Analyst Predicts to See Retina iPad Mini and Thinner iPad, No Touch ID or Gold Option
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has released a new research report outlining some of his expectations for Apple’s October 22 media event, focusing on the new company’s iPad and Retina MacBook Pro lineups. Similar to previously summarized expectations, Kuo believes that Apple will be introducing a thinner and lighter fifth-gen iPad as well as a new iPad mini with Retina display. The latter has been the subject of considerable debate with some sources believing that Apple isn’t ready to bring Retina displays to the iPad mini but while Kuo believes that Apple will indeed be able to introduce a Retina iPad mini, supplies will be highly constrained at first.
Kuo continued by weighing in on several other rumored additions for the iPad and iPad mini, claiming that “probably” neither a Touch ID fingerprint sensor nor a gold color option is said to be available in either line. He believes that the production of components related to those features is still being prioritized for the iPhone 5S, which remains in very tight supply and therefore won’ be able to make their way into the iPad lineup. As far as other upgrades go, Kuo believes the fifth-gen iPad will adopt a new A7X chip while the new iPad mini will be equipped with a slightly less powerful A7 chip similar to the one found in the iPhone 5S. Kuo reiterates his earlier claim that the rear camera on Apple’s new iPads will be upgraded to 8 megapixels. The fifth-gen iPad and the second-gen iPad mini are said to include Apple’s new “M7” chip that debuted in the iPhone 5S, offering significant improvements for motion tracking.
Along with the iPad updates, Kuo shared his thoughts on Apple introducing its Retina MacBook Pro on Tuesday, moving to Intel’s latest Haswell chips for improved performance and battery life while also upgrading the FaceTime camera to 1080p quality, a claim he has made in the past.
All-in-all, Kuo unsurprisingly believes that the new fifth-gen iPad will drive a significant increase in sales for Apple’s full-size iPad while the new iPad mini will result in a more modest bump due to the very tight initial supplies. He also predicts a strong bump for the Retina MacBook Pro as demand for new Haswell models should lead to strong sales heading into the holidays. What continues to remain unaddressed is Apple’s Mac Pro, which is expected to be given its full introduction at its upcoming media event in advance of a launch before the end of the year.
For those of you who didn’t already know, Kuo has been fairly accurate with his claims over the past several years, earning him significant attention regarding the Apple product launches.
Source: KGI Securities via MacRumors
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