Another day, another tablet
Now that we know everything there is to know about The New ipad and are busily making plans to camp out overnight when it first hits stores, it’s time for a dose of reality: on its own, the new supertablet isn’t nearly enough to turn Apple’s lofty present into an even loftier future.
Sure, they’ll sell scads of them. By the time the year is out, the current “55million Sold” sign should easily double. Add in the iphone juggernaut — an iphone 5 is expected this autumn — and it’s easy to conclude Santa’s sleigh will have an Apple logo this year.
But you can’t milk the same products forever. Eventually, even today’s uberbrands become has-beens.
“We are taking it to a whole new level. And are redefining the category that Apple created with the original ipad.”
But some observers called the device upgrade a solid but unspectacular refresh that will do little to stem an inevitable slowing of Apple’s double-digit growth.
Despite some notable processing speed and resolution improvements, the new ipad actually looks quite similar (it’s the same size) to the ipad 2 and includes many of the same features.
Silicon Valley technology analyst Rob Enderle said Apple needed to introduce a game-changing tablet upgrade to maintain its momentum and keep fast charging rivals at bay, “and this isn’t it.”
Read what rivals can do to beat back the hype.
“It’s a nice advancement for the ipad. But what was lacking was the magic. I don’t think it will be enough.”
Since its launch two years ago, the ipad has grabbed more than twothirds of a nascent tablet market that includes Android devices made by Samsung and Motorola, the Playbook from Canada’s Research In Motion and the Amazon Kindle, a lower priced offering that is seen as the most credible competition to the ipad.
A host of new tablet competitors are expected later this year as Microsoft introduces an operating system to support the devices and analysts expect Apple to struggle to maintain its current dominant market share.
Some Toronto consumers also reacted cautiously. Matthew Almacen, who bought version 2 of the Apple computer tablet in November, tweeted “I’m not sure if the new features are enough to sway me to dish out another $600.”
Steven Zussino expressed similar sentiments: “I do not see any must-have feature (in the upgrade) that will add value to my user experience.”
And investors were less than enthusiastic, with Apple stock closing on the Nasdaq at $530.69 for a gain of 43 cents.
ipad has grabbed over two-thirds of the tablet market, but Microsoft’s new line of tablets is yet to come
The shares had been ahead by more than $5 before the product announcement. Still, some saw an upside. “All things considered, given the absence of Steve Jobs, I think it was a positive announcement,” said Queen’s University digital technology expert Sidneyeve Matrix. “The display and camera are magical features, and people just love speed.”
She said the latest version of the two-year-old tablet will generate the usual lineups and consumer excitement when it launches in countries including the U.S. and Canada on March 16.
Part of the appeal, she said, is the pricing. Starting at $499 (U.S.), that’s in line with the ipad 2 un- veiled by Jobs last year and Apple said it will continue to offer the previous ipad at a reduced cost. Matrix said late adapters with “tablet envy” will rush to shell out for the device but suggested the tablet lacks the new features that would compel consumers who already own an ipad to upgrade.
NO SIRI VOICE COMMAND
The ipad isn’t getting the voice activated command system Siri yet, as speculated, but Apple has added a microphone key to the keyboard that allows users to dictate text to the tablet in languages including English, French, German and Japanese. The new rear camera doesn’t match the iphone 4S resolution but does adopt some of its features, including backside illumination and built-in stabilization. The device is slightly slicker and heavier than the ipad 2 as it packs a more powerful battery while maintaining a 9.7-inch screen. It features a so-called retina display that produces resolution sharper than HD TV and adds a five-megapixel rear camera. An A5 X chip improves graphics and the new device will access highspeed 4G LTE networks where the service is available. In Canada, BCE, Telus and Rogers will offer the high-speed service for the new ipad. Apple’s marketing director Phil Schiller said the new ipad has the same 10-hour estimated battery life as the previous model using only Wi-fi hot-spot connections but will fall by an hour when using 4G.