Apple's iPad 3 could cost more than the iPad 2, according to a new report. As the tablet supposedly nears its unveiling, rumors are rampant.
Apple's next iPad could cost a premium
over the current version, at least according to a pricing sheet that appeared
on Chinese microblog
Sina Weibo.
The Apple-centric blog MacRumors
drilled down into that sheet in a Feb. 27 posting. "The iPad 3 costs $80
more for the equivalent Wi-Fi models,"
it concluded, "and $70 more for the
equivalent 3G models."
Meanwhile, Best Buy and other retailers
have begun to lower their iPad 2 prices, a traditional indicator that the
release of a new version is indeed imminent.
All of Best Buy's models have taken a $50 haircut
irrespective of memory capacity and options.
If the iPad 3 indeed costs a bit more
than the iPad 2, Apple might justify that price hike on the basis of the
next-generation tablet's features, which reports indicate will include a
high-resolution display, more powerful camera and upgraded processor. On Feb.
9,
AllThingsD reported that the iPad 3's screen
would indeed feature 2,048-by-1,536 resolution, along with an improved graphics
processing unit paired to a faster chip.
Some of those rumors have also derived
from Sina Weibo, which recently offered up a purported image of the iPad 3's
front assembly.
"The part appears nearly identical
to that of the iPad 2," the blog
MacRumors reported Feb. 21, "with the major
distinguishing feature being a relatively long ribbon cable extending up the
side of the display as opposed to a shorter cable with a sideways orientation
seen in the iPad 2."
Pundits and tech media widely expect
Apple to unveil the iPad 3 during the first week of March. As a whole, the iPad
franchise enters 2012 in a particularly strong market position. Throughout
2011, other tablets have plunged into the tablet arena with huge advertising
budgets and the stated aim of becoming an "iPad killer," only to find
apathetic customers and a general lack of buzz.
"Our checks indicate modest sales
of most competing tablet offerings including the Motorola Xyboard, RIM
PlayBook, HTC View 4G, Samsung Galaxy tab and several other Android based
devices," T. Michael Walkley, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, wrote in
a Jan. 24 research note. "Also consistent with our checks, the Amazon
Kindle Fire did not adversely impact iPad sales but more likely had a greater
impact on e-reader sales."
Apple's next big tablet challenge might
come in late 2012, when it will face Windows 8 on Microsoft and its
manufacturing partners.
Follow Nicholas Kolakowski on Twitter
Email
Print
