There’s been plenty of speculation recently surrounding Apple’s product plans for the remainder of the year. Conjecture and Internet based chit-chat continues to grow regarding what may or may not be included in iOS 8. Most of which will be either confirmed or denied when we get our first glimpse of the firmware in June at WWDC 2014. There’s also mounting speculation about the fruit company’s plans for the next-generation iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 6, with most focus being specifically placed on the device’s display dimensions. Ming-Chi Kuo, of KGI Securities fame, has added fuel to that fire and put the cat amongst the pigeons by releasing a product timeline, indicating that Q3 could be a huge period for Apple.
Internal Apple documents that have recently made their way into public domain, thanks to the ongoing patent battle with Samsung, have already confirmed that 2014 will be a big year for the company. The recently revealed slides indicated that Apple were aware that “consumers want what we don’t have“, but also revealed that they were intending to rectify that this year. The product timeline released by Ming-Chi Kuo indicates that the back end of this year will be a hive of Apple product activity, with only a relatively small iMac update as we reach the end of June, as well as the introduction of a cheaper iMac. We’ll more than likely get a better insight into that iMac refresh at WWDC.
As we step into quarter 3 things will start to get lively. The timeline seems to suggest that the iPad mini with Retina display and current-generation iPad Air will be the first products to receive an overhaul. Consumers should also expect to see a new iPhone hitting shelves not long after that iPad refresh, which will feature an all new design with a 4.7-inch display. The product timeline also seems to confirm previous rumors regarding Apple’s intention to launch a second iPhone device later in the year with a 5.5-inch display. We’ve heard this from a number of sources now but remain skeptical.
In the middle of all that madness, OS X fans will be pleased to see that an all new 12-inch ultra slim MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will be introduced to compliment the existing MacBook range. It’s also being predicted that Apple will make a big deal of its’ first wearable – the iWatch. Kuo is predicting that the device will come in two different sizes and will launch after the iPad refresh, but before the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 hits stores. Finally, the much anticipated Apple TV upgrade will come in the middle of all that madness. Will we see the introduction of an Apple TV SDK allowing third-party developers to offer apps for the product? Let’s keep our fingers crossed for that one.
(Source: AppleInsider)
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