Apple News: Black Friday Deals In U.S. & Canada

Apple Inc. is offering Black Friday deals in the U.S. and Canada that mimic the deals offered in Australia. The company will be giving customers gift cards to spend in the Apple Store rather than offering huge discounts on products like the iPad Mini with Retina Display. While this may be a disappointment to some shoppers, it is a smart move by Apple.

In Europe, Apple opted for more traditional discounts rather than giving gift cards. According to Apple Insider, customers wishing to see direct cash savings on new Apple products should try authorized resellers like MacMall, Best Buy, and Amazon.

In regards to Apple’s deals offered via its gift card program, the U.S. package looks to be pretty good. The iPad Air will land you a $75 gift card to the Apple Store, and the standard iPad Mini or iPad 2 will net a $50 card. A MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac earns a $150 gift card. iPod Touch snags $50 and the iPod nano and Apple TV will get you a $25 gift card. Unfortunately the iPhone does not qualify for any rebates or discounts this year.

This swap from the normal discount programs is most likely a push for the company to retain its profit margins. Giving the gift cards will help customers grab more loot from the Apple Store than they normally would, but it doesn’t help reduce the bottom line of what they have to spend.

iPhone 5C Production At Foxconn Factory Scrapped For iPhone 5s

Foxconn is easily one of Apple’s largest suppliers when it comes to the iPhone5. The company has been one of Apple’s go-to suppliers on almost every major project involving the iPhone, and its size and scale make it the perfect manufacturer for Apple’s flagship product.

All of these facts come to mind now that rumors are circulating that Foxconn is going to reduce iPhone 5c production at its factory in Zhengzhou, which is located in northern China. The company is not breaking ties with Apple, but is rather shifting its focus over to the more expensive iPhone 5s. According to a report by DigiTimes, which cites unidentified “industry sources,” Foxconn will be cutting back on production of the iPhone 5c, so that more of the iPhone 5s units can be manufactured and sent out the door.

As of right now, Foxconn handles roughly 30 percent of Apple’s iPhone 5c orders, while the other 70 percent is handled by Pegatron Technology. Pegatron’s production of the iPhone 5c has also been reduced since the device first went on sale in September of this year.

This is the first time ever that Apple has launched two separate iPhone models, with the iPhone 5c coming in a variety of colors and a plastic case. The iPhone 5s sports a much sturdier aluminum casing and is the exclusive device that has the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that allows only the phone’s owner to have access. While the iPhone 5c is cheaper, the more costly model seems to be the favorite with early purchasers. However, several people have predicted that the iPhone 5c will see its own share of success in the long run. 

Is The Deck Stacked Against Apple’s iPad?

We published a report yesterday explaining that iPad had finally been topped in terms of revenue in the tablet market by devices that are Android based. Today, while researching the topic further, I was pointed to an article published early this morning by Apple Insider. The article is titled “The curious case of IDC, Gartner & Strategy Analytics’ PC, phone & tablet data on Apple.”

Daniel Dilger, the author of this piece points out that market research firms have been biased against Apple Inc. for several years. He goes back as far as 2004 in his research to quote articles claiming doom and gloom for the Mac brand as Apple’s market share dropped to less than 2 percent in the global PC market.

Dilger is however, careful to point out that none of the people who thought that Apple was a dying company could see the value of the soon to be launched iPhone, nor did they realize that powerful device would carry Apple to the top of the smartphone market. These people also failed to see the coming of the iPad, a powerful mini-computer that offered everything a Mac offered – on the go.

He claims that research firms have been altering the way they gather data in order to skew public opinion of Apple Inc. By making the terms used to define tablet computers very broad, they can include devices that have no direct bearing on iPad sales. These devices are actually the furthest thing from being competition to Apple’s top notch tablets.

Check out the full article here.

Reviews Of iPad Mini With Retina Display

The iPad Mini with Retina Display is finally here, and not a moment too soon. Here's what the top reviewers have to say about the amazing little tablet that could jump-start Apple's holiday sales.

PCMag.com - "Beautifully built...an absolute pleasure to use."
CNET - "Powerhouse...top end tablet...editor's choice."
The Verge - "The one you really wanted."
Apple Insider - "It's an impressive technical achievement."
Engadget - "As good as the Air, just smaller."
MacWorld - "The iPad Mini Apple wishes it could have made in 2012."

Let us know what you think of the new iPad Mini with Retina Display. Does it live up to your expectations?

Apple May Release The iWatch In Two Screen Sizes

According to DisplaySearch, a supply chain analysis firm, Apple Inc. is planning to release an “iWatch.” David Hsieh, an analyst at the firm, says that Apple will be releasing the new product with two screen options to choose from. According to Hsieh, the iWatch will sport an OLED display and will come in a 1.7 inch screen size for men and a 1.3 inch screen size for women.

If Apple Inc. is truly working on an iWatch, and all indications are that this is the case, then branching into wearable computers is a whole new market. This will be the first time Apple has gone beyond making accessories that compliment consumers’ clothing choices, and actually added something to the wardrobe.

iWatch Rumor Mill

iWatch rumors have been making the rounds for quite some time. However, up until now, there has been no indication that the company was actually planning to launch such a product. According to Apple Insider these rumors have “picked up significantly in 2013.” The report goes on to say that Apple has “a team of more than 100 employees working on the project and has snapped up industry experts in fashion, wearable devices, and fitness throughout the year.”

It appears that the iWatch will be more than just a watch, or a wearable iPod. The smartwatch will feature a full arsenal of biometric sensors, and it is even possible that the iWatch will function as a standalone product, rather than requiring it to be linked to something else. This watch will be a direct competitor of the Samsung Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch manufactured by Apple’s biggest competitor in the mobile device world.

iWatch Benches Apple TV

Last year rumors of Apple Inc. attempting to work out a deal with cable companies to market its Apple TV as a standalone product were making the rounds. While it was apparently true that Apple was trying to create such a deal, it appears that all of that has been put on hold in lieu of the iWatch project.

According to Paul Gagnon, another display search analyst, the choice to focus on the iWatch is the best one due to consumer interest waning in a television product. He said, “Indeed, the existing Apple TV box may be an impediment to Apple’s success with a smart TV product, which as a category, is not growing in the U.S. as man had hoped for. Our most recent smart TV forecast is that they will only account for about a quarter of TV shipments in 2013, and grow very slowly from there, with the focus on low-end premium models.”

iWatch Is Coming

iWatch will most likely be announced early next year, and then launched later on. For now, Apple Inc. has yet to confirm the development of the product, but we all know that just because the Cupertino tech giant doesn’t admit to having something, doesn’t mean they don’t. Until the iWatch is announced by Apple, we will have to simply keep checking the rumors out. Some will be true, and some will not, but that is why the anticipation builds to such a frenzy with each new Apple product.