 128GB.

In September of 2021, the ninth generation was introduced alongside a redesigned iPad mini. This iPad now features the A13 Bionic processor, True Tone support, and new storage options: 64GB and 256GB while keeping the same price.

iPad 9 Specs

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The ninth-generation iPad launched in September of 2021. Available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, this tablet is made of 100% recyclable aluminum, and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

With thinner bezels, the product comes with a 10.2-inch Retina display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and True Tone support for the first time, which adjusts screen content to the color temperature of a room.

This tablet uses the A13 Bionic chip, the same available on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. It has an “all-day” battery with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching videos.

The iPad also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions.

Revamped cameras

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For the first time, this iPad shares the same FaceTime camera as the M1 iPad Pro with the Center Stage experience. With a new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine, users can enjoy even more engaging video calls.

As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep them in view. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. Center Stage makes video calls more natural in FaceTime as well as third-party video-calling apps.

Its main camera is the same: 8MP, f/2.4 aperture, and digital zoom up to 5x.

iPadOS 15

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The ninth-generation iPad comes with the iPadOS 15. Previewed during the WWDC21 keynote, the new operating system brings a redesigned Home Screen with widgets and App Library support.

On iPadOS 15, FaceTime group calls can finally appear in a grid, so it’s easier to see everyone. It’s also possible to share your screen, listen to Apple Music songs together, or watch Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, and others while in a call.

In the productivity section, Apple, unfortunately, didn’t bring all the features pro users wanted to take full advantage of their new M1 iPad Pro, even though Apple made it easier to rely on multitasking features.

There’s a new multitasking menu on the top of the screen. When you click there, it’s possible to see what configurations you can use on Split View or just go to Slide Over with just a tap.

The experience with an external keyboard allows users to get more done with all-new keyboard shortcuts and a redesign of the menu bar.

With the Quick Note feature, users can use the Apple Pencil to add a quick note. They just need to slide the pencil through the bottom right corner to the center of the screen and start writing.

iPadOS 15 launched on September 20. Learn more about it here.

iPadOS 15.1 features

One month after releasing iPadOS 15, Apple released iPadOS 15.1 More notable, the company finally brought SharePlay support for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, Universal Control wasn’t one of the features added with this new version. Here’s what else is new:

Translate

  • Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation

Home

  • New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor

Shortcuts

  • New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri

iPadOS 15.2 features

apple-music-hey-siri-plays-voice-plan-9to5mac-2

Five weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.1, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.2. It brings more features that were expected to launch alongside iPadOS 15 but, unfortunately, Universal Control is still nowhere to be seen. Here are the top features of this version:

  • Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
  • App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts, and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity
  • Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
  • Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
  • Apple TV app: Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place

iPadOS 15.3 features

Six weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.2, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.3. This update foregoes new features in favor of under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements. One of the most notable changes here is a fix for a Safari vulnerability that may have been leaking your browsing history and Google ID data to the websites you visited.

iPadOS 15.4 features

iPadOS 15.4 finally brings one of the most important features expected from iPadOS 15 and that got delayed: Universal Control. Here’s everything new with iPadOS 15.4:

  • Universal Control: This feature allows you to control your Mac and iPad using the same keyboard and mouse/trackpad. Universal Control needs iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3;
  • New Siri voice: Siri has a fifth American voice. Apple says a member of the LGBTQ+ community recorded the voice and it’s non-binary;
  • More emoji: iPadOS 15.4 also brings new emojis. You can discover all of the new characters here;
  • Shortcuts automation: Adds support for running Personal Automations in the background without requiring a pesky banner notification.

You can learn everything new with this update here.

iPadOS 15.5 features

Different from other software updates, iPadOS 15.5 only improves the Podcast app experience, as Apple focused on Wallet changes for the iPhone this time:

  • Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPhone and automatically delete older ones

iPadOS 15.6 features

iPadOS 15.6 is yet another small update for iPad users. Here’s what’s news:

  • TV app adds the option to restart a live sports game already in progress and pause, rewind, or fast-forward.
  • Fixes an issue where Settings may continue to display that device storage is full even if it is available.
  • Fixes an issue that may cause Braille devices to slow down or stop responding when navigating text in Mail.
  • Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may revert to a previous page.

iPadOS 15.7 features

iPadOS 15.7 only brings bug fixes and some security improvements as the company readies the iPadOS 16 release.

Education

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Apple describes this iPad as the go-to tablet for education. For several years the company discounts this tablet up to 10%.

Apple is always promoting ways students can use the iPad to learn new things: using Augmented Reality, the Apple Pencil, and how to code with Playgrounds.

The company says the “App Store is the best place to discover apps” for education purposes:

“Let your curiosity run wild with iPad. The App Store is the best place to discover apps that let you get a leg up in geometry, learn a new language, and attend virtual classes. You can even use augmented reality to learn something exciting, like watching the history of spaceflight unfold in your living room or making characters from your favorite book literally leap off the page.“

Release date: When Apple will launch the ninth-generation iPad?

Apple launched the iPad 9 on September 24, 2021.

Pricing

iPad (2021) pricing starts at $329 for the 32GB storage option with Wi-Fi only. The prices can go up to $559 with the 128GB storage option and WI-Fi + Cellular. Here are the full prices of the ninth-generation tablet:

  • 32GB with Wi-Fi: $329
  • 32GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $459
  • 128GB with Wi-Fi: $429
  • 128GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $559
  • Apple Pencil (1st generation): $99
  • Smart Keyboard: $159

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

iPad (2021) Review

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Soon, we’ll review the ninth-generation iPad. As for now, you can watch our video review of the eighth-generation iPad, as we described it as the “best value tablet you can buy:”

“The iPad 8 was never meant to be a huge update. But even still, I think this is easily the best value tablet you can buy. For $329, this tablet has so much to offer: The performance, the great battery life, and the Apple pencil functionality. I’d highly recommend you pick up this tablet if you simply need an inexpensive tablet today that’s going to last you for three to four years with no trouble.”

iPad Deals

Over at 9to5Toys, you can find the best deals on the iPad and other Apple products. Download the 9to5Toys iPhone app to receive push notifications for new deals as well.

Rumors

As of now, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter by the end of 2021 that Apple plans a new entry-level iPad for 2022. In June 2022, 9to5Mac exclusively reported the details of the tenth-generation iPad model.

According to Filipe Espósito, this new entry-level tablet will pack the A14 Bionic chip, 5G compatibility, and, for the first time, USB-C connectivity, unlocking new experiences with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Its display will also increase, although it’s unclear whether it will have the same design as the M1 iPad Air.

This iPad could be released in October of 2022.

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Quick Review: Griffin Powerdock 5 Port USB charger: Expensive but effective

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Nov 15 2013 - 2:25 pm PT
2 Comments

I’ve been using the Griffin Powerdock 5 to charge my devices for over a month now and I don’t have anything terribly profound to say about it.  It works.  It works well.  It charges 5 devices including iPads and tablets as quickly as possible. The output for each USB port is 10 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps) for each charging bay.

You can even charge portable speakers like the Logitech Boom or JBL Charge as fast as their native chargers will. It also looks nice (when you get short wires pictured above, not my set up below).

The problem? The retail price is $100, and we’re seeing low prices around $75. That’s a little bit nuts for a 5-port charger even if it is well designed and effective.

There are nice items at Amazon including this Anker 5-port USB charger (which can also quick-charge 2 iPads) for $16-20 and gets great reviews. It is hard to justify paying 4 times the price for a nice plastic stand.  But it you think it is pretty, have at it:

Not me:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyppUIP7Odk]

Google Play Music finally hits iOS with a free month of All Access and programmable radio in 21 countries

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Nov 15 2013 - 8:00 am PT
33 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVukJXI5NXM]

After much anticipation, Google finally released its native Google Play Music app for iOS today. The All Access and Radio service was originally announced at Google IO in May with the promise that it would be ported to iOS devices a few weeks later. Then it was rumored last month. Well, today it is really here and Google was nice enough to give us a great look at the service yesterday (video above).

Google’s music ecosystem differs greatly from Apple’s and more closely resembles Spotify or Amazon with a focus on the Cloud. On Macs and PCs you can use it through a browser with an interface that is remarkably robust for a webpage, but obviously not quite as responsive as iTunes, especially with local music.

Play millions of songs, instantly, on any device, including all the music you’ve ever bought…from anywhere.

Google’s Music is in the Cloud (mostly) so you can seamlessly move from device to device, though there is a 5 app limit (but no limit on devices with web browser access). You can upload 20,000 songs for free, create playlists and share with friends, listen to your music anywhere there is a web browser or iOS/Android device. Kind of a no-brainer…
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Android tablet revenue overtakes iPad for first time, but probably not for long

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 15 2013 - 5:52 am PT
18 Comments
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Total revenue from all Android tablets combined has for the first time exceeded Apple’s revenue for its iPad sales, according to IDC data crunched by Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty.

“For the first time,” she wrote in a note to clients Friday, “Android devices accounted for a greater share of the market in revenue terms than iOS. Android revenue share reached 46.2% in 3Q13, for the first time exceeding iPad share of 45.6%. Android’s unit share grew to 66.7% from 58.5% a year ago, largely driven by Samsung and Lenovo, while iPad share declined to 29.7% from 40.2%” … 
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Review roundup: The Retina iPad mini verdict is ‘pricey but best small tablet ever’

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 15 2013 - 5:26 am PT
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A Retina display may have been some time coming on the iPad mini, but the general verdict appears to be that it was worth the wait.

Many are querying the price, especially now that the full-size iPad Air is so much smaller and lighter than its predecessors, and costs just $100 more. But if portability is key, reviewers seem every bit as impressed by the iPad mini as I was by the Air.

Read on for the conclusions from five early reviews … 
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Chrome for iOS getting automated form-filling, synced to your desktop browser

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 15 2013 - 4:51 am PT
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Google’s Chrome Blog has announced that Chrome for iOS will be getting autofill functionality shortly, enabling automated completion of web forms. If you already use Chrome on a desktop machine, the iOS app will sync data between the two.

For iPhone and iPad users, Chrome for iOS will soon include Autofill to help you quickly fill out forms on-the-go just as you can on desktop and Android. When you sign into Chrome on your iPhone and iPad, you can quickly complete online forms using your synced Autofill info from other devices you’ve signed into.

Google says that it is “starting to roll out” the feature from today, but the version of the app on iTunes hasn’t been updated at the time of writing.

Safari introduced iCloud Keychain, offering synchronised logins and credit card data, with Mavericks and iOS 7.

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Apple Stores resort to pen and paper as point-of-sale outages continue

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 15 2013 - 4:27 am PT
3 Comments

Photo: @chutch8582 Crystal Hutchinson

It’s not quite what you expect to see on those minimalist Apple Store tables: a stack of paper slips, a stapler and an old-school manual card-swipe machine – but that’s what some stores had to resort to after their Point Of Sale systems went down yesterday.

Store staff normally process sales with iPod Touches in cases which combine a cardreader with an external battery. Some customers were reporting that the system outage lasted several hours and affected their ability to collect their Retina iPad Minis, bought online with the Personal Pickup option.

The EasyPay self-service checkout app was reportedly still working, but Apple limits the value of transactions that can be paid for in that way.

Via TechCrunch

Apple book season: tidbits from Dogfight as unofficial Jony Ive biography goes on sale

Avatar for Mark Gurman Nov 14 2013 - 11:03 am PT
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For fans of books about Apple, this is a epic time. Earlier this week, Fred Vogelstein’s book Dogfight went on sale, and today, Leander Kahney’s The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products book about Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jony Ive went on sale.

Dogfight focuses on the emergence of both Apple and Google as the world’s two preeminent technology companies, and it details the competition of the two companies and the respective product development cycles of early iPhones and iPads and devices running Android. The book provides first-hand accounts of life working under Steve Jobs, and details the incredible run-up to the launch of the first iPhone in early 2007…


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9to5Toys Last Call: TYLT 1800mAh power bank giveaway, Staples Black Friday, BioShock Inf. $10, StorEDGE deals back, more

Avatar for Nov 14 2013 - 10:00 am PT
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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ Today’s can’t miss deals: Giveaway: TYLT Energi 1800mAh portable USB power bank w/ Micro USB cable

Staples Black Friday: Nexus 7 2nd gen 16GB $199, Toshiba 1TB $50, ZAGGkeys Pro $50, more PlayStation 4 launches tonight at midnight, reviews from around the web Get 75% off BioShock Infinite from 9to5Toys & GameAgent

PNY StorEDGE flash memory expansion for MacBooks: 128GB $98, 64GB $40

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

Black Friday:

New product announcements & reviews:

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BlackBerry says BBM expanding to iPad & iPod touch today

Avatar for Mark Gurman Nov 14 2013 - 8:55 am PT
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It’s unlikely that this will help BlackBerry come out of its struggles, but the Canada-based smartphone maker says it will be bringing its BBM messaging service to Apple’s iPad and iPod touch later today. Don’t be surprised, though, if the launch gets delayed (based on BlackBerry’s past iOS launch efforts). BBM for iPhone arrived late last month for free. It seems likely that the app will be a Universal download, and we’ll update when it’s out. The iPhone-only launched garnered 5 million downloads in 8 hours.

Update: The app is out… though BBM for iPad is (unsurprisingly?) just the iPhone app working stretched. Although the stretched iPhone app has always been available for cellular iPads, today’s update brings the app to wi-fi only models of the iPad and iPods.


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Retina iPad Mini stock-checker hides on obscure site but still likely won’t last long

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 14 2013 - 3:58 am PT
2 Comments

If you’re trying to track down a Retina iPad Mini, there’s a new stock tracker on the block – hiding out on the rather unlikely location of the Global Seat Turtle Network website!

The obscure location may simply be an Apple enthusiast running the website (update: it is, see below), or an attempt to hide it from Apple, which recently issued a DCMA takedown notice to the Apple Tracker website on the basis that screen-scraping the Apple website was an infringement of the terms of use. The owner of that site understandably decided to promptly comply.

The tracker uses a particularly useful grid format, enabling you to see which models are in stock where. Note that the numbers are not the quantity of stock available – there’s no way for anyone but Apple to know that – but the number of minutes since that cell was last checked. You can update a check by clicking on any of the blue numbers or column headings.

Now that the word is out on this one, don’t expect it to last too long, even with its claim that it uses a publicly-available XML tool rather than screen-scraping to gather the data, but it may prove helpful in the meantime.

Update: The site told CNET:

Because we are Apple fanboys and we want to know when our favorite iPhone model will be available! Also, SEATURTLE.ORG runs on Apple products. From the Xserve that powers this website, to the iMac where most of the programming happens, and the iDevices that allow us to keep tabs on the sea turtle world from where ever we are.

The Retina iPad Mini teardown reveals cross between iPad Air & iPhone 5s

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2013 - 7:35 am PT
3 Comments
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Following close behind its teardown of the iPad Air, iFixit has now taken its toolkit to the Retina iPad Mini. While the company understandably focuses on repairability – that’s how it makes it’s money – we’re betting most people just want to have a peek inside.

Unsurprisingly, the new iPad Mini is essentially a cross between the iPad Air and the iPhone 5s … 
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Retina iPad mini orders from Apple arriving as early as Nov. 15

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 13 2013 - 6:47 am PT
12 Comments

Update: Some 9to5 readers in the UK report an estimated delivery date of Nov. 15th.

Many online orders for the Retina iPad mini have yet to ship, but today a large number of users have now received delivery estimates from Apple and UPS. At least in the US, 9to5 readers report their Retina iPad mini orders will be arriving as early as Monday, Nov. 18. That’s the earliest estimate from UPS, but Apple is also quoting a Nov. 21st delivery date for many day-one iPad mini orders. Shipping times from Apple remain at 1-3 or 5-10 business days for all models of the device in all launch countries, but word has it supplies could be tight leading into the holidays.

https://twitter.com/gannonnordberg/status/400595913544335360

Apple’s multi-billion dollar spend on gadgets you’ll never see

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2013 - 6:42 am PT
3 Comments
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Bloomberg claims to have some info on how Apple plans to spend some of the $10.5B it has set aside for capital expenditure over the next year, saying that the investments will span everything from lasers to robots.

Apple is spending more on the machines that do the behind-the-scenes work of mass producing iPhones, iPads and other gadgets. That includes equipment to polish the new iPhone 5c’s colorful plastic, laser and milling machines to carve the MacBook’s aluminum body, and testing gear for the iPhone and iPad camera lens … 
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Retina iPad Mini supplies expected to remain tight through the holidays

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2013 - 4:28 am PT
3 Comments
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If you’re planning to give anyone a Retina iPad Mini as a holiday gift, it might be advisable to buy it sooner rather than later. Retina iPad Mini supplies are expected to remain constrained for the rest of the year, with two analysts both estimating production at around two million units. This is a very small number in what is likely to be a quarter with high demand.

KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo and IHS iSuppli’s Rhoda Alexander had both previously said they expected supply to be very tight, but this is the first time we’ve had sight of KGI’s estimates of the numbers.

We maintain our iPad mini R shipments forecast of around 2.2mn units for 4Q13. Considering production yield improvement at the supply chain, we forecast shipments will grow 102% QoQ in 1Q14 to 4.5mn units.


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Retina iPad mini clocks in at same speed as iPhone 5s, slightly slower than Air

Avatar for Mark Gurman Nov 12 2013 - 9:51 am PT
3 Comments

Following the release of the new iPad mini with Retina display this morning, a user of the device conducted a benchmark test via GeekBench. The results indicate that the processor speed is clocked at 1.29 GHz, and this almost the same speed as the iPhone 5s, which comes in at 1.30GHz. For comparison, the pricier, larger iPad Air comes in at 1.39 GHz.

In real world usage, it is unlikely that users will notice difference in speed between the new two new Apple tablets, but the difference is interesting in light of both products including the same 64-bit A7 architecture. Perhaps the Mini is clocked at a slightly slower speed for thermal considerations due to the smaller overall form-factor or too keep the battery/encasing size to within millimeters of its predecessor while retaining the same 10 hour battery life.

 

 


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Initial Retina iPad mini Apple Store rollout to be exclusive to Personal Pickup, Apple issues press release

Avatar for Mark Gurman Nov 12 2013 - 5:32 am PT
15 Comments
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Due to “limited supply” and “high demand,” the new iPad mini with Retina display will be available at Apple Stores exclusively through the Personal Pickup service for the time-being. Personal Pickup allows a customer to purchase a Retina iPad mini via the Apple Online Store, then pick it up at an Apple Retail location of their choosing. This also means that a customer who wants a Retina iPad mini cannot simply walk-in to an Apple Store and buy one (yet). It’s likely that Apple will allow walk-in purchases when demand meets supply. Apple notified its retail employees of the current sales exclusivity to Personal Pickup customers, and Apple’s own retail website seems to imply similar…


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Report: GlobalFoundries Apple tie-in not as big a deal as it sounds, might be overflow supply line

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 12 2013 - 4:27 am PT
3 Comments
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Suggestions that Apple is looking to chipmaker GlobalFoundries to reduce its reliance on Samsung chips are rather wide of the mark, according to sources cited by AllThingsD. The rumors followed a story in the Albany Times Union that Apple might be looking to the Malta, New York, chipmaker to make iPhone and iPad chips.

In the most likely scenario, Samsung will still be the primary manufacturer of Apple’s chips for the iPhone and iPad, they said, continuing the role it has played since the earliest days of the iPhone: Building the chips that Apple designs under contract […]

Samsung will use GlobalFoundries for what is known as “flex capacity.” This is a long-standing industry practice under which a chip manufacturer pays to occasionally use another company’s factories when demand on their own factory is running higher than they would like, and they need a little help … 
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Apple Store comes back online with Retina iPad mini, exclusive holiday offers

Avatar for Mike Beasley Nov 12 2013 - 12:02 am PT
29 Comments
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The iPad mini with Retina display went on sale through the Apple Online Store early Tuesday morning in an uncharacteristically soft launch. The news was prefaced by an internal memo that leaked from Apple’s GSX tool. The device is available in the United States, Australia, China (no LTE models yet), Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore.

The release comes at an unexpected time. Apple didn’t officially announce the release date ahead of time, saying only that the device would be available sometime this month. In fact, aside from a memo that was released to employees only hours before the tablet went live on the Apple Online Store, there was no indication that it would be released this week at all.


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Analyst: iTV plans put on hold for wearables debut in 2014

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 11 2013 - 8:37 am PT
3 Comments

As evidenced by TV supply chain sources, Apple could be prioritizing wearable technology and delaying a true Apple TV launch during 2014. That’s according to analyst Paul Gagnon of DisplaySearch who believes Apple was positioned to debut a true iTV in the latter half of next year, but has put that plan on hold due to content deals still in development.

For Apple to have a successful television product for the living room, it needs to achieve three goals:

Sell enough units to generate sufficient content purchasing points, especially among households who do not yet own Apple TV set-top boxes.

Offer a unique point of differentiation to capture market share from leading TV manufacturers such as Samsung and Vizio, while at the same time being able to sell the products for a high enough price to deliver typically high Apple margins.

Create follow-on replacement purchases to keep hardware sales from flat-lining once household penetration peaks.
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Apple’s market share in Japan overtakes USA, with more to come

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2013 - 7:40 am PT
5 Comments
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Photo: japantimes.co.jp

Apple’s share of the smartphone market in Japan has hit 37 percent, greater than the 36 percent share in the USA, reports the WSJ.

Sales got another boost in late September when NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s largest wireless carrier, began offering the iPhone for the first time to its 61.8 million customers. Even before that, the iPhone was Japan’s best-selling smartphone, with a 37% market share in the six months ended Sept. 30, according to Tokyo’s MM Research Institute. That’s comparable to the iPhone’s 36% share in the U.S. in the third quarter, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech … 
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A week with the iPad Air in three words: Believe. The. Hype.

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 8 2013 - 6:48 am PT
106 Comments
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All tech companies love to hype their shiny new gadgets. Nothing is ever a slightly better version of the last model, everything is a ‘breakthrough’, changes are always ‘dramatic’, performance is always ‘ground-breaking’.

Apple is of course the acknowledged master of the marketing arts, so if I’m honest I mentally toned-down all the claims in the keynote about it being “dramatically thinner and lighter,” and I responded to Phil Schiller’s claim that “once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is” with a wry smile.

But having owned and used one extensively for a week now, I actually think Apple’s hype didn’t go far enough. This is not just a bit thinner and lighter, it’s virtually a third category of iPad … 
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Vodafone store evacuated as iPad demo model catches fire [Update: Not an Air]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 8 2013 - 4:13 am PT
11 Comments

Update: A Vodafone spokesperson says that the model that caught fire was not an Air:

“It was an earlier generation iPad with Retina display model — not one of the more recently launched devices. Apple is investigating the cause,” a Vodafone Australia spokesperson told Mashable.

A Vodafone store in Canberra, Australia, had to be evacuated and the fire brigade called in after a demo model iPad Air caught fire, reports news.com.au.

“A burst of flames” appeared from the charging port of an iPad demo model, a Vodafone spokesperson confirmed.

The fire brigade was called in after the store filled with smoke and sparks continued to appear from the charging port.

Nobody was hurt.

There have been several reports of iPhones and iPads catching fire while charging, but these have generally been associated with third-party or counterfeit chargers. As an official Vodafone store, a third-party charger would seem unlikely.

It’s reported that Apple sent a representative to the store to collect the iPad for investigation.