What Will We See in 2013…?
14/12/12 11:10 Filed in: Apple
As we are about to head into 2013, what are we likely to see from Apple next year. Here is our rundown of what could launched during 2013:
Macs:
On thing for sure is that we will see a new Mac Pro. Apple were criticised in 2012 about the very minor speed bump to the existing line and the Mac Pro has been the least revised Mac model over the past few years. Tim Cook has said a new Mac pro is coming in 2013 and given the news that one Mac line all be produced in the US in 2013, it is likely that this will be the Mac Pro.
The iMac range has been revised before Christmas so don’t expect any changes until next summer or autumn. The new thin design and faster spec is going to be the model for the majority of 2012.
Moving to laptops, we are likely to see changes in 2013 and possibly in the MacBook Air, Apple’s biggest selling Mac line. There is a possibility that we will see retina displays in the top models, but we would bet that this will not extend to the entire line. The 11” MacBook Air is still Apple’s cheapest model and aimed at education and home users, so there is a need to keep the price down (close to €1000). The top of the range Air is likely to come with a retina display, where price is less sensitive. We also hope that storage prices drop and so the Air can offer more than the low 64 and 128GB space on the standard 11” models.
Now that the MacBook Pro is split into two lines, we may begin to see the older superdrive-models being phased out. In 2012 we saw the 17” MacBook Pro disappear and we are likely to see the retina-display models become the standard once the prices can drop down a few notches. We are not sure ALL superdrive models will vanish in 2013, but if Apple can sell the 15” retina display MacBook Pro for close to €2000, then it will be time to retire the old models. Right now there is approximately a 500 euro mark up on the retina display models over the standard editions- if Apple can close this gap it will unify the line, based on retina displays.
iPads:
iPad 5, for sure. The question is whether this will arrive in spring or early summer as in 2010, 2011 and 2012, or will they now enter the pre-christmas cycle and update each autumn? Apple launched the iPad 4 in the autumn to take advantage of the Christmas quarter and to match the release of the iPad mini. All iPods are updated in the autumn, so does this now mean the iPad will match this schedule?
In terms of spec, the iPad and iPad mini will see small iterations. Faster chips, better camera, possibly more storage. It also seems likely that there will be a top model iPad mini with a retina display. But as with the MacBook Airs, we don’t expect to see retina displays across the line.
iPhone:
A new iPhone 5S (or 6?) is also a certainty. Question is, will Apple fundamentally change the design? The iPhone 5 is likely to be the top selling iPhone of all time. The next iPhone will arrive in the summer/autumn period and is most likely to be the same design as the 5, but with a speed bump and better camera.
iPods:
This is the one segment of Apple products which is in decline, so we don’t expect to see huge developments here. But it is certain that there will be an autumn music event which will herald changes across the line. Will we see the end of the iPod classic in 2013?
Apple TV:
We still remain unconvinced by the idea of a full TV from Apple. We do think it likely that Apple TV will get apps and games, continuing the development of this device, enhancing what is probably the best value product given its 110 euro price.
Macs:
On thing for sure is that we will see a new Mac Pro. Apple were criticised in 2012 about the very minor speed bump to the existing line and the Mac Pro has been the least revised Mac model over the past few years. Tim Cook has said a new Mac pro is coming in 2013 and given the news that one Mac line all be produced in the US in 2013, it is likely that this will be the Mac Pro.
The iMac range has been revised before Christmas so don’t expect any changes until next summer or autumn. The new thin design and faster spec is going to be the model for the majority of 2012.
Moving to laptops, we are likely to see changes in 2013 and possibly in the MacBook Air, Apple’s biggest selling Mac line. There is a possibility that we will see retina displays in the top models, but we would bet that this will not extend to the entire line. The 11” MacBook Air is still Apple’s cheapest model and aimed at education and home users, so there is a need to keep the price down (close to €1000). The top of the range Air is likely to come with a retina display, where price is less sensitive. We also hope that storage prices drop and so the Air can offer more than the low 64 and 128GB space on the standard 11” models.
Now that the MacBook Pro is split into two lines, we may begin to see the older superdrive-models being phased out. In 2012 we saw the 17” MacBook Pro disappear and we are likely to see the retina-display models become the standard once the prices can drop down a few notches. We are not sure ALL superdrive models will vanish in 2013, but if Apple can sell the 15” retina display MacBook Pro for close to €2000, then it will be time to retire the old models. Right now there is approximately a 500 euro mark up on the retina display models over the standard editions- if Apple can close this gap it will unify the line, based on retina displays.
iPads:
iPad 5, for sure. The question is whether this will arrive in spring or early summer as in 2010, 2011 and 2012, or will they now enter the pre-christmas cycle and update each autumn? Apple launched the iPad 4 in the autumn to take advantage of the Christmas quarter and to match the release of the iPad mini. All iPods are updated in the autumn, so does this now mean the iPad will match this schedule?
In terms of spec, the iPad and iPad mini will see small iterations. Faster chips, better camera, possibly more storage. It also seems likely that there will be a top model iPad mini with a retina display. But as with the MacBook Airs, we don’t expect to see retina displays across the line.
iPhone:
A new iPhone 5S (or 6?) is also a certainty. Question is, will Apple fundamentally change the design? The iPhone 5 is likely to be the top selling iPhone of all time. The next iPhone will arrive in the summer/autumn period and is most likely to be the same design as the 5, but with a speed bump and better camera.
iPods:
This is the one segment of Apple products which is in decline, so we don’t expect to see huge developments here. But it is certain that there will be an autumn music event which will herald changes across the line. Will we see the end of the iPod classic in 2013?
Apple TV:
We still remain unconvinced by the idea of a full TV from Apple. We do think it likely that Apple TV will get apps and games, continuing the development of this device, enhancing what is probably the best value product given its 110 euro price.
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