Hasta La Gadget!

Sharp Corp, a supplier of screens for Apple’s iPad tablet, has slowed production of the 9.7 inch panes used for the full-sized iPads, according to a report by Reuters.

The news agency quotes industry sources with knowledge of Sharp’s production plans, who told it that Sharp’s iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has “fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012 as Apple manages its inventory”.

A Sharp spokeswoman declined to comment on the story, telling Reuters: “We don’t disclose production levels.” Apple also declined to comment.

It’s unclear whether the slowdown is due to seasonal changes in demand — or consumers opting for the cheaper and smaller iPad mini instead. Apple launched the iPad mini in November. The tablet has a 7.9 inch display, and retails from $329. Apple has not broken out iPad mini sales — but shortly after launching the small slate it said it had sold three million iPad minis and 4th generation (full size) iPads in three days.

In addition to Sharp, Reuters notes that Apple buys iPad screens from LG Display — its biggest supplier — and Samsung Display. A source at Samsung Display told it there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple. A person familiar with the situation at LG Display told Reuters that iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December — but said it was mainly due to typical weak seasonal demand in the post-holiday period.

Apple is due to report its Q1 2013 fiscal results on January 23.

Despite Apple’s lead in the tablet market taking its first serious dent in Q3, the iPad’s dominance of the tablet market will continue for the next five years, according to Strategy Analytics. The launch of the iPad mini and “continued dominance” of the iPad will ensure Apple’s iTunes App Store remains the “premier destination” for tablet downloads through to 2017, the analyst predicts.

In its Mobile Apps Download Forecast: 2008 – 2017 report, Strategy Analytics forecasts a total of more than 350 billion smartphone and tablet app downloads between 2008 and 2017. The analyst predicts the Google Play store will account for more than 45 percent of phone-related downloads in 2017, while Apple’s iTunes Store will account for 56 percent of tablet downloads in five years’ time.

Over the 2008 to 2017 time period Strategy Analytics says paid downloads will generate more than $57 billion globally. However it expects the paid app market to be in decline by 2017 as it forecasts free apps will represent more than 91 percent of all downloads by then.

“Paid downloads remain an essential component of the app ecosystem,” noted Josh Martin, Director of Apps Research at Strategy Analytics, in a statement. “Paid downloads will remain an important way for smaller developers to monetize their efforts. For developers committed to paid downloads transitioning to tablets may be the smartest way to preserve the business model over the long term.”

The analyst believes that the average selling price of all downloads will drop to just 8 cents for smartphone apps by 2017, as the proportion of free app downloads continues to grow. This revenue decline, coupled with an expected increase in app store maintenance costs — owing to the requirement for more app approval personnel, higher marketing costs etc — could force app stores to “consider new revenue streams or higher revenue splits”, says the analyst.

“App Stores will also see a revenue crunch as more revenue is earned from advertising – revenue generated outside the bounds of the app store – and will need to prepare,” Martin added. “Newer platforms such as Windows 8, BlackBerry 10, Tizen and Firefox are building their operating systems and storefronts with this knowledge which should go a long way to making them attractive to developers and end-users.”

Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.

If you’re hoping to cross a few names off that holiday shopping list a full two months early, today may be the time to do just that. Canon EOS Rebel T3i and T4i DSLR bundles top the list of tech links today and both include lenses and a PIXMA 9000 Mark II printer for outputting all of those shots that you’re sure to capture. If the imminent arrival of a new iPad doesn’t bother you too much, refurbished units that carry the 3rd-generation moniker and lack a Lightning connection get a handsome discount this time around as well. Slide past the break before these deals are gone for all of the particulars. And keep an eye on those rebate forms.

Continue reading Slickdeals’ best in tech for October 24th: Canon EOS Rebel DSLR bundles and refurbished 3rd-gen iPads

Filed under: Cameras, Laptops, Tablets

Slickdeals’ best in tech for October 24th: Canon EOS Rebel DSLR bundles and refurbished 3rd-gen iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad didn’t arrive alone. In the company’s time-honored tradition, it has timed the FCC filings for both devices to show up alongside the products themselves. Each iOS tablet has been approved in both singular WiFi and dual cellular editions: the iPad mini has appeared as the WiFi-only A1432 as well as the A1454 and A1455 for worldwide HSPA+, EV-DO and LTE coverage, while the full-size iPad has been cleared in directly paralleled A1458, A1459 and A1460 versions. Not surprisingly, the frequency range matches that of the iPhone 5 and suggests that we’re dealing with the same Qualcomm MDM9615 chip. We’ll know more once the two iPads are in our hands and those of teardown artists, but for now you can explore Apple’s regulatory gymnastics in full at the source links.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

New Apple iPad mini, 4th-generation iPad reach the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  A1432, A1454, A1455, A1458, A1459, A1460  | Email this | Comments

As much of a boon as Dropbox has been for iOS users, it’s been held back for shutterbugs wanting a one-for-one translation of their images. Any cloud photos saved for posterity were shrunk to iPhone 4S size and largely negated the point of a local copy. No more: an update to the app removes the resolution ceiling and shows whatever the iPad, iPhone or iPod can handle. While it still compresses the final image, all the basic nuances should remain intact. There’s a treat in store for those who want to see more of their files inside of the Dropbox app, too, with iPhone 5 support putting to work those 112,640 pixels of extra screen real estate. Just don’t expect to use Dropbox as a mobile viewer for your Hasselblad photos and you’ll likely be happy.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Storage

Dropbox for iOS removes the photo resolution cap, stretches out to iPhone 5 size originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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