Rumor: Apple To Release iPhone 5, Mini iPad & iTV All Together
Posted by Michael Nace on Tuesday Jul 10, 2012 Under iPhone 5 Opinion, iPhone 5 Rumor, iTVIt might seem hard to believe, but analyst and the tech media alike are coelescing around the belief that Apple will release all three of its rumored, new devices — the iPhone 5, Mini iPad, and iTV — at tyne same event in September.
The interesting thing about this year’s iPhone 5 rumor cycle is that we had a dress rehearsal for it in 2011: most of the rumors we heard last year have been recycled in this year’s rumor mill as well. You’ll recall that a recurring theme in 2011 was that we would see iDevices co-released together. First, it was rumored that the iPhone and iPhone 4S would be released together, followed by rumors of the iPhone 5 and iPad 2 Plus/2S/HD/Mini. A few bold prognosticators even claimed we’d get all three at the same event.
For as completely out of character a multi-device release would seem for Cupertino, that’s exactly what is being rumored of September of this year.
Today’s iPhone reassures those of us who were disappointed by the iPhone 5-less WWDC: “don’t worry, reports are coming out that are telling us to just wait for the expected September event. The reports calling it a “crowded event” are noting that aside from a sixth-generation iPhone, we could see them unveil the long rumored iPad “mini,” and more; possibly including a new Apple TV.”
That’s three completely new iDevices being revealed in one event — an overhauled iPhone 5, along with two completely never-before-seen products in the Mini iPad and iTV.
It’s easy enough for a tech blog like Today’s iPhone to make that claim, but citing an Apple Insider piece was at least enough to follow the link to the lead story, and see where this rumor had started. The Apple Insider article is a bit more toned down, but it cites Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray: “Munster expects that Apple will introduce its smaller iPad at the same event that it will unveil its next-generation iPhone. He also expects that Apple will refresh its Apple TV set-top box, which he admitted ‘could make for a crowded event.’”
What’s refreshing in Munster’s analysis is the implicit acknowledgment that, by not announcing the iPhone 5 at the WWDC, Apple is now forced to consider how to release all of these new, landmark products in the final quarter of 2012. But with absolutely no actionable reports about production ramping up for Mini iPad or iTV parts, where is the evidence that these two devices are going to be co-released along with the iPhone 5? Aside from the fact that Tim Cook’s head would probably explode having to announce all three in one month — let alone one event — we would have heard something by now about production. All we’ve heard to date are rumors of the iPhone 5′s production ramping up.
Furthermore, when have we ever seen Cupertino release such widely diverse products at the same event? It simply isn’t the way they have ever done things, and for good reason: because Apple introduces all of its products with this larger-than-life aura, it requires them to let the products stand alone and garner the limelight on their own.
In my opinion, these rumors are bupkis.
I think what is more likely is that one of these three devices simply will not be released in 2012. While we see the announcement/release door closing with each passing day of 2012, Apple is getting set to start a new fiscal year, which begins on September 30th. For them, they’ve already released an iPhone this year — it was the first thing they did — along with the new iPad and the new MacBooks. Starting in October, the new year begins for them.
Just guessing at it, the iPhone 5 would appear to be the most developed of three products, followed by the Mini iPad and then the iTV as distant seconds and thirds. I would not be at all surprised if we saw the iPhone 5 in September, the Mini iPad in early November, and the iTV released sometime in 2013 — and who knows when.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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July 10th, 2012 at 10:53 am
I nearly crapped a brick when I read April in the title!! You need to change that before someone loses it! Definitely got my attention though.
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July 10th, 2012 at 11:14 am
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July 10th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Why I wrote April is truly beyond me.
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July 10th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
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July 10th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
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July 10th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
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July 10th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
I’m starting to think that the iphone isn’t as important to Apple as it once was. Apple entered (and essentially created) the smartphone market when there was a huge opportunity. It was revolutionary. At that time many people didn’t own any other Apple product other than an ipod. The iPhone was a huge money maker for Apple…and once people had ipods and iphones then why wouldn’t they step it up and buy an imac or a macbook? Many people did. Then they came out with the iPad…yet another apple product for people to feed on. Apple is well known and doesn’t necessarily need a revolutionary iphone as bait to get people to start buying other Apple products anymore.
I think this leads Apple to feel like they can take it easy on the development of their phone a little. Millions are going to buy it even if it isn’t the best phone available, just because it’s Apple. On the same hand, millions will buy it because they want to remain in the Apple realm with their devices all nicely integrated. Does Apple need the very best technology and features in order to retain those customers? Nope. Does Apple know this? Absolutely.
When you think about it, Apple is an evolving company. Are they still revolutionizing the ipod/music player? No. They’ve moved on to bigger and better things. Are they still revolutionizing the smartphone? I’m starting to believe that they aren’t anymore. They’re probably going to make a few upgrades here and there. I hate to say it, but I think the iPhone has probably hit it’s peak and will start to die down in the grand scheme of the entire smartphone market. I’m not sure that the ipad has hit it’s peak just yet, but I think its getting close because the competition is fierce.
Ultimately it means that Apple will continue to evolve and they will hit a new market when something revolutionary. What’s up next? Probably the TV. And in the end, Apple probably won’t lead each market with the best specs and most amazing technology, but they will have great quality products that all work well and integrate smoothly together.
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July 10th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
I was thinking the same thing.
I just can’t see Apple releasing all 3 products at the same time.
They’d be bottlenecking their sales.
Example: If each customer has 1000 dollars to spend each month, then they’ll only choose 1 product out of the 3 when they’re all released, and 2 of the products are going to suffer, while 1 excels. In this case, its unquestionable that the iPhone 5 would take all of the money home. (This example is disregarding contract upgrade discounts)
But if Apple released them a few months apart, the sales wouldn’t be bottlenecked.
If you know how to build a high-performance desktop computer, you know what bottlenecking is 1st hand.
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July 10th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
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July 10th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
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July 10th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:38 am
Customer A has 800 dollars to spend,
Customer A is locked in a 2 year contract and doesn’t get a free upgrade discount.
Apple comes out with 3 amazing new products.
Customer A buys a new iPhone for $649.99, the cheapest version.
Plus tax, $703.61 total.
Customer A only has $96.39 left over.
Boo hoo no more money, go home.
Customer A wanted to buy the new iPad mini, but he had no more money.
Apple’s sales were just now bottlenecked by Customer A not having enough money.
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July 11th, 2012 at 2:31 am
Heres what should happen. Tim cook comes out on to the stage tomorrow and says hey look we know damn well what you all want and you have stuck with us even though we havent even so much as been giving you devices that are up to speed with the competition so here yah go. You want a bigger screen you got it you want LTE yea i know everyone ells has it and we just wouldnt give it up but guess what here you F-ing go you want widgets, and more freedom for customization for the stuff that YOU own and have been fathful enough to continue to buy from us well youve earned it so here yah go. ladies and gentlmen….The Iphone F-ing 5 “catch phrase Its everything we should have already given you…now we can move on to giving you something the world has never seen before next year”.
What i believe will actually happen. Time Cook walks out on stage sometime around mid september. He gives us the bigger screen and the LTE capability and a few new tricks we alrready know about in IOS 6, and they continue to go on about how it amazing and how fast and easy to use and new it is. And the worst part about it is I will be stoked for it…Damn.Why do i love apple so much
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July 11th, 2012 at 3:55 am
@adam
hahaha I was literally laughing out loud when I read your first paragraph
I wish I could like your comment 100 times
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July 11th, 2012 at 4:23 am
I still think iTV will be called iView or iScreen instead of iTV (a UK television network).
As for all three new products being released together? Whilst I agree with @GetSwole about bottlenecking Apple might have decided that after all the bad publicity recently with the patent lawsuits and the huge interest around the Galaxy SIII etc. it might be good to have a “Big Bang” event where they generate a lot of good publicity.
Releasing all three in one go would guarentee Apple staying in the headlines for a considerable amount of time and therefore possibly attract new customers etc.
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July 11th, 2012 at 5:24 am
@Oscar I agree with you
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July 11th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@All, A different perspective on the bottlenecking. All of the products are not purchased simultaneously, so
month one, the mini-Ipad is purchased,
month two, the TV is purchased,
month three, the phone is purchased.
There is a mistake in the line of thinking, and that is the idea that everything must be purchased on Day 1. I do know I will purchase the iPhone 5 on the first day, just because the 3GS is dying a slow death (heck, I may replace the battery again…).
But I think the GetSwole is correct in his/her assessment on the timing of the releases, but for a similar reason, which is excitement bottlenecking. When you have a buffet of bacon, pie, and creme brulee, and you release them all at once, people will (of course) go for the bacon, and then be less excited about the pie, and even less so about the creme brulee (I know I spelled that wrong…), but if you open the buffet with bacon, then a month later, when people are getting tired of the bacon (work with me here…), you say, “Look! Pie!”, and again, a month later, re-energize with creme brulee (if you haven’t had it, you don’t know what you’re missing…), you have a continuous excitement factor that is hard to trump.
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Mmmmm Pie
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
….followed by Creme Brulee with lashings of clotted cream….
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
… followed by a bacon butty.
Slurp
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
To add to your product bandwidth problems there is also rumoured to be a new 13 inch Macbook Pro to be launched in the same period and possibly a new iMac which is long overdue.
Do you think Apple will add another ‘event’ date to their calendar to get all these products out?
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July 11th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I don’t think they will release all 3 at once as it’s better for their stock to create excitement in doses and keep the stock rallying.
But come on Apple, get with it! We need updates, Samsung and others are killing you with features!
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July 11th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
@Jeff I meant bottlenecking their original sales. All apple cares about advertising is “we sold 3 million in the first 3 days”
After that, the numbers are advertised by different websites about Apple’s quarterly sales. Apple never makes it very public “we sold blah blah in our first quarter” unless its during an announcement like WWDC. Other than that you always seem to find out those kinds of numbers from other websites.
Apple’s main goal is to sell a lot right when they come out to increase the hype, and If they don’t have the extremely high numbers to advertise to increase the hype, then they’ll be disappointed.
I should have said “their hype sales will be bottlenecked” because thats exactly what I was talking about
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July 11th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
I also feel like something else is looming … I feel like Apple has something coming that none of us are expecting. I don’t know why I’m still on that theory, but I just have this gut feeling. Who knows.
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July 11th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
@GetSwole, I think we’re on the same page. I look for Apple’s sales numbers in the quarterly reports, and get a big smile on my face when the stock goes up another 100 points.
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July 11th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
@Vernicularis, did you spell that right in #30?
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July 11th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
err.. #20?
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July 12th, 2012 at 5:50 am
@Jeff in Everett, you have now mad me forget about iPads and iPhones and thinking about food.
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July 12th, 2012 at 5:51 am
I still think Tim Cook has a big set of shoes to fill and the 4S was such a damp squib that the next major launch needs to be something huge.
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July 12th, 2012 at 9:30 am
@Jeff in Everett
I’ve always spelt ‘bacon’ that way?
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July 12th, 2012 at 10:48 am
@Vernicularis: Well played.
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