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Editorial: Apple vs. everyone
It's a big storm, moving slowly. A gigantic span of ferocious swirl meets a front of chilly resistance. The effect of that collision is amplified by powerful tidal influence. Upheavals and surges swamp the landscape. Many people are displaced; countless others stay with the familiar. Also, in the real world, some nasty weather is happening. But I'm talking about the tech industry of the last five business days, which has aligned and concentrated its forces in a crystal-clear demonstration, if one were needed, that mobile is where the bets are placed and futures will be won and lost. Apple is at the eye of the storm, where its devoted legions expect it, but no longer as a pioneer. Defending its territory rather than breaking new ground, the post-Jobs company did something its late and fabled leader scorned, split hairs to justify it, engaged in implicit combat with four competitors, ticked off some of its best customers and was squeezed by inexorable pressure of a quickly evolving industry.
Rumor Roundup: Self-flagellation edition
After two years of foreplay from the rumor blogs, Apple unveiled the iPad mini onstage last week. Finally, I don't have to write about the thing anymore! Except for this post, and the inevitable "iPad mini HD" rumors that will come in 2013, and so on. I spent most of the past two years completely unconvinced that Apple would ever build or sell a device like the iPad mini. In fact, it was only when convincing-looking parts leaked out and Jim Dalrymple of The Loop gave his "Yep" blessing to the iPad mini event that I started believing the product actually existed anywhere outside the Mountain Dew-fueled fever dreams of bloggers and the opium-fueled speculation of analysts. So, in full recognition of the term "turnabout is fair play," instead of poking fun at the rumor blogs this week, this Rumor Roundup is an assemblage of my own boneheaded iPad mini-related quotes from the past several months. Let's all point and laugh, shall we? May 14 A product that's been rumored but never seen for almost two years, the "iPad mini" would serve no other purpose than to cannibalize the existing iPad line. Even if you assume that making a 2,048 x 1,536, 7-inch screen is technically feasible, saying Apple could sell such a device for the current asking price of the iPod touch is downright laughable. The iPad mini already exists. It's called an iPod touch. Those who claim Apple wants to address the mid-sized market the Kindle Fire took by storm in late 2011 seem to be conveniently ignoring the fact that Kindle Fire sales went down the tubes in early 2012. As for a lower-priced option to address budget-minded consumers, that already exists too. It's called an iPad 2. Maybe you've heard of it. It's just like the new iPad, only it's $100 cheaper and its screen looks like it's been smeared with Vaseline when you put it next to the new iPad. I'm sure Apple has been technologically capable of making an iPad mini for years. All the company lacks is the poor business sense to actually release one. LOLometer reading: 10/10. Man, there's so much wrongness packed into that passage that I don't even know where to begin. So I won't. I think it pretty much speaks for itself... probably after five beers too many. May 21 Even though it failed to surface in 2010 or 2011, 2012 will be the year of the iPad mini! Unless it launches in 2013. Or 20-never. LOLometer reading: 7/10. I'm dating my checks "20-never" for the rest of this year. May 28 Even assuming the iPad mini existed, it'd have to be just as multifunctional as the iPad Grande it's supposed to complement. Otherwise, why would anyone buy it? LOLometer reading: 0/10. This turns out to be one of those rare instances where I was right, because Apple agreed with me. The iPad mini is, in Apple's own words, the "condensed" version of the bigger iPad rather than a stripped-down model. July 9 It's well-known by now that Google's margins on the Nexus 7 are razor thin, which makes it incredibly unlikely Apple intends to compete on price alone with an "iPad mini" tablet. It's equally well-known that Apple is selling tens of millions of full-sized iPads per quarter already, while sales of the Kindle Fire tanked after the first quarter and the Nexus 7 hasn't been around long enough to tell what impact it's had. Despite the new tablet announcements from Microsoft and Google over the past few weeks, Apple still doesn't have any real competition for the iPad. An iPad mini would very likely cause more lost sales for the full-sized iPad than it would for either the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire, two products that seem to be aimed at markets that either can't afford an iPad or just hate Apple that much. LOLometer reading: 3/10. This turned out to be mostly right; the iPad mini's entry price is significantly more than either the Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7. And the iPad mini probably will result in a few lost sales of full-sized iPads over the long term, but its impact on competing tablets will be more difficult to judge since neither Amazon nor Google release hard data on those numbers. Unfortunately, I kind of went off the meds later on the same day: No matter how reputable or disreputable the news outlet and no matter what evidence they claim to have, after more than two years of speculation, prestidigitation and obfuscation concerning the iPad mini, I am burnt out on this device and the rumors surrounding it. After 24-plus months of nonsense, there is literally no source worth listening to on this matter other than an Apple executive walking onto a keynote stage holding a miniaturized iPad in his hands. Until that happens -- if it ever happens -- there is no way I will believe this product exists. And despite the fact that I don't really see any plausible economic reason for Apple to make one, I still kind of hope they do introduce something like an iPad mini just so the rumor blogs will finally shut up about it. LOLometer reading: 7/10. I got my wish, sort of. Also, note to self: do not blog immediately after spending an entire weekend battling with airport and transit officials trying (and nearly failing) to get from Palmerston North to Auckland, then having your car die on the other side of town when you get back home. For some reason, after going through all that my writing sounded a bit... testy. August 13 I don't see a point to the iPad mini, and it seems Apple would be making a mistake to release a product that would only cannibalize sales of the more expensive iPad Señor. I almost want the iPad mini to actually be a real, shipping product now. Not to buy one -- count me among the 46 percent who think it's pointless -- but to see how it would do on the market. It seems like a no-win scenario product to me; if it turns out few people want to buy a cheaper, smaller iPad, then it's a failure. But if a bunch of people buy it instead of the more expensive iPad with its presumably fatter profit margins, then it undermines Apple's profits. LOLometer reading: 8/10. In retrospect, I think a lot of my problem with the iPad mini and why I couldn't see a clear spot for it in Apple's lineup is because I already have a full-sized iPad and an iPhone. I sure don't need an iPad mini, and for me it would indeed be a waste of money. But somehow I forgot about the billions of humans who don't own either of those products -- people who just might be drawn to an iPad that's both smaller and less expensive than its bigger cousin. August 27 I must be the only person left in the tech world who thinks "iPad mini" is a tremendously irksome product name. Why not just go full-on ridiculous and call the iPod touch the "iPad nano" instead? LOLometer reading: 9/10. I still think "iPad mini" is kind of a daft name, but really, what else was Apple going to call it? And come to think of it, "iPad nano" might actually be a more fitting name than "iPod touch" for the 4-inch device. October 22 9to5 Mac's "best guess" is $329. I don't buy that price at all; Apple's a fan of nice, round numbers for its introductory pricing of premium products, a bit of psychological trickery that's taught in Marketing 101. $299 seems more likely. LOLometer reading: 10/10. I'm still baffled by Apple's pricing for the iPad mini; a $299 introductory price would've at least given consumers the illusion they could get the base model device for under $300. The extra $30 doesn't seem to have made any difference, though, since preorders are already sold out. October 29 So, we're all caught up now. The lesson here is pretty obvious: it no longer pays to be ultra-conservative when it comes to Apple rumors. There are clearly some internal leaks from Apple, but it's the supply chain leaks that are really killing Christmas morning for us geeks. And at the end of it all, you must be able to guess what happened: I bought a base model iPad mini the instant it was available for preorder. Stop looking at me like that -- it's not for me.
iPad mini ship times at 2 weeks for all WiFi models
You are now out of luck if you want to order an iPad mini from the comfort of your home and receive it on Friday. As of Monday morning, ship times for all models of the WiFi iPad mini have slipped to two weeks. Pre-orders for the mini tablet started on Friday and the white models sold out within 20 minutes. Inventory of the black models remained strong until Monday morning when the first production run of the tablets also sold out. Customers who want a WiFi iPad mini on Friday's official launch date will have to buy one from their local Apple Store. Cellular versions of the iPad mini will go on sale in mid-November. [Via TechCrunch]
Amazon compares Kindle Fire HD to iPad mini, forgets some key specs
Amazon has a rather cheeky ad on its homepage right now comparing its Kindle Fire HD to the newly unveiled iPad mini. The ad opens with, of all things, a Gizmodo quote. "...your [Apple's] 7.9-inch tablet has far fewer pixels than the competing 7-inch tablets! You're cramming a worse screen in there, charging more, and accusing others of compromise? Ballsy." Nah, what's ballsy is drawing on quotes from Gizmodo in support of your product. If Apple discovered a cure for cancer, all Gizmodo would do is complain about the resulting population explosion. What's not up for debate is the difference in pixel counts -- the Kindle Fire HD does indeed offer "much more for much less" -- but I'm willing to bet that a lot of people firing off support for this statistic are the same ones who claimed Retina displays on Macs and iPads are "overkill" and all those extra pixels don't matter. "Ballsy" indeed. Amazon's table doesn't tell the whole story, either, so I've decided to help them out. Kindle Fire HD iPad mini Decent Web browsing experience Nope Yep Rear-facing camera Nope Yep Available in 64 GB capacity Nope Yep Available with 3G/4G/LTE Nope Yep Has 250,000 apps available Nope Yep Movies and TV shows available outside the USA and UK Nope Yep Pay more to disable ads Yep Nope "Much more for much less" doesn't quite ring true here. How about, "You get what you pay for," instead?
Switched On: Tablets and tradeoffs
This week saw the debut of two ARM-powered tablets by old rivals. One eschews traditional desktop input methods; the other embraces them. One occupies the high end of pricing in its class; the other is competitive with the market leader. One had the engineering goal of fitting in one hand; the other comes with a kickstand for being set on a desk or table. But perhaps the biggest contrast between the iPad mini and the Surface RT approaches is how well they take advantage of the hardware and software momentum of their predecessors.
Microsoft's Sinofsky says Windows 8 PCs can undercut Apple's 'recreational' iPad mini
It just wouldn't be a major Apple launch if there wasn't a Microsoft executive calling out his old rival, would it? In a chat with AllThingsD, Windows division lead Steven Sinofsky has expressed doubts that Apple's iPad mini is really a cost-effective pick against the just-launched Windows 8. It's a $329 "recreational tablet" when there are work-ready Windows 8 laptops that cost $279, he says. He added that there are at least a few touchscreen Ultrabooks that could undercut the non-touch MacBook Air on price, and he ascribed the difference as much to "engineering" as the cost-cutting measures you'd expect. Sinofsky was naturally just as keen to champion the advantages for work that Windows RT tablets like the Surface have when competing more directly with iPads, alluding to that Office bundle which hopefully keeps us more productive than a copy of Documents To Go. The company President would certainly disagree with Apple chief Tim Cook's view that Surface is a confused product, calling it a "PC for everyone" that just doesn't have to be used all the time. He makes valid points on the sheer value for money that you can get from both Windows PCs and tablets, although it would only be fair to mention that he didn't touch on the currently low Windows RT app selection, or if the OS was exactly what the market wanted -- we'd do well to remember that Microsoft alumni have a spotty track record when it comes to predicting Apple's destiny.
iPad mini Smart Cover priced at $39
If you managed to order an iPad mini before it sold out this morning, you may have added a $39 Smart Cover to your order and thought to yourself, "That price sounds familiar." And it should, because it's the same price as the full-size Smart Cover for the larger iPad. The mini version of the intelligent accessory is available in six colors of polyurethane and attaches by wrapping onto the side of the tablet, rather than using the aluminum hinge of the original. For the larger version, customers have the option of upgrading to leather material, though that choice is mysteriously absent for the mini. It's interesting that despite being considerably smaller in size, the iPad mini version remains the same price as its bigger brother. Perhaps it was just a mistake. No? Ok then.
Daily Update for October 26, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
ZAGG offers keyboard cases for iPad mini
That didn't take long. Accessory manufacturer ZAGG is now taking pre-orders for iPad mini keyboard cases, hoping to turn the wee iPad into a business powerhouse. The ZAGGkeys Mini 7 (US$89.99) is an exact match to the dimensions of the iPad mini and uses "island-style keys in a sleek and unique layout provide maximum finger space in a compact Bluetooth keyboard, perfect for accentuating the utility and convenience of iPad mini." If you decide that you'd actually like a keyboard with some room for your fingers, the ZAGGkeys Mini 9 (also $89.99) may do the trick. According to ZAGG, it features "island-style keys with a carefully engineered layout to provide the same spacing as ZAGG's traditional tablet keyboard." Although the Mini 7 is a tiny keyboard, it still provides special function keys for "volume control, play, pause, screen lock, home, search, slideshow, copy, paste and more." No word on if it's actually large enough to type on, but we'll hopefully get a review keyboard in the future.
White iPad mini sells out in 20 minutes
Apple started accepting pre-orders for its iPad mini today and demand for the white model quickly outstripped Apple's supply, noted Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Apple 2.0. Pre-orders began at 12:01 AM PT and within 20 minutes, the ship date for all versions of the white iPad mini slipped from "Delivers 11/2" to "Available to ship in 2-weeks." As of the writing of this post, the black model is still available for pre-order with a delivery date of November 2.
Apple starts taking pre-orders for fourth gen iPad, iPad mini with delivery as soon as 11/2
Assuming you were suitably impressed by Apple's show earlier this week, you can now begin queuing for one of its new iPads, whether regular or mini-sized. The WiFi-only versions start shipping November 2nd, with cellular equipped models due mid-month. If you need to see all the specs lined up next to each other we have comparisons between models old and new right here. Of course, if you need an alternative, Microsoft's Surface should start showing up on doorsteps today, and we're expecting to see some refreshed competition at Google's event next week. The choice is yours, hit the link below to see all of your options. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple Store is down, get ready to pre-order the iPad mini! (updated)
With today being the day to pre-order the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad, it's no surprise that the Apple Store has gone down for maintenance. Let's await the pre-order screens with baited breath! Orders for the WiFi-only model of the iPad Mini are expected to be in hand on November 2. The cellular-capable ones will reach customers on November 9. The fourth-generation iPad will be released on November 2. Edit: The store came back up shortly after 3 AM with the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, along with the new Smart Cover for the iPad mini, available for pre-order. I've got a 16GB WiFi iPad mini winging its way to me. How about the rest of you guys?
Apple's Tim Cook sees Microsoft Surface as a 'fairly compromised, confusing product'
Anyone wondering what Apple CEO Tim Cook thinks of Microsoft's new Surface tablet didn't have to wait long to get an answer. Cook offered a fairly blunt assessment of the device on the company's quarterly earnings call today, saying that while he hasn't personally played with one, "we're reading that it's a fairly compromised, confusing product." He went on to say that "I think one of the things you do with a product is make hard trade-offs. The user experience on the iPad is absolutely incredible," adding, "I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but I don't think it would do all of those things very well. When people look at the iPad versus competitive offerings, I think they'll continue to want an iPad." As for Apple's own new tablet, the iPad mini, Cook dismissed the notion that it would cannibalize other iPad sales. "The way that we look at this," Cook said, "is that we provide a fantastic iPod touch, an iPad, and an iPad mini. Customers will decide which one, two, three or four they want, and they'll buy those." He went on to add that "we've learned over the years not to worry about cannibalization of our products. The far bigger opportunity is the 80 to 90 million PCs shipped each quarter. I think a great number of those people would be better off buying an iPad, or a Mac. That's a bigger opportunity for Apple. Instead of looking at cannibalization, I see an incremental opportunity."
Sprint rolls out new 4G tablet data plans November 11th, likely just in time for new(er) iPad, iPad mini
As a carrier trailing Verizon and AT&T in terms of subscribers and now 4G coverage, Sprint has made it a habit to undercut the other two on value. While its upcoming tablet-specific data plans won't necessarily be cheaper, they do promise up to 20 percent more data for the same price and still do not require a contract. Sure to come in handy now that it's offering the fourth generation iPad and iPad mini on its network, they are 300MB/$14.99, 3GB/$34.99, 6GB/$49.99, or 12GB for $79.99. There are also $10 and $15 offers for customers that also have Sprint smartphones that offer 100MB and 1GB of data, respectively, and activation fees for all 3G/4G tablets are being waived for a limited time. As you'll recall, Verizon and AT&T's offerings include 2GB/$30 (3GB/$30 on AT&T), 5GB/$50 and on Verizon, 10GB/$80 packages. Even if you're not an Apple user these plans apply for all 4G capable slates, with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 specifically mentioned. For those planning to pick up one of the latest iPads with wifi + cellular capability however, their mid-November launch date may have narrowed slightly , since these plans go into effect November 11th. Check the press release after the break or a post on its Sprint Community blog for more info.
Daily Update for October 24, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
TUAW TV Live: Talking minis, opening boxes
Welcome back for another fun episode of TUAW TV Live! Today I've got a lot of hot topics: the new Macs -- mini, 13" Retina MacBook Pro, and iMac; the new iPads and the handful of accessories that were announced by Tim Cook and Phil Schiller yesterday. In addition, I have been inundated over the past few weeks with piles of hardware to review. It's everything from iPhone 5 cases to compact disk drives, from web cams to USB hubs. We'll do a little unboxing on the show this afternoon, and you can give me your first opinions on what you're seeing. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. You'll be watching the show in glorious HD! If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. In addition, the live stream and chat will be available through our Facebook page. Just point your browser here to watch the show and chat with other viewers while you're on Facebook. Last, but certainly not least, you can watch here and join the chat with your favorite IRC client. Join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
Phil Schiller discusses the iPad mini's price point
Apple used its October event to unveil its new US$329 iPad mini. The 7.9-inch tablet was criticized by analysts who scoffed at the device's price tag, which is $130 more than the Kindle Fire HD and $90 than the Nexus 7. Phil Schiller spoke to Reuters about this sticker shock and said that customers won't mind paying a little extra for an iPad because it's a premium device. Schiller said that "the iPad is far and away the most successful product in its category. The most affordable product we've made so far was $399 and people were choosing that over those devices. And now you can get a device that's even more affordable at $329 in this great new form, and I think a lot of customers are going to be very excited about that."
Wall Street analysts weigh in on the iPad mini
Although Apple's stock fell sharply after the event yesterday -- it closed at around US$613 after opening the day at about $631 a share -- most Wall Street analysts are saying that the iPad mini will be a hit with consumers. The $329 starting price of the iPad mini was seen by Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank as a "modest disappointment," although he said that the features of the mini more than make up for the higher-than-expected price point. Many analysts, including Whitmore, believed Apple would offer a base model with only 8 GB of storage and were surprised by the starting capacity of 16 GB. Whitmore also feels that the build quality of the aluminum unibody iPad mini will also justify the $130 price premium over Android competitors such as the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. The competing devices are made of plastic and glass. Deutsche Bank is maintaining its $850 price target for AAPL shares. Also chiming in was Charlie Wolf of Needham & Company, who thinks the new iPad mini will expand the overall market, and make life difficult for lower-priced competitors. To quote Wolf's comments about the competition, "none compare with this device, in our opinion, which is a full-featured iPad except for its size. All 275,000 iPad applications can run on it without modification." Needham's price target of $750 for AAPL remains the same. Sterne Agee's Shaw Wu had predicted a price point for the iPad mini between $299 and $349, so the $329 price tag fit his expectations. Wu was quoted as saying, "We continue to believe iPad mini is the competition's worst nightmare and likely to drive incremental volume." AppleInsider has a full rundown of analyst reactions to the littlest iPad. One parting comment from their post notes that "Maynard Um of Wells Fargo Securities believes that Apple arguably has its strongest product lineup in the company's history."
Apple Store now has Lightning to HDMI and VGA adapters at $49 a pop, souped-up iPad charger
We noticed during the iPhone 5 launch that Apple had a big caveat with its Lightning to 30-pin adapter: no video or iPod out support. Now that the new iPads are here with that same connector, the problem's been partially rectified -- for a sum. Namely, you can grab the Lightning to VGA or digital AV (HDMI) adapters for a rather princely $49, though there's no sign of any iPod support yet. If you're still holding out for generic models instead, you may want to rethink that plan, as there's a control chip inside each, and so far only Apple holds the authentication keys. Also, a new $19 12W USB power adapter (which connects directly to the Lightning port) has also appeared for the 3rd and 4th generation iPads, bumping the previous version's 10W -- meaning your slate might get charged a bit quicker.
Sprint finally gets the iPad... and a mini, too!
Both the iPad mini and the new fourth-generation iPad are headed to Sprint in the coming weeks. The wireless carrier will offer the new tablets with various data plans to take advantage of its small, but growing, 4G LTE network. In areas without 4G, customers will just have to settle for 3G (remember when that was all the rage?). The iPad mini will start at US$459, while its bigger brother demands a slightly higher $629 entry point. Being an Apple fan with a Sprint contract hasn't exactly been easy since the release of the original iPhone. With roughly half the customer base of either AT&T or Verizon, the company has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to new Apple's mobile devices. But now, after what seems like an eternity, Sprint is getting not one, but two Apple tablets.
