There are rumors that Apple is working on a 4 inch iPhone as well as a 7 inch iPad rightfully termed the mini. At ComputerWorld the reports are that Apple right now is in the process of downsizing their large iPad as well as the iPhone models. The report claims that they have gotten this information from someone on the inside. However, knowing how true these reports are is anyone’s guess.
According to the insider who spoke with the Korean newspaper, Apple has joined hands with LG which will build the display of future devices. In a recent meeting with LG Display and Apple, it was reported that a smaller screen and a streamed down Apple iPhone and iPad were being discussed. The rumors are that the smaller versions of popular Apple products could hit the shelves as early as next year. The displays will be LCD as they are economical to produce and the tech is constantly evolving which allows for higher resolutions.
However, should we take these rumors seriously? The answer to this is yes because if you remember there were rumors about a 4 inch version of the iPhone which was acknowledged and produced as a prototype but failed to launch since Steve Jobs did not want people accessing iOS on a small screen.
With the launch of the Kindle fire and other mini tablets the market that caters to the lower end up the spectrum i.e. people who cannot afford $500 for a tablet is wide open and it is only makes sense that Apple wants to capitalize on this opportunity. However, Apple would be regarded as a hypocrite if they launched a 7 inch tablet since Steve Jobs himself has famously pointed fingers and laughed at tablets which had a 7 inch screen.
Steve Jobs had said that 10 inches was the minimum and going below that would just ruin the whole experience. He also said that Apple was not interested in manufacturing a smaller 7 inch tablet because it will not perform well but if we know Apple we also know that they tend to capitalize on what people want and so we will not be surprised if a 7 inch tablet is launched.
According to a new report from the research company Gartner, the worldwide phone sales for the third quarter of 2011 shows that Apple has started to lose a big chunk of its market share to Android based phones. This is despite the fact that there is a 5.6% increase in the sales of mobile phones globally over the past twelve months, while the overall growth of the smartphone industry was a whopping 42% this year, it is nearly a 100% increase over previous year’s 26 percent.
The most interesting figures are that of Android’s market share, which has grown to 52%. It means around 52% of all smart phones sold during the third quarter of this year were Android based phones, up from 25.3 percent in the same period last year.
It seems as though Apple’s delay to launch its iPhone 4S cost it a huge chuck of its market share which mostly went to Android. In the Q3 there were 15% iPhones sold out of all smartphone sales as compared to the previous year’s same quarter of 16.6%, even though there were 4 million more iPhones sold as compared to the previous year.
Gartner also says,
“Android benefited from more mass-market offerings, a weaker competitive environment and the lack of exciting new products on alternative operating systems such as Windows Phone 7 and RIM. Apple’s iOS market share suffered from delayed purchases as consumers waited for the new iPhone. Continued pressure is impacting RIM’s performance, and its smartphone share reached its lowest point so far in the U.S. market, where it dropped to 10 percent.”
Overall, there were 3.9% iPhones sold last quarter which is down from the initial 5% which was predicted by the new CEO of Apple Tim Cook in October of 2011. Amazingly Nokia has managed to retain the crown despite being in the transition phase and is still the world leader of mobile devices.
However, the interesting thing will be what happens during the next quarter of the year and then the next year. Apple has said that they will compete in terms of prices and so it will be interesting to see how that will be made a reality. Apple said that iPhone 4S will be available in seventy countries around the world with figures expected to increase owing to the holiday season.
According to the insider who spoke with the Korean newspaper, Apple has joined hands with LG which will build the display of future devices. In a recent meeting with LG Display and Apple, it was reported that a smaller screen and a streamed down Apple iPhone and iPad were being discussed. The rumors are that the smaller versions of popular Apple products could hit the shelves as early as next year. The displays will be LCD as they are economical to produce and the tech is constantly evolving which allows for higher resolutions.
