“Apple has invited the press to an event on Wednesday that will include the introduction of the iPad 2,” Anton Wahlman writes for TheStreet.
“Most of the hardware specifications of the iPad 2 are known, more or less, thanks to endless blogger speculation: one or two cameras, a faster processor, twice the RAM, some tinkering with battery, screen, thickness and bezel. In other words, in the big scheme of things, nothing too exciting,” Wahlman writes. “Do you know many people who have held off buying the iPad because it lacks a camera, dual-core CPU or 512 megs of RAM? No, me neither.”
Wahlman writes, “When you go from planning under 10 million units to 60 million, you can negotiate much better manufacturing prices. Components can also be optimized for cost, to a different degree. Apple is pre-paying for critical parts, such as memory and displays, taking risk out of the contract manufacturers, which pressures the price down. This probably means that despite some minor hardware bumps (camera, RAM), Apple could remove close to $100 in cost from each iPad.”
Read more in the full article here.
There is no reason to lower the price.
Someone wanting to spend less money is not a reason.
Apple could sell these at 10% above cost and still make $$. Or if they wanted to. sell them at a loss and totally kill any competition from Android tablets. Apple has so much freaking money they can do whatever they want.
Heck include at $25 iTunes credit with every new iPad (still a stupid name) sold.
I don’t think Apple will be lowering the price, even though I wish they were. Their MO is to add features keep price. It works for the Laptops it will work of the iPad
i love all the EXPERT opinion here at mdn, it’s frigging fascinating!
WTFE
anyway… i hope they lower the price to $99 and include a microwave oven app so i can heat up hot pockets on the road.
I’m waiting for FaceTime. So yes, I do know someone.
yeah, next they will be “rumored” at only $99 right?
give me a break
if they sold poorly, they would consider lowering the price, but very surprised if iPad 2.0 is cheaper than 1.0 – we’ll see Wednesday
I don’t see them making iPad 2 cheaper than 1.0 either. I DO believe they may retain the current $499 low end iPad 1 and lower it’s price to $399 since it’s 1 year old tech. If Apple did this, it’s competitors are truly screwed lol!
I for one would be more likely to get one – after I get my shiny new MacBook Pro. 😉