According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Apple is preparing to launch a new fifth generation iPad and retina display iPad mini in March. White’s report is based off checks conducted at CES in Las Vegas.
Our checks at CES indicate Apple will release the iPad 5 and the second-generation iPad mini this March. The iPad 5 is expected to be lighter and thinner than the iPad 4 that was released in October, while the form factor of the iPad mini should be similar to the first generation iPad mini that debuted in October.
White isn’t the first to suggest a March release for a new iPad. On Tuesday, Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge, tweeted that the iPad 5 was going to be ‘really, really small – like wow small’. The pavilion area at CES which focuses on iPhone and iPad accessories carries the iLounge branding, so it’s not a stretch to say that Horwitz has good contacts within this group. Horwitz points out the consensus date for release is also March.
Tradition has Apple’s mobile products on a year plus upgrade cycle. The trend was bucked in October when the fourth generation iPad was announced, just seven months after the debut of the iPad 3. While the move to push out a low-cost iPhone makes sense, it’s unclear as to why Apple would be in a rush to release a new line of iPads, with sales still strong. Apple’s online store has a 1 week wait time for new iPad mini orders.
Is it too soon to start thinking about how to sell your current iPad in advance of upgrading?
Source: MacRumors
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