Partenerii Apple din Asia au inceput deja sa produca noul model al tabletei iPad 2 si conform celor de la AppleInsider, versiunea 3G a iPad este cea mai populara, Apple alegand ca peste 60% din primul stoc de tablete sa fie 3G. Aparent Apple considera ca, clientii vor opta pentru achizitionarea acestui model desi este mai scump decat cel Wi-Fi Only cu cel putin 100$. Appleinsider a primit informatiile de la un analist asiatic, care sustine ca Apple intentioneaza sa intareasca relatiile de colaborare cu operatorii de telefonie mobila, indicand faptul ca am putea asista la oferirea tabletei la pret subventionat prin intermediul unor operatori.
As previously reported, Apple is expected to offer its second-gen iPad in three versions: a WiFi only model, a GSM/UMTS version for AT&T and most other carriers globally, and a CDMA/EVDO model for Verizon (and possibly other CDMA carriers in the future). The naming convention for these three models is said to be K93, K94 and K95, respectively. For comparison, the Verizon iPhone 4 shipping this month is codenamed N92.
Conform aceluiasi analist, Apple intentioneaza sa acumuleze un stoc de 5 milioane de tablete, produsul fiind disponibil in 3 versiuni : Wi-Fi Only, UMTS/GSM si 3G CDMA/EVDO. Fiecare model al tabletei iPad are un nume de cod intern folosit de angajati pentru identificarea tabletelor si referinte cu privire la codurile K93, K94 si K95(corespunzatoare celor 3 modele ale tabletei) au fost gasite in fisierele iOS 4.3 beta. In lunile trecute pretul mediu inregistrat de Apple pentru vanzarile de tablete iPad a fost de 600$, asta in conditiile in care cea mai ieftina tablta iPad Wi-Fi Only costa 499$ si cel mai ieftin model 3G costa 629$. Avand in vedere aceasta statistica e normal ca Apple sa se concentreze mai mult pe modelul 3G.
Statistica este confirmata si de site-ul Digitmes care sutine ca 65%/75% dintre tabletele vandute de Apple in decembrie erau versiunea 3G, semn ca utilizatorii prefera modelul care le da posibiltiatea de a fi mereu conectati la internet. Indiferent ce va alege Apple sa produca, important este sa aiba destule pe stoc pentru a evita situatia de anul trecut cand multi clienti nu au putut achizitiona tablete iPad din magazinele Apple.
Still, this isn’t the first time that sources close to Apple’s manufacturing partners have indicated that sales of 3G iPads are now outpacing WiFi models. The widely cited Taiwanese DigiTimes recently reported that 60 to 65% of all iPads Apple was shipping around the December timeframe were 3G models.
The publication went on to similarly predict that consumers were beginning to prefer models that are able to remain connected to the Internet at all times, adding that Apple was “aiming to work even more closely with telecom carriers by offering more wireless solutions for iPad 2 to satisfy market demand.”
