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Why are people so convienced in a 6mo price drop/upgrade?
- Thread starter Simgar988
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If you think they are going to update the iPad this year, your probably the one that think's Verizon is getting the iPhone/iPad this Summer too! 
because those of us that have to wait want to get something better than you. You should be worried because I will get a better deal than you did.
All I see is rationalization and wishful thinking that there won't be a hardware upgrade for at least a year, so people can boast they have the latest and greatest for at least a year.
In reality now, Apple does not go a full 12 months without at least a speed bump. While I don't see a major upgrade (say, a camera), a bump in RAM and storage will happen. Next fall, coinciding with the new iPhone OS and holiday shopping, is the most likely time for this
Where? It is hardly rationalizing to expect that a product that has not even fully launched yet (no 3G, not out in other countries) is still going to be the same in 6 months. Let alone for late August when back schools shopping ramps. That is only 4 months away. That is only reasonable to NOT expect a new iPad by then.
BTW The closest counterpart is the touch, updated once/year.
The poster I was questioning made a claiming about all the "evidence"....
If you echo his belief, what evidence?
the next iphone announcement is not 'way behind schedule.' The iPhone 3GS was announced only a week or two before it was released.
I doubt well see new hardware til at the earliest jan. I could see them dropping the 16gb and making the 32gb $499 tho. But like someone else said the thing hasn't even fully launched yet and it's almost may. So even jan is pushing it. I bet April again.
This was based on a slower adaptation rate than the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS. Granted, apple can lower the prices on the iPad because the device only cost like 250 to make. The iphone cost around 180 to make.
But that would be only used as way to increase market share. I think that could be within the realm of possibility but if you really think about it; after iPhones became subsidized, its really then that the iPhone sales sky rocketed, apple was still charging 500 to AT&T for the phones. AT&T isn't subsidizing the iPad and because this is a new market, there isn't enough data justifying what the true market value price is of portable tablet like devices. And because other companies aren't entering this market space right Now, apple has no competition.
That will change with android.
There is a lot that goes into the development of a new device. Testing, changing of manufacturing process. A new product is defined months before you ever know about it and all companies have a roadmap. Unless this revision was planned, I just don't see it happening. The only way we see a dynamic change in their roadmap would be if the device fails to market because of key features.
If you look at apples history, a revision doesn't seem likely for 9 months into the products life cycle. Revisions too early makes customers feel cheap and makes them want to wait for the next revision. Storage updates have been done to iPhones around the midrange mark only because flash densities of 16gb to 32gb are easily stackable and cost effective on the cost structure. Going from 64 to 128gb is a large flash stack and deems to be highly expensive for apple. Not to mention, doubling the flash memory without changing package size is not ready yet. Most flash vendors aren't using their best litho for this generation. They may announce 45nm but that product reaches a device a couple years down the road. So that means if you can't make the flash smaller, you have to make the package bigger and in that case, you have a chipset issue and have to change it up. (I work in the memory technology field)
Cost variations on just a density change seems to costly 6 months down the road and in that case, you might as well wait another 6 months and bring our iPad 2.0
I don't know why people are starting to think the iPad is getting a revision when it just came out. And it's the very first iPad. Apple needs data on the market and this will take time.
What's the update cycle of the iPod and iPod touches then? Which is the same category of devices that Apple lumps the iPad into. They are all media players to Apple, and they are only updated once every 12 months at the iPod events. Why wouldn't they continue this upgrade cycle with a device that's an offshoot of their iPods?
General fear Id suspect, based mostly off of the time between the first iPhone and the iPhone 3G. I mean, some people do want to have an exclusive device for a certain amount of time, then there are people who say, buy the 16gb iPad for $499 who would have legit anger if the 16gb model dropped to $399 or $299 come september or even the holiday season. Being apple fans, I say early adopters such as ourselves should generally expect something like this whether it does happen or not, but I at least understand the thinking.
I don't get it. The original iPhone and iPhone 3G came out about a year apart. Then another year for the 3GS and another for the upcoming iPhone.
This always bugs me since even assuming the figures are correct, that's just to buy parts and assemble. No R&D recovery, licensing, distribution, support, sales, packaging, etc. All that stuff isn't free and Apple tends to spend a premium. Not to mention all the me-too lawsuits.
I think when we see the new iPhone we might get an idea if we'll see updates to the iPad. If the iPhone is very similar to the the iPad, then I think the specs are pretty much set for a while. If the iPhone ships with a Cortex a9, forward facing camera, etc... maybe you could start sniffing around for an iPad update for the holidays.
My gut says at best I think we could hope to see the 16 GB go away and the the 32 GB drop to $499, or perhaps the WiFi line go away with all 3G at current WiFi prices.
One thing is for certain... If you buy at launch, you will have the maximum time of ownership before the next upgrade.
Remember the cell phone world, where they generally want to put people on two year contracts - and even with that apple did things a bit differently compared to now in regards to contract. Either way, I'd pinpoint that media issue as the point where apple specifically got the reputation of having a newer model come out before the last one can be seen as old. Plus, with general exaggeration and the addition of purple monkey dishwater whenever average joe's discuss the product, that would create a mentality or even a fear of a price drop or a revision even before a year's time.
Mind you, I'm only speculating the public's general thought myself, and can very much be wrong.
There is a way to lower the price without lowering the price...it's called a SALE!
There could be a Christmas Sale--makes sense if they want to move a lot of units and promote the iPad as THE gift to give.
There could be a Christmas Sale--makes sense if they want to move a lot of units and promote the iPad as THE gift to give.
Doubt there will be a faster than 1 year refresh. Though it will be interesting if the iPod touch does get a camera and higher capacity. Not sure how Apple would dance around that.
There was a price drop three months after the original iPhone came out and then a new version with twice the memory (16Gb) was released the following February - 4 months before the 3G was unleashed.
The price drop is one thing, I suppose. But I don't understand people getting upset at the size increasing.
Do people who buy HP computers get upset when a larger hard drive becomes available a few months after they buy one?
You guys are ignoring the obvious, there IS an upgraded version planned already, and that's the 3G.
If you compare the sales number between ipad and first generation iPhone, and the similarity in price, it isn't a far fetch to think Apple may lower the price in the not so distant future.
If you compare the sales number between ipad and first generation iPhone, and the similarity in price, it isn't a far fetch to think Apple may lower the price in the not so distant future.
