February 28, 2011
Will the Upcoming Apple Event Reveal a New iPad?
Apple, the technology giant that has become analogous with gadgetry that the public can’t seem to live without, has announced an upcoming media event to take place in their home-base of San Francisco on March 2nd. What they have failed to impart is what this little soiree is in regards to. The invitation, which simply read, “Come see what 2011 will be the year of” (and we assume they don’t mean the rabbit from the Chinese calendar), was intentionally vague, in keeping with their traditional attitude of withholding information in order to spur speculation leading up to a big reveal. While this is admittedly a pretty smart marketing strategy, it leaves the media at large to ponder ad nauseum what new wonder they’re going to unveil. And of course, everyone is hoping that this time it will be the highly anticipated (and much improved) iPad 2.
Of course, this isn’t just idle speculation. Although Apple has remained tight-lipped on the subject, the invitation, which featured a calendar page bearing a giant number “2”, could provide a clue to their intentions. But that’s a pretty thin connection. What is more revealing is that the corner of the invitation peels back to show something hidden underneath. Could it be an iPad? Recipients of the summons seem to think so. But if you employ a bit of deductive reasoning, you’ll probably come to the same foregone conclusion as every pundit in the biz. With the announcement of the Verizon iPhone long since past (1 month real-time equals 7 months in the tech world?) and the iPhone 5 not anticipated for release until June, what else could they be announcing?
Apple recently garnered attention in the press for yet another leave of absence (this one open-ended) by ailing co-founder and lauded CEO Steve Jobs. So it could be that he finally plans to announce his retirement and hand over the reins of the company he built from the ground up. But it doesn’t seem likely that Apple would want to tout 2011 as “the year of plummeting stock prices”, so the odds of that being the case are pretty slim. So far the company has been very shrewd about disseminating information regarding their CEO’s condition, saying only that he is dealing with health issues and leaving it at that. No, it seems like this event is altogether more tongue-in-cheek, if the invite is to be taken as any indication, so it’s pretty clear that their intention is to wow the world yet again.
And Apple enthusiasts are certainly ready for the new iPad rollout. The rumor mill is positively churning with grist, with largely unsubstantiated reports of front- and rear-facing cameras, dual-core CPU, a lighter body and upgraded screen, a variety of connectivity packages, a gyroscope, and potentially, an iPad 3 release later in the year. Whew! That’s a lot of speculation with no real data to back it up. And yet, it provides an excellent insight into the potential sales of this handy device. With so many people interested in what might come out on March 2nd, Apple has a worldwide audience on hand, ready to snap up whatever device is on the docket. And a new iPad is sure to help the company rebound from the slight dip in stock prices that resulted from their earlier Jobs loss.
Carolyn Dillingham writes for Seareach P.L.C. a manufacturer of asset marking and security printing solutions.
