Apple iPads could be delayed until the second half of the year; three devices in the works: Report

By tech2 News Staff /  25 Jan 2017 , 13:00

Further delays are in the offing for Apple’s iPad lineup. If reports are to be believed, Apple’s brand new iPads will not ship until the second half of this year.

It’s long been rumoured that Apple will introduce three new iPads this year. These include an updated iPad Air with a 9.7-inch screen, a brand new iPad with a 10.5-inch screen but the same form-factor as the 9.7-inch version and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

It’s expected that the 10.5-inch iPad and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will ship with Apple’s latest A10X chip. Historically, the X-version of Apple’s iPhone SoCs run faster and host either an extra or a more powerful graphics core. This is needed to drive the higher resolution iPad displays.

These devices were expected early this year. However, DigiTimes reports that these devices could be delayed to later this year. Citing “sources from the related upstream supply chain”, DigiTimes believes that the devices won’t even be announced until the second half of the year.

It’s worth noting that the sources suggest that the 9.7-inch iPad will become an “entry-level device” for the education sector. It’s display unit will apparently be provided by Seoul Semiconductor, replacing the current supplier of the 9.7-inch iPad display.

The drastic fall in tablet shipments is a sign of the changing times, and that includes the Apple iPad

By Nimish Sawant /  01 Nov 2016 , 11:46

Tablets shipment numbers haven’t been able to maintain the same momentum as smartphone sales. In it’s latest quarterly tablet tracker, International Data Corporation (IDC) states that the worldwide tablet market has seen a slump with a 14.7 percent year-on-year decline in terms of shipments. In Q3 2015, the tablet sales stood at 50.5 million units, which came down to 43 million units in Q3 2016. But when compared to Q2 2016, the Q3 2016 shipments were up by 9.8 percent, thanks to upcoming holiday season.

One of the major reasons being stated is the rise in low-cost detachables being sold under $200 (approx Rs 13,500). But according to IDC’s senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani, low cost detachables also lead to a low cost experience, which is detrimental.

“The race to the bottom is something we have already experienced with slates and it may prove detrimental to the market in the long run as detachables could easily be seen as disposable devices rather than potential PC replacements,” said Ubrani.

The state of tablets

Among the tablet makers, only Amazon and Huawei showed a growth from last year. Apple with 9.3 million units sold is still a market leader in the tablet category with a 21.5 percent market share. Samsung follows with 6.5 million units sold and 15.1 percent market share. Amazon at number 3 recorded the largest year-on-year growth of 319 percent thanks to the Amazon Prime Daily Sale, which saw the