Apple could crush quarterly iPad sales record with projected 20 million in Q2

Newsflash: The Apple iPad is still really, really popular. And according to Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf, it's now even more popular than it's ever been. Apple Insider reports that Wolf has revised his previous projection of 13.5 million iPads sold in the second quarter of 2012 all the way up to 20 million, even more than the 15 million iPads it sold during the 2011 holiday quarter.

Wolf is even more bullish about the iPad's potential future sales as well, since he sees that the tablet is being adopted much more rapidly by businesses than the iPhone was after its release.

“In our view, it's only a matter of time before iPad shipments exceed iPhone shipments,” Wolf wrote in his note to investors on Thursday. “The iPad is invading the business market at a much faster pace than the iPhone. In addition, the iPad will launch in China on July 20th. This should provide a significant boost in sales now that Apple is providing Chinese languages and services on its iOS platform.”

Apple finally launches the 'new' iPad in China on July 20th

Apple is about to complete an important part of the puzzle for the new iPad's world rollout: it just confirmed that its Retina display-packing tablet will reach mainland China on July 20th. The company isn't specific about local pricing, but it's promising both WiFi and cellular versions at its own stores and through resellers. The company is keen to avoid some of the mobs and scalping it's seen in the past and will open reservations for pickup starting on July 19th — although the company is unusually limiting the reservation window to just three hours each day, between 9AM and noon. The current iPad design has been certified since March; Apple isn't about to mention Proview by name in the release, but it likely wasn't keen on risking another store ban when it could just avoid the battle altogether. No matter how it shakes out, the official Chinese expansion is likely to keep the number of slingshot-delivered imports to a minimum.

New iPad mini details: Nexus 7′s worst nightmare is as thin as an iPod touch

Newly leaked schematics and case renderings reveal a variety of purported details about Apple's widely rumored “iPad mini” tablet, a device that is likely to take the wind out of the Nexus 7′s sails if it does indeed launch later this year at the rumored $249 price point. With early production of Apple's smaller slate already under way according to reports, leaks continue to surface on numerous sites. In this latest round, Think iOS claims to have received third-party case renderings and schematics for the iPad mini from case maker FullHull. According to the report, Apple's iPad mini will be 7.87 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide, a significantly smaller footprint that the current-generation iPad model, which measures 9.5 inches by 7.31 inches. And while the third-generation iPad is 9.3 millimeters thick, the iPad mini will supposedly feature a design that is a remarkable 7.4 millimeters thin. For comparison, the iPod touch measures 7.3 millimeters thick. There is a major discrepancy that casts doubt over Think iOS's report, however: the website's source claims that the iPad mini display will measure 7 inches diagonally. Numerous earlier reports suggest that the tablet will feature a 7.85-inch display, including one report from The Wall Street Journal that claimed the new iPad mini's screen will measure roughly 8 inches diagonally. The iPad mini is expected to launch this fall for between $249 and $299.

Apple iPad Mini To Sport A 7.85' Display, Cost Around $249!

In accordance with recent reports of Sharp being involved in the manufacturing of Apple products, the latest report mentions that the iPad Mini will sport a Sharp-manufactured IGZO LCD display, which by virtue of its characteristics, will aid Apple in slimming down the design. Purportedly, the new iPad will sport a Retina Display and cost between $249 and $299 based on the storage capacity. It's very announcement could trigger its competition with the rest of the world. Apple iPad Mini's veridical existence could spell doom for the countless Android tablets that are already struggling to compete with the ever-premium and market-dominating full-sized iPads. While there are no specs on the smaller sized iPad or even a confirmation if that thing is real, there have been multiple reports of a smaller iPad hiding in Apple's sleeve. Source that report this do not have any significant evidence to confirm the truth either. However, considering the market scenario where smaller sized tablets are more than becoming a norm, it wouldn't seem unfair if Apple too joined the league. On the other hand, observing that Apple has almost always refrained from adopting trends that are most common  until it considers that the time is right. Take for instance the classic real case of an iPhone with a larger display. Apple held off too long (and even until now) to announce an iPhone with a larger display than 3.5" even as the iPhone is breaking into a fifth generation product while the rest of the smartphone industry was raining with devices sporting over 4" in size or significantly larger. While analysts believe that Apple will announce the iPad Mini to meet demand for smaller tablets, there is no established evidence of Apple iPad Mini being on the horizon, but considering that Apple may evolve its stereotyped 3.5" display sized iPhone to a 4" or bigger one with the release of the unannounced iPhone 5, the possibility of a smaller iPad too seems (at least slightly) substantial. Is this an indication that we might probably see something interesting this October besides the iPhone 5? Only time will tell. We will keep you posted as more details surface. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, click here to know more.

iPad Mini mass production set to start in September, announcement may come by October

The oft-rumored iPad Mini is in the news yet again. This time two different ‘mainstream' publications, if you can call them that, the WSJ and Bloomberg, each have a report regarding Apple's supposedly upcoming tablet.

Mass production for the device will start in September. According to nameless officials at Apple's component suppliers, the Cupertino company has told them to prepare for mass production – which would certainly signify that Apple has made up its mind about launching the Mini tablet.

  The new device's screen will be 7 to 8 inches diagonally, and the iPad Mini will arrive on the market before the end of the year. It may get announced by October, perhaps alongside the next-gen iPhone. The iPad Mini's screen will have a resolution lower than that seen in the new iPad.

If this is true, then Apple probably won't claim the Retina brand for this particular display. Common sense says that Apple's probably going to go with 1024×768, which has been used in both the original iPad and the iPad 2. Since the iPad Mini will be smaller, the pixel density will be higher than in those two tablets anyway, while, of course, not being anywhere near Retina territory.

At less than 8″ though, few consumers will probably consider the 1024×768 resolution a downside to Apple's new tablet.

Getting back to the size of the device, this is nothing new of course. The most rumored size so far would make the iPad Mini's display 7.85 inches diagonally.

iPad mini rumors resurface like so many leftovers, have production start in September

There have been rumors of a shrunken iPad since time immemorial, so you'll have to forgive us if we look at most fresh claims with a jaded eye. Still, when both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal hear that Apple is close to producing a tablet with an 8-inch or smaller screen, there might be some fire to go with the smoke. What details that exist are unsurprisingly thin outside of the dimensions, although Bloomberg understands that there won't be a Retina display like in the current 9.7-inch slab. That's not a shock given the size and likely cost concerns — we're more interested in the talk of nearing production plans with an uncanny level of synchronicity. The Wall Street Journal has caught murmurs that volume production ramps up in September, while its business paper rival Bloomberg thinks that an announcement could come “by October.” We still won't be shocked if these are just wild misinterpretations of an upsized iPod touch or become nothing but vapor. Should they pan out, however, our good friend the Nexus 7 could feel some heat this fall.

Spotify brings streaming radio to iPhone, iPad app

Spotify on Tuesday announced the addition of free mobile radio to the company's popular Spotify app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Spotify's radio features were previously only available to desktop users, however free and premium Spotify users can now stream limitless artist, song, playlist or album-based radio stations to Apple's iOS devices. "Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Spotify VP of product, Charlie Hellman. "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go – all within one app – for free." Spotify's full press release follows below, and Spotify's app is available for free in the iOS App Store.

Spotify Launches Free Mobile Radio in the US

Latest update for iOS app includes radio you can save

Starting today, Spotify users in the US can play for free on iPhone and iPad.  The latest update to Spotify's iOS app includes the new radio feature, giving free users in the US access to an unlimited amount of music on the move. The update is now available for download in the App Store.

The new radio feature for iOS is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify service, creating an unmatched user experience of listening, discovering, saving and sharing music, from a catalog of more than 16 million songs.

Spotify users on iPhone and iPad can now:

• Create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists
• Create an unlimited number of stations and listen as long as they like
• Save tracks to Spotify playlists – any song that users "like" will be saved, so they can find the songs later
• Personalize stations in real time by "liking" tracks to hear similar music
• Browse friends' playlists and create radio stations based on their tastes
• Hear great new songs from Spotify's state-of-the-art recommendation engine, based on what millions of real people are listening to
• Access a catalog of over 16 million tracks

"Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Charlie Hellman, VP, Product at Spotify.  "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go – all within one app – for free."

Premium users of the Spotify iOS app will continue to have an ad-free experience.  Free users in the US will hear advertisements from the following launch partners: Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Red Stag by Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy's, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros - all of which are current Spotify advertisers.

The new Spotify radio feature will also be available to Premium users outside of the United States.

Mozilla designs Firefox ‘Junior' for iPad

iPad fans disappointed with their browsing experience could soon have a Safari alternative from Mozilla. Mozilla has taken the wraps off a new version of its Firefox browser that it has been designing specifically for the Apple iPad, dubbed “Junior,” that the foundation says “makes browsing more fun, more ergonomic and re-thinks browser user experience from the ground up.” While this sounds ambitious, the development team at Mozilla seems to have really created a browser that's unique to tablets rather than just simply porting its browser over from desktop or mobile platforms.

Junior is immensely simplified compared with most browsers because it only has two buttons that are strategically placed right where the average iPad user's thumbs go. The “back” button performs the standard back function that's crucial to any browser while the “plus” button opens up a new screen that gives users the opportunity to enter in a URL manually, go to a recently-viewed site or go to a bookmarked site.

The reason for the simplified browsing experience is that Mozilla wants its tablet browser to take advantage of the entire tablet screen without clogging it up with tabs and search bars. And yes that means that Junior doesn't have the on-screen tabs that have been a longtime Firefox staple, but Mozilla thinks that tabs on a tablet screen are just taking up space needlessly.

Mozilla hasn't yet made any announcements in terms of when Junior will be available for iPad users.

Mozilla's ‘Junior' iPad browser prototype keeps it simple

Love your iPad, but hate Safari? Mozilla's Alex Limi can relate, it's “a pretty miserable experience,” he says. So what's he doing about it? Building a replacement, of course. In a recent presentation showing the fruits of the Mozilla Product Design Strategy team's labors, Limi offered a glimpse at Junior, an iPad browser that hopes to redefine how we view the internet on tablets. The prototype browser eschews the traditional address bar / tab layout in favor of a minimalistic, full screen experience, flanked by only two obvious toggles — a back button, and a plus symbol that opens a menu containing favorites, recent pages and a URL / search bar. Other common options such as reload, forward and print are hidden away, but accessible. The idea is a simple browsing experience that's more fun, engaging and ergonomic. “It's very simple,” Limi summarizes, “it's a browser.” He stresses that Junior is still just a prototype, albeit a compelling one.

Firefox for iPad being developed by Mozilla

 
Mozilla does not seem to content with their current market share in terms of browser dominance, and they are not going to take this particular situation lying down. In fact, Mozilla does seem to want to spread their wings further in the world of tablets, and has set their sights on the promised land – the Apple iPad. It seems that there are whispers going around that hail from industry insiders which touch on the very same team who worked on the desktop version of Firefox will soon challenge themselves further, by designing a Firefox version just for the Apple iPad. In the process, it is hoped that this popular open source web browser will be able to provide some sort of decent competition to Apple's Safari browser on the iPad.

The new browser has been nicknamed “Junior”, which is rather fitting at this point in time. Hopefully Junior will be able to receive all the digital milk it can get (and crave for) in order to grow up to be a dominant web browser.

NYT: Office for iPad is still on

Microsoft vehemently objected to Office for iPad rumors almost as soon as they first showed up, quashing hopes in the process — or so we thought. The New York Times now contends that Redmond's PR might just have been exercising plausible deniability: sources for the newspaper assert that Office for iPad is still a reality and that the details, not the app itself, are in dispute. Most of the questions instead surround the launch day and price. A follow-up answer from Microsoft hasn't settled much other than to get the boilerplate no-comment remark, but we wouldn't be surprised if Google's acquisition of Quickoffice spurs a few discussions at Microsoft about tablet-native Office suites for more than just Windows 8.

Pong iPad case is touted to be the most advanced of its kind in the world

 
Hmmm, a Pong iPad case? This has absolutely nothing to do with the iconic video game that is older than all the teens these days, but rather, it functions as an iPad case that carries the boast of improving reception, boosts signal strength and increases range all the while ensuring that your exposure to radiation is reduced. Sounds as though this is the only iPad case that you will ever need if you are looking for one, no?

It would be interesting to see just how much of a boost the 3G/4G and Wi-Fi reception on your iPad will become when it encases your device. Not only that, is there a quantitative manner for the average Joe to ensure that one's exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) is reduced while using the Pong iPad case? So far, EMR has been classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2B carcinogen.

The patented Pong design apparently will not set off the iPad's proximity sensor, and yet it can optimize both cellular and Wi-Fi signals, whilst offering protection against radiation exposure, now how about that? The asking price for some peace of mind? $119.99 onwards, where it is available for both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G/4G iPad models. [Press Release]

Pure Contour 200i Air Speaker Dock

Pure is back with its latest product in the form of the Contour 200i Air speaker dock. Designed for Apple’s iPad, iPod and iPhone, the digital music system features Apple’s AirPlay wireless streaming technology that lets you stream music wirelessly to Contour 200i Air from a compatible iPod, iPhone or iPad or from iTunes on your computer using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. You can also download the free Pure Lounge app, allowing you to enjoy over 16,000 internet radio stations or on-demand programs from your iPod touch, iPhone and iPad. The Pure Contour 200i Air speaker dock retails for around $310 (after conversion). [Pure]

An inside look at how iPads are made

Apple's iPad and the conditions under which it is built are topics that surface regularly on technology blogs and in the mainstream media. While the company did recently initiate a review by the Fair Labor Association, human rights organizations regularly take Apple to task for not doing more to ensure factory workers employed by its China-based manufacturing partner Foxconn are treated well. Foxconn and parent company Hon Hai employs hundreds of thousands of workers, however, and hundreds more travel from around the country each day to line up and apply for jobs at Foxconn's various plants. Marketplace Shanghai bureau chief Rob Schmitz was recently given a rare opportunity at operations within Foxconn's Shenzhen iPad factory, and his crew was permitted to film a number of active stations on the iPad assembly line that have never been seen before. The result is an inside look at some of the fascinating technology that goes into building the world's most popular tablet. Marketplace's video follows below.

iPad is bringing Lithium-Polymer battery prices down

The battery capacity of the new iPad is around 65% bigger than in the iPad 2. That's so in order to accommodate for the Retina Display, and the quad-core graphics chip which subsequently has to render a lot more pixels than in the old tablet. Let's not forget 4G LTE connectivity, which is now an option for the first time in Apple world. That's also universally considered to require more power than other data connectivity solutions. So the increased capacity is there for a reason, and the resulting battery life turns out to be almost the same as the previous generation tablet. That's how power hungry that display and connectivity chip are. iPad 2 and new iPad batteries side by side Because of Apple, prices of Lithium-Polymer batteries, like those used in the iPads, are bound to fall in the near to medium-term future. That's because Apple is leading a newfound demand for large LiPo batteries, that are now being used in everything from tablets to ultrabooks. Basically, Apple's focus on great battery life for its tablets hasn't gone unnoticed in the industry, and its competitors in both the PC and the ‘post-PC' fields are taking notice and trying to emulate that experience. There's plenty of production capacity, and the sheer size of these batteries isn't a cause for concern. The main issues that manufacturers face have to do more with the required thinness for some batteries, and not with size in itself. And since production capacity is not limited, an increase in demand will just lead to more production. Which in turn will lead to lower prices. So hopefully more mobile device makers will decide to put bigger batteries in their products, perhaps convinced to do this by the lower prices that are expected in the future. Battery life is currently one of the main problems of modern mobile devices, but using bigger batteries is possible, as the Motorola RAZR MAXX has proven. Furthermore, it's not even that detrimental to a device's thickness anymore. And with battery prices going down too, there's absolutely no reason for companies to continue to treat us with subpar battery life on our mobile devices.

Apple patent suggests face unlock may come to the iPhone and iPad

Apple patent documentation made public this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office indicates that the Cupertino-based company is exploring different ways to utilize the forward-facing camera on its devices. The patent, which was uncovered by AppleInsider, describes a system that could scan and detect a user's face to unlock a device. If the user cannot be identified by the system, he or she would by asked to enter a security code, much like Google's face unlock technology. Apple isn't looking to use face detection to simply unlock a user's device, however. After a user's face is recognized, the software could be used to set pre-determined settings and launch various applications. “If the detected human face is recognized… an operation of the (device) can be modified based upon the recognized human face,” the patent application reads. “The modification can include executing a pre-defined set of operations such as opening email, opening text messages, and so forth.”

Apple reportedly testing 7.85-inch iPad prototype

Apple is reportedly “noodling with” a smaller 7.85-inch iPad model in its labs, according to John Gruber of Daring Fireball. Gruber revealed the information on an episode of The Talk Show after host Dan Benjamin asked if Apple was going to come out with a smaller tablet. “Well, I don't know. What I do know is that they have one in the lab...a 7.85 inch iPad that runs at 1024x768... it's just like the regular iPad shrunk down a bit,” Gruber said. “I've heard from multiple people that this is something that they're kind of noodling with.” He went on to say that he has not heard anything regarding Apple's plans to release the smaller model, and it is unclear if it will ever make it to market. Gruber speculated that Apple may have prepared the prototype in response to the Kindle Fire. He also suggested that it could possibly be unveiled at the Cupertino-based company's Worldwide Developers Conference, since it's unlikely that Apple will unveil a new iPhone at the event. We have seen numerous rumors regarding a smaller 7.85-inch iPad in the past. The slate is expected to be priced in the $249 to $299 range and could launch in the third quarter of 2012.

Apple 'captures' new iPads due to WiFi complaints

Ah, it's that old Apple chestnut, reception issues. Apple is investigating complaints from customers over poor WiFi-connectivity on its new iPad. According to a lengthy forum thread, many users are experiencing connection drops and poor performance. An internal AppleCare document has now leaked to 9to5Mac, explaining how Apple is to "capture" and replace 3rd generation tablets that suffer from the intermittent connectivity. The issues appear to affect the WiFi-only model of Apple's latest hardware, with SIM-connected variants apparently safe due to the black antenna panel. Employees are told to test that iPads aren't suffering issues due to software kinks and return wonky units to engineers for testing and a full health check.

Interactive Game of Thrones content comes to HBO Go iPad app

Home Box Office has been pushing its "interactive viewing experience" for Game of Thrones over at the HBO Go site, but if you weren't sitting in front of a computer there was no way to take part in the fantasy world fun. Now the premium channel is bringing the commentary tracks, interviews, maps and loads of other extra features to the Go iPad app. But, having that content available for season one isn't particularly exciting. What has our little nerd hearts aflutter is that all of the same features will be available for season two, starting immediately with the April 1st premier. As you watch, if the seemingly bottomless well of characters and their rival houses trip you up, you'll be able to pull up a guide to help you separate your Arryns from your Tullys and Redwynes.

J.P. Morgan increases Q1 iPhone and iPad estimates

J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has made “significant increases” to both his iPhone and iPad sales projections for the first quarter of 2012, raising his price target on Apple stock from $625 to $715, Apple Insider reported on Tuesday. The analyst previously estimated that Apple would ship 28.1 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2012, however he now believes shipments will reach 31.1 million units. Full-year iPhone shipments for 2012 are now expected to total 138.2 million units. Moskowitz thinks Apple's next-generation smartphone will launch in the second half of 2012 and include a “thinner body and LTE capability.” He projects iPad shipments to reach 13.8 million in the first quarter, up from his earlier estimate of 10.1 million units, and his full-year shipment estimate was raised to 69.6 million tablets, up from 59.8 million. Apple will also “refresh its MacBook portfolio, including the Air, in the next three months,” Moskowitz wrote in his note to investors. He continued by saying that the company needs to improve its specifications and features while introducing lower price points to stay ahead of the “Ultrabook crowd.”