iPad 3 Enters Trial Production in Q4 2011, Slated for Early 2012 Release

In case you haven't been paying attention, the market for tablet computers have been growing at a rapid rate and the competition is tougher than ever. But of course, you can't talk about tablet computers without mentioning Apple's offering, the iPad. A device that certainly leads the competition of tablet computers. And as expected, the Cupertino company looks to stay ahead of the competition by already making its move for the iPad 3. According to a report, Apple is already gearing up with its suppliers and assemblers in Asia for the trial production of the next generation, high-resolution iPad which is planned for release early 2012.
This report comes from The Wall Street Journal who claims that they have been talking with people who are "familiar with the situation". The Cupertino company is said to have already began ordering key components for the next-gen iPad such as display panels and processor chips. The iPad 3 is largely expected to feature a high-res display of 2048 by 1536 which is twice the resolution of the previous generations which is 1024 by 768. Apple is said to have already received small shipments of processor chips and the 9.7-inch, high-resolution displays samples. This is allegedly for the trial production of 1.5 million iPad 3s which will be kickstarted this coming October.

This particular report again points out to the possibility of the next iPad to debut with 2048 x 1536 resolution which is a fairly reasonable thing to expect. As early as February, there have been talks of the iPad 3 having a 9.7 inch IPS panel with FFS (fringe-field switching) technology which would yield benefits such as clear visual quality and wider viewing angle. If anyone can recall, Apple had plans to incorporate iPad Retina Display for the iPad 2 but wasn't able to do so due to constraints in manufacturing yield rates.
One can imagine that incorporating such high quality display without affecting other factors such as the screen size, form factor and battery life can be very difficult and expensive. Just a few days ago, we have brought to you a report that Apple has already canceled their supply schedule for the iPad 3 which is supposed to be slated this year. This is due to the shortage of Retina Display panels and that if the company insists on releasing the next iPad this year, it won't be able reach a satisfactory manufacturing yield rate.

This report is yet another strong evidence that the iPad 3 won't be making it this year and instead on early 2012 which is in line with the iPad release cycle (the iPad 2 was released in March this year). Aside from the rumored high resolution display, the iPad 3 will also be powered a new A6 mobile processor chip (allegedly also the iPhone 6). With a higher resolution Retina Display and a more powerful new processor chip, Apple looks to secure the position of the iPad 3 as the tablet computer to beat. [Source: TheWSJ via AppleInsider]

Sprint Will be Getting the iPhone 5

As of right now, the iPhone is only available on two major wireless carriers here in the United States. AT&T, which was originally the sole carrier of the iPhone, and now Verizon both offer the device.

Rumors have been circulating over the past several months suggesting that Apple will finally extend the iPhone to both T-Mobile and Sprint this Fall, but so far there has been no official announcement.

Now, The Wall Street Journal has decided to chime in on the matter, and is reporting that a Sprint-branded iPhone is a lock for this October…
WSJ editor Dennis Berman sounded the alarm from his Twitter account a few minutes ago. Apparently, the publication has concrete evidence that Sprint will be carrying a smartphone from Apple this Fall.

“Sprint Nextel Corp. will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said, closing a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier’s lineup and giving Apple Inc. another channel for selling its popular phone.”

According to the report, the device won’t be available to Sprint customers until mid-October. And since the iPhone 5 has been slated to launch October 7th, it sounds like Sprint might be late to the party. But better late than never I always say.

The news isn’t that surprising, given the recent reports floating around that the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA networks. Why wouldn’t Apple want a shot at Sprint’s 50 million+ subscribers?

With Sprint getting Apple’s smartphone this Fall, you have to assume T-Mobile won’t be far behind. And with the addition of two major carrier partners in the U.S., expect Apple to do big things this holiday season.

Are you currently a Sprint customer? Would you switch to Sprint if it got the iPhone 5?

Study Shows Apple Users More Likely to Use Mobile Payments

A new study suggests that iPhone owners are the most likely to be open to the idea of mobile payment systems, according to GigaOM.

The study, conducted by UK firm YouGov, reported that 46% of UK iPhone owners would be willing to pay bills using their handsets, while 62% would happily transfer funds. 69% would check their balances, with 45% keen on using their iPhone to pay other people…
The report found that, surprisingly, just 31% of owners would be willing to use NFC technology to purchase items, perhaps due to uncertainty about how the technology actually works. Many are, mistakenly, under the impression that unscrupulous people can steal information via NFC just by walking past a device.

Blackberry and Android owners also show signs of being willing to make the move to mobile payments, though as TUAW notes, their numbers are lower than those of the iPhone owners.

Both NFC and other mobile payment technologies are eventually going to come along to all devices, and we may not have a choice some time in the future. Users will clearly need educating about the security aspects of upcoming payment options, but anything that cuts down the amount of plastic in my wallet has to be a good thing!

Lenovo CEO Isn’t Afraid of Apple, Plans to Dominate Tablet Market

There was no shortage of media coverage last week as Apple officially passed Lenovo in revenue by hitting $3.8 billion on their home turf of greater China (thanks largely in part to the iPhone and iPad).

However, according to a report from FinancialTimes, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanquing doesn’t want to believe the numbers claiming the comparison is unfair. His reasoning? Basically, Lenovo’s phone business doesn’t make as much money as Apple’s…
“Lenovo’s main focus is in PCs; our phone business isn’t that strong even in China,” Yuanquing continued, “If you compare the PC business we still have a lead far ahead of any of our competitors.”

So he isn’t exactly denying the numbers, but rather saying the calculations aren’t fair because Apple continues to dominate the smartphone market. How’s that for a reason?

What about tablets? Apple of course has Lenovo beat when it comes to tablet sales as well, although Yang does have plans for Lenovo to “be one of the strongest of the players” in that market too. Specifically, it appears they plan to target the bottom-tier, low-priced tablet market where apparently Apple’s $500 iPad can’t compete.

Yang explains:

“Apple only covers the top tier,” he says. “With a $500 price you cannot go to the small cities, townships, low salary class, low income class. I don’t want to say we want to significantly lower the price, rather our strategy is to provide more categories, to cover different market segments.”

Has Lenovo learned nothing from HP’s TouchPad? With other companies already having a tough time providing a viable alternative to the iPad at a competitive price point, that rumored second-gen Lenovo LePad tablet better have some pretty decent specs to even stand a chance against any generation of iPad in the US. While Yang may have a point about lower class markets, perhaps someone should tell him about those refurbished iPads going for $399…

What do you think of Yang’s take on Apple’s market lead being fueled by mobile products? Does it make a difference?

There has been much controversy over whether or not tablets (especially iPad) should be included in industry stats related to PCs, specifically laptops and notebooks.

Is it fair to compare tablets to PCs when discussing market share?