News Analysis: The rumored iPad 2 release delay could mean that Apple has changed its mind about a number of factors regarding its tablet plans in response to recent changes in the market. Or perhaps not.
Rumors surfaced recently suggesting that Apple has delayed its iPad 2 for a
release date in June, a couple of months later than the initial April release
date that many expected the company to follow.
The reason for the delay has not been nailed down in the rumor mill, but
there are those who believe that the company will in fact delay the iPad 2.
Other Apple watchers say that such claims are nonsense and Apple will deliver
the tablet as expected in April.
Either way, there could be several reasons Apple might want to delay the
tablet. They range from the possibility of the company being fearful of what
the competition has to offer to simply wanting to wait for the others to tip
their hand, allowing Apple to once again look like the company that really understands
what customers are after.
Read on to
find out what a possible iPad 2 delay could say about Apple's tablet plans.
1. It's scared
If
Apple does in fact delay the iPad 2, it could mean that the company is
worried. The tablet that it was planning to release might not cut it after
Apple saw competing devices. The delay gives it time to figure out how to
revise the iPad 2 to compete against products like the Motorola Xoom, which
seems to have quite a bit of promise. It might not sound very Apple-like, but
it's possible that it could be quite fearful about delivering a device that can't
compete with others.
2. It's thinking about a larger display
Part of the appeal of Apple's iPad has been its large, 9.7-inch display. It
offers users the ability to be more productive while using the platform. It
makes competing devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and its 7-inch screen,
look obsolete. But now, several products, including the Motorola Xoom, the new
Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Dell Streak 10, among others, will have larger
displays than the iPad. Given how important screen size has been to Apple over
the past year, maybe a delay indicates that it's thinking seriously about
upping the screen size to 10.1 inches (if not more).
3. It was an incremental upgrade
Apple might delay the iPad 2 if it represents an incremental upgrade over
the previous version of the platform. Admittedly, the iPad is a fine product in
its own right. But newer tablets are showing off features-including a better
operating system in Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" and WebOS along with dual
cameras-that make the iPad seem so last year. An incremental update might cause
the iPad to get lost in the shuffle of more revolutionary upgrades from other
companies. And Apple is not a company that likes to get lost in the shuffle.
4. The connectivity consideration
When the Motorola Xoom launches later this week, the device will come with
the ability for users to connect to the Web via 3G wireless connections.
However, within the next few months, the device will be upgraded, allowing
users to access Verizon's 4G network, as well. The
Xoom is expected to be one of many devices to support 4G this year. If
Apple doesn't have a 4G option ready to go, rest assured that the company's
possible delay could have something to do with that.
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