iPad Mini Confirmed to Carry Stereo Speakers

In something of a surprise, Friday's launch of the iPad mini will apparently mark the first time an iOS device carries stereo speakers. It appears that Apple's move to the smaller Lightning dock connector has left enough space for an additional speaker along the bottom edge of the device, although the company has elected not to make a similar addition to the fourth-generation iPad.

There has been speculation about the iPad mini's speaker setup ever since early case designs leaked showing two sets of small holes, one on each side of the Lightning port. Similar setups have been seen on iPhone models with one side housing a speaker and the other side a microphone for phone conversations. iPad models have, however, until now only contained a single off-center speaker grille.



Diagram from Apple's iPad mini tech specs page
Apple did little to clear up the speculation at the iPad mini introduction last week, making no mention of stereo speakers and using the singular "speaker" on its tech specs page addressing the device's input/output capabilities. Amazon seized upon the assumption that the iPad mini did not contain stereo speakers, using it as part of a checklist comparison touting the Kindle Fire HD on its front page.


But when the first wave of advance reviews of the iPad mini were released last night, The Verge's Joshua Topolsky mentioned that the device does indeed contain stereo speakers. Topolsky later highlighted the feature in a Tweet, noting that it had been confirmed by Apple.


Dual speaker grilles on iPad mini (Source: The Verge)
Seeking further confirmation, a 9to5Mac reader emailed Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller to ask about the situation, and Schiller responded to simply state "It is stereo." Notably, Amazon has since removed the comparison checklist between the Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini from its main page.

Apple's 2012 Annual Report: More Employees, More Office Space, More Sales

Apple today filed its 2012 annual report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the document reveals a few interesting tidbits of information:

- Apple now has 72,800 "full-time equivalent" employees, up from 60,400 last year. The company also went from employing 2,900 "full-time equivalent" temporary employees and contractors to 3,300. 42,400 "full-time equivalent" employees are in the retail division, up from 36,000 last year.

- Apple went from 357 stores at the end of fiscal 2011 to 390 stores at the end of fiscal 2012, up 33 from the year prior. Apple earned an average of $51.5 million per store, up from $43.3 million last year. The average number of "full-time equivalent" employees per store grew from 100.8 to 108.7. Apple expects to open 30-35 new stores in 2013, with 75% of those located outside the US.

The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. As of September 29, 2012, the Company owned or leased approximately 17.3 million square feet of building space, primarily in the U.S., and to a lesser extent, in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific regions. Of that amount approximately 10.9 million square feet was leased building space, which includes approximately 4.1 million square feet related to retail store space. Of the Company’s owned building space, approximately 2.6 million square feet that is located in Cupertino, California will be demolished to build a second corporate campus. Additionally, the Company owns a total of 1,077 acres of land in various locations.

As of September 29, 2012, the Company owned a manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland that also housed a customer support call center and facilities in Elk Grove, California that included warehousing and distribution operations and a customer support call center. The Company also owned land in Austin, Texas where it will build office space and a customer support call center. In addition, the Company owned facilities for research and development and corporate functions in Cupertino, California, including land for the future development of the Company’s second corporate campus. The Company also owned data centers in Newark, California; Maiden, North Carolina; and Prineville, Oregon. Outside the U.S., the Company owned additional facilities for various purposes.

- As this document is designed mainly for prospective and current investors in the company, Apple also lists a number of risk factors that could affect investments in the company. These include "[Apple] could be found to have infringed on intellectual property rights", the ability to "successfully manage frequent product introductions and transitions", "the Company’s ability to obtain components in sufficient quantities", and numerous more.

- Unlike last year, when Apple said it had no plans to pay a dividend,
the company now "expects to pay quarterly dividends in the future."

The document is thick with financial information, including breakdowns of all sorts related to how the company makes money, invests its money, and pays taxes, among other things.

Resellers Receiving iPad Mini and iPad Shipments Ahead of Friday's Launch

OSX Apple Fans has received word from several Apple reseller partners that they have already begun receiving shipments of Wi-Fi iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad models ahead of their launch scheduled for this Friday, November 2.

We're hearing mixed news on stocks, with one reseller indicating that it has received roughly 500 iPad minis but no fourth-generation iPads. The iPad mini stock level is reportedly about double what the reseller received for the third-generation iPad launch, which also included cellular-capable models. Cellular-capable models of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad will follow several weeks after this Friday's launch of Wi-Fi models.


A second reseller is reporting a somewhat contrasting scenario, noting that it has received roughly 25 iPad minis and about 80 fourth-generation iPads so far. This reseller is, however, reporting that it expects to receive additional shipments throughout the week leading up to Friday's launch.

As we noted earlier today, all launch day pre-orders of Wi-Fi iPad mini and iPad models have now sold out, and many of those who were able to place orders for delivery on Friday are tracking their shipments that left China earlier this week en route to their destinations.

Google Search App Brings Siri-Competitor to iPhone

Google has given its iOS app a new search feature that squares it directly at Apple's Siri. Google even calls it the "most advanced voice search" on iOS. Google gives a number of examples of how the service can be used.

- "What does Yankee Stadium look like?" Google will show you hundreds of pictures instantly. - "Play me a trailer of the upcoming James Bond movie." The trailer starts playing immediately right within Google Search. -"When does daylight savings time end?" The answer will appear above the search results, so you can set your clock without having to click on a link. -"Who’s in the cast of The Office?" See a complete cast list and find out who made you crack up last night.

The service feels notably faster than Siri, recognizing words as they are spoken rather than all at once in the end. It even works on devices that aren't supported by Siri. One commenter on Hacker News confirms that the voice search works on his iPhone 4.

Google Search for iOS is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple Sells Out of Remaining Launch Day iPad Mini Pre-Order Stock

While Apple sold out of white iPad mini pre-order stock in just minutes on Friday, supplies of the black models held out quite bit longer for those in the United States where Apple was showing greatest availability.


Availability of the black models in the U.S. online store began to slip on Saturday, when shipping dates for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model moved to two weeks. The 32 GB and 64 GB models have now followed suit, and all Wi-Fi iPad mini models are now being quoted two-week shipping estimates. Apple is still quoting its original "Mid November" estimate for cellular-capable models in the U.S., with other countries seeing "Late November" estimates.

The iPad mini will officially launch this Friday, November 2. For those who were not able place pre-orders in time, Apple's retail stores will begin sales at 8:00 AM on Friday.

Apple's fourth-generation iPad is also launching on Friday under a similar schedule that will see cellular-capable models delayed until mid-to-late November. New pre-orders for Wi-Fi iPad models are currently seeing shipping estimates of one week in many countries, with some seeing two-week estimates.

Steve Jobs' Yacht 'Venus' Launched in the Netherlands

Earlier this year, it was revealed that French designer Philippe Starck was working with Dutch shipbuilder Feadship on a new yacht for the family of Steve Jobs. The yacht had been mentioned in Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs as a project he had been working on since 2009, but the ship was not completed before his death last year.


Dutch site One More Thing now reports [Google translation] that the ship, christened "Venus", has officially launched, with Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs and their three children participating in the event.



Photo from @basvanderploeg
The aluminum-hulled ship is said to be 70-80 meters in length and features seven 27-inch iMacs lined up in the wheelhouse to help run the controls.

Following earnings call, AAPL drops below 600 for the first time since July

Less than 24 hours after releasing its fourth-quarter earnings results, Apple stock has now dropped below $600 for the first time since July. Apple reported Q4 earnings slightly higher than the analysts expected (apart from iPad sales, with 14 million units sold coming in lower than most estimates). Apple posted $8.2 billion in net profit with $36 million in revenue and diluted earnings per share of $8.67. That compares to an average of about 15.5 million iPads, earnings per share of $8.75, and $35.51 billion in revenueexpected by the analysts.

During Apple’s Q4 results conference call yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook answered questions about iPhone 5 supply and demand and shortages going forward. According to Cook, production is increasing but the company is still in a “significant state of backlog.” He confirmed Apple still plans to roll out the device to 100 countries by the end of the year. This morning—the iPad mini, and fourth-generation iPad, officially went up for pre-order. Shortly after, Apple sold out of some models and pushed back shipping times.

Cook remained confident that component shortages would not hold back iPhone and iPad sales, stating he is “pleased with the current volume of output.” He did, however, warn about significant iMac delays headed into the holidays

iPhone 5 Launch Props Up Apple's Share of Smartphone Market as Samsung Keeps Rolling

Research firm IDC yesterday released its estimates of global mobile phone and smartphone shipments for the third quarter of 2012, revealing that the iPhone 5 launch helped Apple gain market share over the year-ago period that saw customers holding out for the iPhone 4S launch. The few days of iPhone 5 sales in the quarter were not, however, enough to halt a continuing slide in market share over the past few quarters as Samsung in particular has maintained very strong growth at the top of the market. 

In the smartphone market, Apple's shipments of 26.9 million iPhones were up a healthy 57.3% year-over-year, outpacing overall market growth of 45.3% and boosting Apple's share from 13.8% to 15.0%. Apple's share was, however, pegged at 16.9% in the prior quarter. 

 
Worldwide Smartphone Shipments in 3Q12 in Millions of Units (Source: IDC)
With Samsung still declining to release official sales number, IDC estimated the company's smartphone shipments at 56.3 million during the quarter, doubling year-over-year and pushing Samsung's leading share of the worldwide market to 31.3%. And with Nokia's share of the smartphone market imploding as it tries to reinvent itself on the back of Windows Phone 8, no other manufacturer besides Samsung and Apple has a market share above 8%.

iPhone shipments finished the quarter nearly flat from the previous quarter, reaching a total of 26.9 million units. Although the iPhone 5 was only on the market for one week in 3Q12, the aggressive rollout of the device resulted in more than 5 million iPhones sold in the first weekend of availability, which helped buoy Apple's shipment totals. iPhone sales weren't dampened by the introduction of its Maps software, which was not completely ready for use. Instead, the iPhone 5's larger screen and 4G LTE connectivity generated user interest. What remains to be seen is how Apple will fare during the holiday quarter, when the iPhone 5 will be available in more countries worldwide.

In the overall mobile phone market, Apple continues to ride the smartphone boom with its 57.3% annual unit growth easily outpacing the overall market's 2.4% growth. The performance enabled Apple to take 6.1% of the mobile phone market during the quarter, up from 3.9% in the year-ago quarter but down from 6.4% in the previous quarter. 

 
Worldwide Mobile Phone Shipments in 3Q12 in Millions of Units (Source: IDC)
With Apple providing guidance yesterday of $52 billion in total company revenue for the current quarter, it seems that the company is unsurprisingly projecting a significant boost in iPhone sales numbers as the iPhone 5 sees a full quarter of availability in the early launch markets and Apple works to extend the device to its goal of 100 countries by the end of the quarter.

iPhone 5 Launching in India and Other Countries on November 2

The Economic Times reports that Apple will be launching the iPhone 5 in India on November 2, one week from today. The launch had previously been rumored for today, but the new report claims that shipping delays forced Apple to push the launch back by a week. 


Apple's global rollout plan was addressed in the company's earnings conference call yesterday, with CEO Tim Cook acknowledging in response to a question from JPMorgan analyst Mark Moskowitz that schedules are somewhat fluid based on supply and demand.

What we did initially, Mark, was we planned the first 30-40 countries prior to introducing the product and rolled those out across September on two different dates. The balance of the quarter we planned with an eye toward the supply and what we think the demand will be, but we do plan these in advance and so it is not a precise science. And we obviously have to plan those with several weeks of notice and so occasionally it can be different than what we think.

It does appear that this next round of launches coming on November 2 is a fairly substantial one, as we have also seen reports saying that the iPhone 5 will be launching on that date in Bulgaria, Malta, Romania, and Thailand, and there are likely to be other countries included in this group. 

Apple noted during its conference call that it remains on track to make the iPhone 5 available in at least 100 countries by the end of the year, although many of those additions will not be coming until December. The device launched in nine countries on September 21, with an additional 22 countries seeing debuts on September 28. 

Update 10:01 AM: Greece is also included in this round of launches. MacRumors posters have noted that the device will also be launching in Croatia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Minor Improvements in Accessibility

iFixit has already performed one of its traditional high-quality teardowns on the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, noting that while those looking to repair their machines face many of the same challenges seen with the 15-inch model, there are a few changes that improve accessibility somewhat. 

One of the most interesting changes relative to the larger model is a battery layout that leaves the area underneath the trackpad free of battery cells. In place of battery cells in that location, Apple has elected to mount the 13-inch model's flash storage, a move that allows access to the trackpad for replacement if necessary. 


Another one of iFixit's major criticisms of the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro design was the glued-in battery cells that were found to be extremely difficult and time-consuming to remove without puncturing the cells. In the new 13-inch model, two of the six battery cells are housed in a metal tray that includes no adhesive, while the remaining four cells still required roughly 15 minutes of work to pry loose from the case. 


The teardown of the 13-inch model otherwise yields few surprises compared to the larger 15-inch model, and the similar challenges of soldered RAM, proprietary screws, integrated display, and glued-in battery have led iFixit to award the 13-inch model a repairability score of 2 out of 10, one point higher than the 15-inch model.

Apple Records Q4 2012 Earnings of $8.2B on $36B in Revenue, Tops $150B in Sales for Fiscal 2012 [Call Ended]

Apple today announced financial results for the third calendar quarter and fourth fiscal quarter of 2012. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $36.0 billion and net quarterly profit of $8.2 billion, or $8.67 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $28.27 billion and net quarterly profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Apple had provided guidance for this quarter of $34 billion in revenue and earnings of $7.65 per share.

Apple reported total revenue of $156.5 billion and net profit of $41.7 billion for fiscal 2012, both company records. In fiscal 2011, Apple earned $25.9 billion on $108.2 billion in sales. 

Gross margin for the quarter was 40.0 percent, compared to 40.3 percent in the year-ago quarter, and international sales accounted for 60 percent of revenue. Apple's quarterly profit and revenue were both company records for the September quarter. Apple also declared another dividend payment of $2.65 per share payable on November 15 to shareholders as of the close of trading on November 12. The company now had $124.25 billion in cash and marketable securities.


Quarterly iPhone unit sales reached 26.9 million, up 58 percent from the year-ago quarter, and the company sold 14.0 million iPads, up 26 percent year-over-year. Apple sold 4.9 million Macintosh computers, a unit increase of 1 percent over the year-ago quarter, as well as 5.3 million iPods, representing a 19 percent unit decline year-over-year.

“We’re very proud to end a fantastic fiscal year with record September quarter results,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re entering this holiday season with the best iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod products ever, and we remain very confident in our new product pipeline.”

Apple's guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 includes expected revenue of $52 billion and earnings per diluted share of $11.75. 


Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2012 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights. 

Earnings Call Highlights

- New September quarter records for iPhone, iPad and Mac unit sales. Highest Sept quarter revenue and profit ever.
- Sold 4.9 million Macs, 1% growth year over year compared to IDC estimates of 8% contraction of global computer market.
- Portables make up 80% of Mac unit mix, highest ever.
- 3-4 weeks of Mac channel inventory, off from 4-5 weeks of preferred.

- iPod Touch accounts for more than half of iPods sold.
- iPod share is 70%+ of market, still top mp3 player in most countries.

- iTunes Store produced record results of $2.1 billion.
- New iTunes launching soon.

- 58% year over year growth of iPhones, versus 35% for smartphone market over the quarter.
- Demand for iPhone 5 continues to outstrip supply.
- 9.1 million iPhones in channel inventory, up 800k from last week. Below target 4-6 weeks of iPhone channel inventory.
- Touting how Canon and Amtrak use the iPhone, as well as reporters from BBC, CTV and the Wall Street Journal.

- iPad sales were ahead of Apple's internal expectations. Strong year over year growth across all geographies.
- Talking about enterprise companies using iPad including Volkswagen (more than 30 internal iPad apps).

- Sold 44 million iOS devices in September quarter.
- New quarterly record for app sales.

- Made a number of improvements to Maps in the past month, won't stop improving.

- $4.2 billion for Retail stores. Up 18% year over year. Store's best iPhone launch ever. New quarterly record for Mac sales, moving 1.1 million Macs. 18 new stores in 10 countries including 1st store in Sweden. 390 stores total. 94 million visitors vs 77.5 million last year. 19,000 visitors per store per week.

- Tax rate of 25.2% for fiscal 2012.
- Cash of $121.3 billion at end of the quarter, up $4 billion from prior quarter.
- Paid $2.5 billion in cash dividend in August.
- $2.65 / share dividend comes out in November.
- Entered share repurchase program, may also repurchase shares in open market share transactions.

- Strongest product pipeline ever.

Apple Already Sold Out of Initial White iPad mini Pre-Order Stock

Apple started pre-orders for the iPad mini and 4th Generation iPad early this morning at 3AM Eastern / 12AM Pacific. As noted in our forums, the initial stock of White iPad minis sold out quickly in the U.S. Within the first 17 minutes, ship dates for the white iPad mini slipped to 2 weeks from the original "Delivers 11/2". The black Wi-Fi iPad mini remains available for delivery by November 2nd. 

Of course, its hard to tell how much of the stock out is related to high demand vs. low supply. We suspect stocks may have been low as others have noted that countriesoutside the U.S. listed "2 week" delivery times from the first moment the white iPad minis went on sale. 

As typical, Apple will also offer the iPad mini in retail stores on launch day. Apple keeps a sizable stock of devices to be available on the official launch day of products. The Wi-Fi iPad mini will be available in retail stores starting on November 2nd. Meanwhile, the cellular version is promised by mid-November.

iPhone Accounts for 77% of Smartphone Sales, 62% of All Postpaid Phone Sales at AT&T in 3Q 2012

AT&T today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2012, revealing that the carrier activated 4.7 million iPhones during the quarter, an increase of one million over the previous quarter as sales were buoyed by the iPhone 5 launch near the end of the period.

AT&T did not specifically break down iPhone 5 sales numbers, but did note that its overall postpaid sales numbers were impacted by "inventory constraints" on the device as Apple has struggled to keep up with demand.


Notably, the 4.7 million iPhone activations represented roughly 77% of AT&T's total smartphone sales of 6.1 million during the quarter, showing that Apple continues to dominate AT&T's smartphone customer base. And with smartphones overall rising to account for 81% of AT&T's sales on a postpaid basis, the iPhone represented 62% of AT&T's sales of all phones (smartphones and feature phones) to those customers.

AT&T sold 6.1 million smartphones in the third quarter, 1.3 million more than in the third quarter a year ago. Smartphones represented 81 percent of postpaid device sales. At the end of the quarter, 63.8 percent, or 44.5 million, of AT&T's postpaid subscribers had smartphones, up from 52.6 percent, or 36.1 million, a year earlier and up 1.4 milion from the second quarter. [...]

In the quarter, the company activated 4.7 million iPhones, with 18 percent new to AT&T. The company also had its best-ever sales quarter for Android and Windows smartphones.

Verizon last week also announced healthy iPhone sales for the third quarter, although it too was impacted by supply constraints on the iPhone 5. Sprint will be the third and final major U.S. iPhone carrier to report earnings tomorrow morning, with Apple releasing its official numbers after the close of trading tomorrow.

Early Impressions and Benchmarks on Apple's 2012 Mac Mini

Colocation data center Macminicolo has already gotten its hands on the new Mac mini, putting all three stock models through benchmarking tests and sharing initial impressions of the machines.

Geekbench results, which focus strictly on processor and memory performance, show a marginal increase in performance for the entry-level machine compared to the previous generation, with more substantial gains coming in the higher-end models tapping into quad-core Ivy Bridge processors. Early impressions of the latest models include:

- Don’t look now, but the new Mac minis are getting comparable to the last gen Xserve and 2010 Mac Pros as far as benchmarks. Tech progress marches on.
- All Mac minis now come standard with 4GB of RAM. Thank goodness. As of last week, the base Mac mini had 2GB of RAM and that was brutal with Mountain Lion.
- The Mac mini can officially be upgraded to 16GB now. It’s been possible for over a year, but it had to be done after ordering. Now, Apple offers the 16GB of RAM.
- The base mini is still i5, but the middle and high end minis are quad core i7 Ivy Bridge processors. That middle mini is the most interesting. Many customers prefer the quad core for things like an Xcode build server or for plenty of cores to spread between virtual machines. That $799 Mac mini is going to be very popular.
- The machines now come with 1600MHz DDR3 Memory. Seriously, 16GB of 1600MHz RAM in such a small machine. It’s really quite amazing.

Another colocation center, Mac Mini Vault, has also taken a look at the new Mac mini, noting that their machine arrived running a custom Build 12B2080 of OS X 10.8.1. The company also performed a quick teardown of the machine, noting that Apple has tweaked the fan design since last year's model and also made some changes to the wireless antennas.

Lighter, Thinner iMac Models with Fusion Drive

Apple today updated its iMac lineup, dramatically reducing the thickness of the desktop machines and adding a brand new Fusion Drive that combines flash storage and a traditional disk-based hard drive to maximize both speed and capacity.


The iMac will come with both 21.5-inch and 27-inch displays, and includes a new fully laminated design to improve optical quality and a new anti-reflective coating.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,299 in the US, and includes a with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive. The 21.5" model should begin shipping in November.

The 27-inch iMac starts with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive starting at $1,799 and shipping in December.

Apple Introduces New 7.9-Inch iPad Mini Starting at $329

As rumored, Apple announced the new iPad mini at today's media event. The device features a 7.9-inch display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, measures just 7.2 millimeters thin and weighs 0.68 pounds.


Internally, the iPad Mini has a dual-core A5 processor, a Facetime HD camera on the front and a 5-megapixel camera on the rear, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, and 4G LTE cellular connectivity in some models. Despite its smaller size, the iPad mini still offers up to 10 hours of battery life.

“iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”

With the same resolution as the iPad 2, all existing iPad apps that work on the older iPad 2 will work on the iPad mini without any need for developers to make modifications to their existing apps.

The iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model, with the 32 GB Wi-Fi model priced at $429 and the 64 GB Wi-Fi model coming in at $529. The models with cellular capability cost an additional $130. All models are available in the same black/slate and white/silver color schemes seen on the iPhone 5.

Pre-orders for the iPad mini will start on Friday, October 26 with the Wi-Fi models shipping on November 2 and the cellular models starting to ship two weeks later.

Apple has also introduced new polyurethane iPad mini Smart Covers in six different colors, priced at $39 each. Apple also now has a full suite of Lightning adapters to support USB camera connections, SD cards and VGA or HDMI connectivity.

First Impressions and Hands On with iPad Mini

Apple introduced the long-rumored iPad mini today. At 7.9" in diagonal, the new smaller iPad is said to allow for one handed usage. Apple had the device on hand for reporters to have hands on demos with the device.


Overall, the impressions are positive with many focusing on the build quality and lightness of the device. While the device is smaller, others note that it's certainly not tiny. Here is a roundup of some of the early impressions:

TechCrunch:

The finish of the device is matte on the back, making for a very nice feeling in the hand. The weight is really the most impressive part, though – as with the iPhone 5, but to an even greater degree, the iPad mini feels almost weightless when compared to its predecessors. It’s so thin and light as to feel almost like a prop, rather than a functional device.

The Verge:

The display on the mini looks incredibly sharp, and even though the resolution is lower than the 3rd and 4th generation full-size iPad, it doesn't immediately seem like a 1024 x 768 display. The smaller, 7.9-inch surface area certainly helps squeeze the pixels.

Engadget:

It's still not "small," though. While a fully outstretched adult hand can generally grasp it without help from the other, you'll still want both for typing and using apps. It's still too big for your average pocket, and it's not going to save you a heck of a lot of room in your knapsack compared to the 9.7-incher.

Anandtech offers this hands on video:

Some Apple Retail Stores Offering 30-Day Exchange iPads for New Model

With Apple's introduction of the fourth-generation iPad today, some recent purchasers of the third-generation model may be feeling somewhat disappointed that their new devices have been supplanted by an unexpectedly short upgrade cycle. CNET reports, however, that those who purchased their iPads within the past 30 days may be able to exchange their devices for new models at their local Apple Stores.

The manager at the Stockton Street store in San Francisco explained that "this specific store" would allow purchasers of the third-generation iPad to exchange their device for the fourth-generation iPad if purchased within the last 30 days. She emphasized that, unless the recently-purchased iPad showed serious signs of wear-and-tear, the usual 14-day return policy would be waived.

"And what about other stores?" You'll have to call and find out. She explained, "We can't speak to other stores' policies -- this is something our store has decided to do."

The report suggests that the extended return window is not an official company policy and thus customers may find spotty adherence to it, but stores generally have some flexibility in allowing returns considering certain circumstances, and with any luck some recent iPad customers may find themselves able to upgrade to the latest model without penalty.

Apple will be live-streaming today’s event on Apple TV

Great news Apple fans, it looks like the Cupertino company has decided to live stream today’s so-called “iPad mini” event after all.

Several users have noticed that a new icon labeled ‘Apple Events’ has popped up on the main menu of the Apple TV that matches the press invitations Apple sent out last week. And sure enough, its description says that there will be a live feed of today’s presser…

First spotted by 9to5Mac, the new app’s description reads:

Apple Special Event – LIVE

Tune in at 10 a.m. on October 23 to watch this event live.

October 23, 2012

10:00 a.m. (Pacific)

California Theatre, San Jose, CA

As you probably all know by now, Apple is widely expected to unveil a new, smaller tablet at today’s event, as well as new Macs. There has also been talk of a refreshed version of the third gen iPad making an appearance, and possibly a new version of iBooks.

It’s unknown whether or not Apple will also be live-streaming the event on its web site, but don’t worry, we’ll be covering the entire thing here on iDB.

Apple's 'iPad Mini' to Strengthen Education Presence Alongside iBooks 3.0

Earlier this month, several sources indicated that Apple will focus on iBooks at its "iPad mini" media event tomorrow, with reports indicating that both personal and education consumption will be of key importance for Apple. Bloomberg Businessweek now profiles Apple's efforts to bring tablets into education, noting that education will indeed be an important theme of the iPad mini unveiling.

Beyond the school market of course, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will use the device to try to widen Apple’s lead over Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. and fend off a more recent threat from Microsoft Corp. in the market for tablets, which NPD DisplaySearch predicts will more than double to $162 billion by 2017. Cook will unveil an iPad with a 7.85-inch screen diagonally, people familiar with its development said in August. The current iPad has a 9.7-inch screen.

Yet Apple executives plan to make a point of highlighting the iPad’s educational capabilities at tomorrow’s event, according to a person with knowledge of the planning. Little wonder. Education spending on information technology, including hardware, was about $19.7 billion in the 2010-2011 period, according to the Center for Digital Education.

The report notes that Apple has realigned its educational sales effort to focus on the iPad, recognizing that school budgets and a desire for more engaging technology are driving a shift in schools' purchasing decisions


Perhaps supporting the notion of enhanced educational offerings coming to the iPad and iPad mini this week, French site igen.fr reported [Google translation] over the weekend on an iBookstore title showing up with compatibility for an unreleased iBooks 3.0. The Digital Reader later noted that at least half a dozen titles were showing up with the new compatibility requirement, noting that one developer working to create books using Apple's latest tools found that iBooks 3.0 appears set to provide compatibility with the latest EPUB 3 standard at a minimum.

Liz Castro connected me with another ebook developer who has been making ebooks for iBooks 3.0 for the past few days. He has been tweeting his progress and one thing he’s already noticed is that iBooks 3.0 appears to offer more Epub3 support. The fixed layout spec in Epub 3 requires the latest version of iBooks, only Apple hasn’t released it yet.

iBooks 2 was launched earlier this year with a heavy focus on support for new iBooks Textbooks, interactive digital textbooks intended to revolutionize education, starting with high school textbooks. With iBooks 3, it appears that Apple may be set to take its next steps toward improving that experience even further.

Apple planning fixes for keyboard glitch, Wi-Fi, Passbook bug, & Exchange in iOS 6.0.1 update?

According to a report from BGR, a reliable source informed it that Apple has begun testing iOS 6.0.1 with U.S. carriers in anticipation of a release in the coming weeks. Also mentioned in the report is a list of fixes apparently included in the update that address many of the issues users have complained about since the launch of iOS 6. Among them is a fix for the horizontal glitches that some have experienced in the iOS keyboard and folders and a number of other bug fixes for recently reported problems.
The report said the update would also bring a fix for issues with cellular data, improved Wi-Fi, as well as “a problem with the camera’s flash not going off.” Other fixes Apple will release with iOS 6.0.1 are related to iTunes Match, Passbook, and Exchange bugs:

 

In addition, the new software will improve Wi-Fi support, fix cellular data not working in some cases, add a consolidated cellular data switch for iTunes Match, fix a bug that allowed access to Passbook pass details from the lock screen, and also finally fix the bug that caused Exchange meetings to be unexpectedly cancelled for the entire calendar invite group.

The information in the report seems like it’s originating from carrier pre-builds, so plans for the update could change slightly before its public release. The report speculated iOS 6.1 would not be shipping with the iPad mini in November, adding that Apple has just now started testing the update.

Apple October 23rd event: Are you Ready iPad Mini & Macbook Retina

Had you heard? Apple’s got a ‘little’ event going on at the newly-decorated California Theatre tomorrow where they will FINALLY showcase the iPad Mini, new Mac Minis, a Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as software like iBooks 3.0 and iTunes 11.
First, the bad news: We’ve heard that the some of the iMacs that we found earlier have been pushed so far back that they might not warrant inclusion at the event this week. That doesn’t mean they are cancelled but because there have been some issues with the products and the including them is a “gameday decision”. We’re obviously hoping they make the docket.
And now the good news:

iPad Mini:

The likely star of the event will be the iPad Mini. The 7.85-inch 4:3 screen will be the focus of the attention but the $329 starting price that we revealed will draw a lot of attention.  We expect the same 1024×768 resolution as the iPad 2 but, at $329, Apple could probably squeeze a Retina Display with the same PPI as the iPhone 4+ on it. As for internal specs, that $329 price point means that Apple doesn’t have to skimp on specs. Expect a very fast A5X or A6 (perhaps built on a smaller die).

We also expect this to be a centerpiece for education initiatives that will be showcased at the event. The thin, lightweight design, huge iPad apps and iBooks libraries and other features will make this thing a no-brainer for students. It wouldn’t hurt Apple’s cause to have some big name universities signed up for the launch.  We’ve already heard about big school discounts being planned as well as some new cases.

iPad Lightning:

We’ve also seen prices for and shells of a third generation iPad with Lightning adapter instead of the 30-pin adapter. We don’t know all of the details but can speculate that Apple could take the refreshing opportunity to upgrade the LTE chip to a lower power version and could even upgrade to a thinner screen and battery, thereby making the new iPad as thin as the iPad 2, if not thinner. A smaller SoC die could also cool things off and require smaller batteries.
Most other things will be the same and we feel Apple would hesitate from something outlandish like calling it the ‘iPad 4′ if for nothing else than pissing off its loyal customers who bought a new iPad just 6 months ago. Prices will remain the same and start at $499US.

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro:

Another major product to be unveiled at tomorrow’s event is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display that we told you about earlier this month. The update is expected to mirror the 15-inch Retina model introduced in June with a thinner and lighter enclosure, two configurations with different processor and storage options, and is expected to be available to purchase shortly after tomorrow morning’s unveiling. Our sources also indicated that, like the 15-inch MacBook lineup following the Retina model’s introduction, Apple will keep the current non-Retina version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro at current prices. The 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro will of course be priced slightly higher than the current 13-inch lineup. We have also received pricing details for the device, with the base model coming in at $1,699 and the higher spec model at $200-$300 more.

Mac Mini:

A refreshed Mac mini lineup is also likely to make an appearance tomorrow. We’re not sure how much of a focus the the minis will be with the other big announcements, but there is a possibility they will be mentioned alongside the education announcements that many expect. We do, however, have details on the upgraded models. The new Mac minis will likely keep similar pricing, starting at $599, of the current models, but will also receive RAM upgrades allowing for up to 16GB. Apple will offer two configurations for the new Mac minis and also keep a third OS X server model. Other possibilities include updated chipsets and USB 3.0.

iMac:

As noted above, at least some of the new iMacs we told you about previously might be seeing a bit of a delay, but it’s unclear what that means for their presence tomorrow. We know Apple has two refreshed models for the current 21-inch and 27-inch variants, but we have also heard at least some varieties of the new models will not be ready to ship directly after launch. As for what you can expect in the upgraded iMacs, we have discovered upgraded RAM options allowing for 2 x 8GB of RAM, which would allow for up to 32GB across the iMac’s 4 slots. Our sources expect to see similar pricing to the current iMacs (starting at $1199), with slightly cheaper pricing for some countries on the higher spec models.

Education/iBooks 3.0:

While rumors that we will see iTunes 11 release tomorrow aren’t too shocking given Apple announced an October release date back in September, there is a possibility Apple has some software related announcements in store. With iPad mini’s $329 price point and Tim Cook’s promise to be aggressive at getting iPads into schools, it’s likely we will see an education focus during the presentation. A few reports have heard the same, and we recently saw “iBooks 3.0″ listed for a book on iTunes. We wouldn’t be shocked to see enhancements to iBooks and or apps/textbooks designed specifically for the 7-inch display demoed by Apple execs. The iBookstore today became available in 17 more countries, a fact that probably won’t go unnoticed tomorrow.

Other small stuff:

There are at least two more iOS cables Apple will release tomorrow.  We believe that these could be VGA/HDMI video adapters, new camera kits or they could be docking connectors (though Schiller said no iPhone 5 docks).  We’ll likely know before the event starts.
Apple will likely announce and/or release iOS 6.01 with various bugfixes and enhancements.
It is also interesting to note that Yerba Buena, where Apple often holds its events, is available for tomorrow’s event. If so, it would indicate that Apple chose the California Theatre – a movie theater – for its size or other features. That might make for an interesting show.
We will have an event liveblog happening as well as some other fun stuff going on. Seth will be live on CNBC’s Squawk Box at around 11:40am ET.

iPad mini pricing rumored to start at $329

While iMore has consistently heard the widely anticipated iPad mini would start at around $200-$250 for 8GB, now some pricing information is being reported that pegs the starting price higher -- at $329 (though at what storage capacity is uncertain).This according to Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac, who has an excellent track record when it comes to retail pricing:

Apple’s entry price for its upcoming smaller iPad is between the base model of the new, fifth-generation iPod touch ($299) and the currently shipping WiFi-only 16GB iPad 2 ($399). According to our sources, the base model of the smaller iPad will likely be priced at a minimum of $329 in the United States.

If Apple is going over $300 for the entry level model, and our original information was accurate -- which I believe it was -- then something changed.

One possibility is that Apple has abandoned the 8GB SKU and is starting instead with a 16GB SKU at a $100 higher price point. 8GB would have made for a very low, low end model but may not have ultimately provided a user experience Apple was happy with, especially given the size of TV shows, movies, and even the upcoming iBooks Apple is planning. Also, the $200-$250 8GB iPad mini we heard about was predicated on taking the fight to Amazon's Kindle and Google's Nexus 7, and neither of those devices have taken the world by storm. You can't even buy or realistically use them in many parts of the world. It could simply be that Apple doesn't feel the price pressure they assumed they would in the small tablet space, and so aren't being as aggressive as they may have been had Amazon and Google enjoyed greater success to date.

A less likely possibility is Retina display. Moving from an iPad 2 1024x768 resolution display at an iPhone 3GS 163 ppi to an iPad 3 2048x1536 resolution display and an iPhone 4 326 ppi would increase cost and hence, price point. We've heard both display types were in the pipeline, but Retina still sounded more like next year's model than this year's. Given the display resolution of the new Kindle Fire HD is 1280x800 at 215 ppi, however, moving it up could be seen as a competitive necessity.

Source: 9to5Mac

13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Rumored To Start At $1699

Apple’s upcoming media event, scheduled for the 23rd of this month, will not only see a smaller iPad, but also a new iMac, Mac Mini and a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

9to5Mac has gotten word on the pricing of the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, specifically the entry level and the highest range models.

From 9to5Mac’s report:

We believe the entry model 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will cost roughly $1,699 at launch, based on wholesale prices we received, while the higher spec model will cost $200 to $300 more.

The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is expected to have a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, up from the current 1280 x 800 pixels along with a considerable decrease in thickness and weight.

The estimated pricing of $1699 makes the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro $600 more expensive that the entry level 13 inch model. For comparison, the difference between the price of a 15-inch Retina and non Retina MacBook Pro is a little less, at $400.

The significant difference in the pricing of Retina and non Retina models can be primarily attributed to the high cost of solid state drives as compared to mechanical storage and of course the high resolution Retina display.

iPad 3 mark II pricing reportedly leaked, same configurations as before

Way back in August iMore learned that Apple was planning to update the existing iPad 3 with what's now known as the Lightning connector, as well as some internal improvements, and re-release it alongside the iPad mini this fall. Well, it's fall now, the iPad event has been set for October 23 and lo and behold, new iPad 3 SKUs are reportedly starting to appear. Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac has the info:

Apple will announce a refreshed version of its full-sized, 9.7-inch Retina display iPad at its media event October 23rd, according to our sources. These people say that the new version of the iPad will retain the same $499, $599, and $699 WiFi-only price points, and the LTE line will retain the current $629, $729, and $829 pricing. With no price changes or additional storage capacities, we believe that the storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB will also be retained.

To be clear, I don't believe this to be an iPad 4 by any stretch of the imagination, and while just a guess, I do expect Apple not to market it as a "new" iPad 3, but merely as the same iPad 3 now with a Lightning connector and LTE options for international markets. Any and all other improvements under the covers would just be opportunistic and likely not even mentioned.

If you bought an iPad 3 in the last 6 months, it won't be obsolete, and Apple won't be "screwing" you over. The iPad 3 was the best tech Apple could sell back when it was released, and now they can sell slightly better tech and give faster speeds to people in more parts of the world.

If you squint and turn your head just so, think of it as a similar situation to the Verizon iPhone and its new antenna. People in Australia and parts of Europe are getting an LTE iPad 6 months later than North America and, by-the-way, Apple has just happened to improved a few other things as well.

Of course, nothing is official until Apple holds it up on stage.

Source: 9to5Mac