Apple Reveals Thinner iPad and Retina iPad Mini

Top-of-the-line tablet called the iPad Air was launched by Apple Inc. that is about 20% thinner when compared to its predecessor. The 9.7 inch device has a weight of about 1lb and is about 7.5mm thick and according to the company, it is the lightest yet full-sized tablet that can be found in the market today. Just like the company’s iPhone 5S, this device is also powered by the A7. This launch has come at a time when analysts have been predicting that Google’s Android OS is nearly ready to overtake the iOS platform of Apple Inc. as the bestselling tablet platform. A new version of the iPad Mini was also announced by the American multinational.

The resolution of this 7.9 inch has been improved and is very much like its larger version. Therefore, it is being referred to as ‘retina’ display for emphasizing the improved screen. Small tablets like the Google Nexus and Kindle Fire HDX have been announced by Google and Amazon respectively and they are known to have similar high definition displays. An analyst said that many had been of the opinion that the retina display should have been part of the first iPad Mini as well. Also, he added that it was inevitable for the company to lose its market share because there are numerous rival devices being launched.

The overall sector is growing, which is good news, but not necessarily for Apple. There is now a cheaper model of the iPad available in the market because the original iPad Mini will have a lower price, but the company isn’t willing to go to the low-end of the pool because that’s not where the real profit lies. The latest version of its Mac operating system was also announced by the iPhone maker. This new version is called Mavericks and will be available free of charge to those people who have been using OS X since it was launched in 2009.

This would be the first time the company wouldn’t be charging for making a major upgrade to the Mac OS. New leisure and productivity apps and also laptops were unveiled by the company at its October 22nd event, but it did not release a new TV set-top box as had been speculated by some people. As per the latest financial release of the company, 19% of its revenue in the nine months ending in July had been contributed by the iPad. Nonetheless, the company acknowledged that the amount of money it was earning had grown three times slower as compared to the unit sales because a large number of customers were opting for the iPad Mini instead of other models.

Apart from that, the iPhone giant also has to contend with the fact that it’s losing market share to other rival firms. In 2012, Apple had had a 53.9% share in the tablet market. It has been predicted that the Android OS will become the market leader this year with a 49.6% share while Apple has 48.6%. The gap is expected to increase next year.

Apple Planning to Release Cheaper iMacs in 2014; Analyst

When it comes to predicting what Apple Inc., one of the most secret tech firms has up its sleeve; an analyst by the name of Ming-Chi Kuo, part of KGI Securities has an absolutely formidable record. On Saturday, Mr. Kuo forecasted that the iPhone maker will be releasing a new ‘budget’ version of its iMacs by 2014. Apple had surprised its users on September 24th, 2013, when it had announced that it would soon be releasing an updated iMac. The Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing of Apple Inc., Phillip Schiller had made the announcement in a press release.

He had said that the iMac was a perfect example of how fast, beautiful and fun a desktop computer could turn out to be. He had added that the new iMac would have faster graphics, the new Intel processors and its faster PCle flash storage, all contained within its ultra-thin aluminum enclosure. A number of updates were announced to the iMacs and the prices were also revised a bit. However, there was no show of any enthusiasm amongst the iMac users even after these updates. According to the sources of Mr. Kuo, Apple wishes to boosts its market share in the PC market and will therefore develop a range of affordable and entry level desktop computers.

Even though it is an excellent computer, the cheapest of the iMacs still costs about $1299. Thus, for many consumers, it can be a huge investment. It can be a very big investment, considering the fact that analysts are predicting a post-pc world. If the forecast of cheaper iMacs is to be believed, it wouldn’t be the first time for Apple to make its Mac line easier to afford for its customers. Along with the Mac, Apple had used to sell eMac, which was a cheaper and no frills version of the former.

In addition, the company had also offered MacBook Notebooks in black and white and made from polycarbonate along with the MacBook pros. As a matter of fact, this particular line was discontinued in 2010. The analyst is predicting that the overall iMac shipments will be increased because of the reported budget iMac. An increase of about 10 to 20 percent over every year will be seen. He is of the opinion that the iMacs failed to penetrate the non-US market because they were priced too high. Therefore, in order to tap the potential of the non-US markets, Apple will be releasing its budget iMac model.

The company is hoping that this new model will echo the successful release of the budget iPhone called the iPhone 5C. However, the low budget iPhone doesn’t seem to be doing that well. Regardless, Apple might also be considering a change in the pricing strategy of its iMac line in order to overcome the effect of the US partial government shutdown that has been placed as it might trigger a slowing down in the market. The predicted halt in personal spending will not be beneficial for consumer-driven companies like Apple.

iBlockbuster Weekend For Apple’s Latest Release

Apple Inc. announced on Monday that it had sold a higher than expected number of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C in the first three days after its launch on Friday. As per the figures, a total of 9 million iPhones have been sold and that has prompted the company in issuing quite an optimistic financial forecast for the future. In early trading on Monday, the shares of the iPhone maker rose about 4.5% and reached $488.64. The sale of these two new models was double of that of the iPhone 5 in the first weekend after its launch in the past year. In its first three days on the market, the iPhone 5 had managed to sell about 5 million units.

Any analyst stated that the sales figure for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C was indeed impressive and it looks like the company will be selling every 5S that they will manufacture. It had been expected by Wall Street analysts that the company would be selling approximately 6 million units of the two new iPhones. The financial forecast of the company was tweaked to reflect the high number of sales, which is quite an unusual move for the smartphone giant. The company’s previous forecast had included revenue of the fourth quarter of about $34 billion, but it was now adjusting it to $37 billion.

In addition, Apple had forecasted that the gross profit margin would be about 36%, but its estimates had been raised to 37%. Average revenue forecast by the analysts was about $36.10 billion. According to other analysts, the number of sales shows that Apple still bears a very strong connection with its customer base. The critics had assumed that Apple had lost its golden touch, but customers were clearly not singing the same song. The product has received the approval of customers and it’s not the numbers, but the sentiment that counts.

Initial supplies have been eroded by the demand of the iPhone 5S and a number of online orders will be shipped to customers in the next couple of weeks. It was the first time in the history of the company that two iPhones had been launched simultaneously and long lines had formed outside stores in San Francisco, Tokyo, New York and other cities as people were eager to get their hands on the top-of-the-line iPhone. As of Friday, the gold-colored version, which is also available in grey and silver, was sold out. The color will now only be available in October.

From Monday, the other two colors were also sold out and will only be available in October. Tim Cook, Chief Executive of Apple Inc. said that the demand for the new devices was incredible and although the initial supply of iPhones had run out, the stores would continue to receive their shipments of the device regularly. He stated that the patience of the customers was appreciated and the company would be working to provide them with their phones as soon as possible. Apple had also rolled out the iOS 7 just before the launch of the new devices.

Your Fingertip Will Become A Credit Card With iPhone 5S

 

According to Apple Inc., passwords have become overly played out. Therefore, they have decided to tout a new fingerprint scanning system that they are naming Touch ID. This is one of the most prominent and new features that will be available to people when they purchase the upcoming iPhone 5S. The Cupertino, California giant has stated that phone security will be enhanced with Touch ID. This is because people will no longer have to use a four digit PIN for unlocking their phone. This time they would have to use their fingerprints. However, this new feature has another purpose. With Touch ID, people will be able to purchase stuff quickly at the App store and on iTunes.

When iPhone 5S users will browse the digital stores of Apple Inc., they will have the ability of purchasing items simply by pressing the home button instead of having to enter the password of their Apple IDs. This feature is said to be the first step into the world where purchases will be confirmed not by strings of letters and numbers, but will instead use our bodies for confirmation. An analyst of Apple at Edward Jones stated that this approach is interesting as far as e-commerce is concerned and is quite different from what other companies are trying to accomplish.

He added that the use of iTunes to kick off this technology is proof that the same technology could also be used for other applications as well. People have become attuned to the concept of using their smartphones for making online purchases. As per eMarketer, products are now bought and compared by around 75% of all smartphone users and the same group is expected to spend about $15 billion this year in mobile commerce. It is projected that by 2017, people will spend around $30 billion for purchasing stuff from their smartphones.

In the last quarter alone, Apple Inc. was able to generate about $4 billion revenue from its digital stores. That’s why the company wishes to ensure that this transition to mobile shopping happens as seamlessly as possible. This could happen with the simplicity that’s offered by Touch ID. According to analysts, this technology will be adopted by people if it’s effective because it’s unique, portable and doesn’t have to be memorized at all. Nevertheless, worries and issues regarding digital security cannot be alleviated with just a fingerprint scanner. Fingerprints can be copied of lifted with various technologies today.

People only have to touch things for exposing their fingerprints inadvertently. It can be copied easily and people will not even remember they accidentally touched something. It has been suggested that the best way of handling financial transactions is to use a two-step authentication process that requires a fingerprint scanner and also a PIN or password. The fingerprint scan is replacing the PIN option in the iPhone. But, Apple has stated that the fingerprint will be stored in the phone’s internal hardware and not in the cloud so it cannot be stolen and used to make purchases.

Apple Hosting Event For iPhone Update Amidst Worries

Apple has recently launched the fifth generation of the iPhone. The company will now be revealing its latest take on its innovative device. The company will be doing so during an annual event that will shed some light onto the drive of the gadget maker to boost its sluggish pace of development and also of regaining market share that it has lost to competitors. However, the company is sticking to its tight-lipped ways and hasn’t revealed the agenda for the coming-out party of the rumored device that will take place on 11th of September at the company’s headquarters. Nonetheless, it is the tradition of the iPhone maker of showing off the latest generation of its device at this time of the year. This device has reshaped the way people made use of computers since it debuted in 2007.

It was last September that the company launched the iPhone 5 and it has never waited thing long for bringing updates to its device. The device has managed to generate about $88 billion revenue in the complete year. Many investors have become vexed with the timetable that the smartphone giant is following for rolling out its products and they have been watching its growth and profit margins decline gradually. In the meantime, a bevy of devices is being released by other smartphone markets that are operating on the Android Operating system of Google.

They continue to load the market with new devices that are cheaper than the iPhone. Apple’s stock price is reflecting the concerns of the investors as it has decreased by 30% after achieving  a peak of $705.07 at this very time of last year when the iPhone 5 had gone to sale. The market value of the company, which is around $460 billion, may be more than any other company in the market. However, its declining stock price means that pressure is increasing for Tim Cook, the current CEO of the company to proof that he is well-suited to leading the company.

Since he became CEO two years back, he has only introduced new versions of products that had been launched by the co-founder Steve Jobs. Cook has said that the company is working on some amazing products, one of which is rumored to be the ‘SmartWatch’ that’s basically a wrist-bound smartphone. However, other companies like Samsung and Sony have already released their own watches. The update of the iPhone line may address some of the company’s woes, along with the cheap iPhone that the company is said to be working on.

Apple and Verizon Reportedly Readying Up For iPhone 5 Release

One of the most successful and rapidly developing industries of today is that of the smartphones. However, it wouldn’t have come into existence if it wasn’t for the American multinational firm that’s recognized as Apple Inc. This company was the one that launched the first smartphone ever in 2007 in the form of the iPhone. Since then, its devices have become iconic and the company itself has become immensely powerful and popular in the technology market. From the success of the iPhone, the company has moved off to other devices like the iPod and the iPad. With the success of the first iPhone, the company launched others of its ilk.

In September of 2012, Apple Inc., which is one of the most admired companies of the US, launched the fifth generation of its iPhone that was called the iPhone 5. It is nearly a year since the company launched the smartphone and there has been considerable speculation in the market regarding its successor i.e. the iPhone 5S. Samsung launched its flagship smartphone in April of this year and will be launching the successor of its Note line in September. Therefore, it is expected that Apple will also be launching its own device.

According to the latest rumors, the vacation of employees of Verizon and Apple has been limited during late September because they are preparing for the launch of the iPhone 5S. It is for this reason that they will want all hands on deck as it will be a major launch. The release date is expected to be somewhere near September 20th. As per the reports, an event is being planned by the iPhone maker for 10th of September where the company will officially unveil the iPhone 5S first. The leaked photos and videos have shown that the new device will be very much like the iPhone 5, but nothing can be confirmed until the company itself makes an announcement.

Assuming that event invites are sent out by the company for the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, which will be its cheap model of the iPhone, around September 10th, it can be expected that its release date would be around a week later or somewhere near September 20th. Earlier this week, it had come to light that the vacation days of the employees had been restricted by T Mobile and the latest leaks indicate that Verizon is doing the same. Vacations from September 18th to September 22nd have been restricted.

Additionally, it is also claimed that even the support staff of Apple has been forbidden to take leaves from September 15th to 28th as it is near the release date of the iOS7 and the iPhone 5S. This internal information has come to light just after a leak that stated that the staff of Apple was ready to answer any questions regarding the features and design of the new iOS 7. All of this information simply backs up the rumor that indicates that the release of the iPhone 5S would be around September 20th.

Trade-In on Faulty Chargers Offered By Apple

From August 9th and onwards, users of Apple devices in China who are facing concerns and problems regarding their USB power adapters will have the option of visiting any Apple retail store or authorized service provider and dropping off their chargers. In return, they will be provided with an official USB adapter of Apple for $10 or half of its original price. This deal is applicable on a single charger for all Apple devices i.e. the iPod, iPhone and iPad. The USB Power Adapter Takeback was announced by Apple Inc. on Monday. In the US, this program is going to kick off from August 16th and will last till October 18th.

No reason was offered by Apple for introducing this program. On its website, the company only stated that recent reports had indicated that the third-party adapters weren’t designed properly and seemed to have some issues with security. The company said that not all counterfeit chargers and adapters had these issues, but it was still offering the Takeback program through which they could be exchanged. It is believed by some that the program was introduced by Apple because of the recent electrocution incidents that had occurred in China. A 30 year old man had received a shock from his iPhone 4 when it was on charge and is still hospitalized.

In the second incident, a 23 year old girl had answered a call on her iPhone while it had been on charge and had died of electrocution. Guidelines had been posted by the iPhone maker on the Chinese website it has after these tragedies had occurred. The company had recommended that people utilize only the authentic Apple USB adapters. Although the exact circumstances regarding the 23 year old flight attendant aren’t clear, but it is indicated by the series of measures taken by Apple Inc. that it has become cautious about approaching China, the second largest market for the company.

A 1% year on year growth in global sales had been reported by the California based technology giant in the last quarter. However, there had been a 14% decline in sales in Great China where sales had been worth $4.6 billion. This decrease had been attributed to a falling demand of iPhones and lesser inventories. Last week, the CEO of Apple Inc., Tim Cook made his third trip to China in a period of 18 months. Although exact details about his trip remain unknown, it is speculated by analysts that the CEO met the head of China Mobile to work on a potential deal. Also, it is said that he met with partners to discuss the slowing sales of the company in China.

It is rumored that Apple is about to launch a cheaper iPhone for the purpose of attracting customers in China. This device can be successful in the emerging markets and offer Apple the sales figures it desires. However, the company has to ensure that it doesn’t compromise its brand image in the process. This new venture may become crucial for Apple in order to maintain its market share in the competitive smartphone market.

Apple Loses Title of Most Profitable Phone Maker

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is the renowned maker of the first smartphone i.e. the iPhone. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, the company introduced the iPhone in 2007 and gave rise to the smartphone market, which has grown rapidly over the past few years. For a couple of years, Apple remained dominant in the market, but with the launch of the Android OS, other companies also entered the market. None of this worried Apple until Samsung Electronics unveiled its Galaxy smartphones that have become a threat to the company’s iPhone. Now, the two teams are battling for a higher market share.

Although the battle between the two companies is still ongoing, it seems that the iPhone maker has lost another title to the South Korean giant. A well-known research firm called Strategic Analysis has stated that Apple Inc. is no longer said to be the most profitable smartphone maker today. This particular title has been usurped by none other than Samsung Electronics. The results of the second quarter of 2013 were released by the two companies in the past week. According to them, the South Korean tech giant managed to make global profits of around $5.2 billion while Apple’s profits from handset were about $4.6 billion.

The non-handset products are responsible for the difference between the numbers. It has been revealed by the research firm that high wholesale prices, tight cost controls and strong volumes are the secrets behind the success of the South Korean company. Competition from all over the world is said to be the major reason for the financial downfall of Apple Inc. The executive director of Strategy Analytics Neil Mawston stated that Apple Inc. is facing intense pressure for launching more models of the iPhone with larger screens and cheaper price points in order to recapture its market share and lost profits.

What’s more worrisome for the Californian firm is that Samsung is also managing to take over the Chinese market. It was announced by Apple Inc. earlier in this week that the profits of the company from China, including those from Hong Kong and Taiwan had fallen significantly. A decline of 43% was experienced by the company as its revenue from the area plummeted from $4.65 billion. In comparison to last year, the profits were nearly 14% lower. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple spoke to analysts in a conference call and said that he wasn’t sure why profits were falling in China.

This means that it is quite obvious that Apple needs to take some steps if it wishes to remain competitive in the market. Right now, the smartphone market is worth $80 billion and Samsung holds 19% share in it. This is 10% more than Apple Inc. because the company has fallen to the fifth place. The smartphone market is expected to grow to $117 billion in a matter of four years. Apple’s CEO has said that they would be opening up some new retail stores of the company to provide greater exposure.

IDC: Apple and Samsung Losing Their Grip

The global smartphone market has undergone rapid growth in the past few years. Beginning with the launch of the first iPhone in 2007, the industry has become extremely widespread with smartphones from various companies topping the charts. However, even though there are several players in the market now, it remains dominated by two companies; Apple and Samsung. The American manufacturer and South Korean giant respectively hold considerable market share and are constantly striving hard to beat each other in the long run. Nonetheless, there have been statements made by analysts that the smartphone market has reached its peak and is now stable after growing rapidly.

However, the industry research outfit, IDC has stated that the two main players of the market i.e. Samsung and Apple are basically losing their grip on the smartphone market because other firms like Lenovo and LG are gaining market share gradually. Apple launched its iPhone 5 and Samsung introduced its Galaxy S4, but neither have been able to break or make records like their predecessors. The fiscal third quarter earnings were released by Apple Inc. this week that showed the company had managed to sell around 31.2 million smartphones in this three month duration. According to Apple, this is a record figure for this quarter.

But, IDC was quick to rain on Apple’s optimism by stating that the figures showed the second lowers growth of year on year, which has occurred in the past four years. In the second quarter, the iPhone maker only accounted for a 13.1% share in the smartphone market globally. With a 30.4% share, Samsung was way ahead of Apple Inc., but IDC still put a negative spin on the position of the South Korean firm in the global smartphone market. According to the estimates of the research firm, 72.4 million smartphones were shipped by Samsung in the second quarter.

Even though this figure seems impressive and was primarily driven by the success of the Galaxy S4 smartphone, it isn’t good enough because in comparison to the last quarter, the market share of the company declined by 2.4%. The research manager of IDC, Ramon Llamas said that a significant share of the market was held by Apple and Samsung, but they weren’t the only vendors. As a matter of fact, more vendors are targeting the high end smartphone market as new devices are being introduced and launches are being made.

He said that people would indeed be comparing the new devices with the iPhone and Galaxy phones, but the competition still refuses to bow out of the market. Some unlikely aspects have caused a slump in Apple and Samsung in the form of ZTE, Lenovo and LG. A larger year on year growth was enjoyed by these three firms quarterly as compared to their rivals. Llamas also ended that the opposite end of the spectrum cannot be ignored either as low cost smartphones have also managed to gain traction in the market. They are another reason why the high end devices of Apple and Samsung are suffering.

China Will Be Apple’s Biggest Market, Says Tim Cook

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook was on a visit to China this week and was considerably impressed by the secondary market and its significance. He said that it’s very much possible that in the future the company might launch some of its Apple products in China. A Chinese government agency was told by Tim Cook that the United States might be taken over by China as the biggest market of Apple Inc. The CEO of the US giant gave an exclusive interview in Beijing. He clearly stated that the company is growing very rapidly and they will be making continuous investment in retail stores.

He added that the company had selected several sites for the stores and had a manufacturing base and partners as well. Currently, the company has a total of 11 retail stores that are spread around in Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Shanghai. The largest retail store in Asia is the one that was opened last year in October in Beijing, in its commercial hub of Wangfujing. However, the CEO did not mention when exactly China would be taking over the United States. No comment could be obtained from the spokespersons of Apple in China.

According to the company, growth has slowed down a little in the last year even though in 2010 and 2011, sales of the products had doubled. The iPads, iPhones and other gadgets of Apple Inc. are an extreme hit with the highest-earning consumers of China. But the problem is that handsets using the Google Android operating system are dominating the fast growing smartphone market. The purpose of Cook’s visit was to attend meetings with managers of state-owned Unicom that is the first carrier of China to support the iPhone and also with the Chinese regulators.

However, the CEO made no response to the rumors that have been flying about the development of a low-end iPhone. He also met China Mobile’s chairman, which is the biggest phone carrier of the world and its subscribers has surpassed 700 million. The iPhone is not supported by China Mobile currently and it would Apple would greatly benefit if an agreement was made with the mobile phone carrier. The CEO also responded to the complaints that were being made at Foxconn regarding wages and work. This is the Taiwanese manufacturer responsible for assembling Apple’s products in Chinese factories.

Apple Embracing Video Game Controllers

One of the most sophisticated and renowned companies in the tech world is Apple Inc. Based in Cupertino, California, this American multinational corporation revolutionized the world with its amazing and stunning products such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac computers. The company is second to none and has its hands dipped into a lot of pies. Now, it seems that Apple Inc. is making a move in the direction of the video game controllers. The company is now angling to court people who create sophisticated games and those who play them by spurring the development of game controllers for its computers and mobile devices.

New software specifications have been developed by the Silicon Valley tech giant that will help other companies in making game controllers, which will be compatible with its iPod Touches, iPhones, iPads and Macs. It was said by the company that the specifications which had been listed would ensure that all the controllers would boast consistent and proper sets of control. These elements would be such that both game makers and players would be able to rely on them. The document sent to the developers stressed that there should be ways to control the video games and that the controllers should only be used for enhancing the gameplay instead of being a requirement.

It is mentioned in the document that the related software and controller specifications will be part of the iOS 7, which is an upcoming version of the mobile operating system of Apple that was unveiled by the company at its annual developer conference on Monday. In addition, these specifications and software will also be part of the revision of the Mac operating system i.e. Mavericks or OSX 10.9. In a public presentation at the event, the plan of Apple Inc. regarding the controllers was discussed briefly in a slide. This was an indication that the controllers will be part of the company program related to licensed accessories named the MFi.

The issue was also discussed in a closed-door session at the same event. The controller defined in the Apple document is such that devices like the iPhone can be inserted into it. However, this is only possible when there will be control buttons placed on the edge of the controller and also versions that can connect to Macs and iOS powered devices wirelessly. This move by the iPhone maker for providing support to game controllers is said to be the most overt efforts of the company to invite advanced and sophisticated games to its devices.

Many gamers tend to favor controllers because they allow easier and faster commands and movements and these attributes are extremely helpful in sports games and combat. In regard to traditional videogame consoles like Sony Corp’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Corp, they are said to be a hallmark. Some game makers have tried to build games that would require controller buttons, but the attempts haven’t been very successful. This strategy of Apple can aid the company in improving its position against the devices that are powered by Google’s Android operating system.

iPad Mini Going to Hit the Retail Stores and Be Shipped To Early Buyers in November's Start

iPad mini from Apple is nearly set to be introduced next week in an event organized in San Jose on coming Tuesday, and now the news are that it will be shipped almost 10 days after that introduction. 

November 2 may be the shipping date that has been heard from a source close to the supply chain of Apple, echoing an advance report through Geeky Gadgets that it'll be the day when Apple iPad mini will be out for sale.

For iPhone 5, the September 21st retail supply day was telegraphed in advance because of leaked information through carrier associates, as well as retailers are already a resource of Apple-related merchandise leaks previously.

The given date’s also the most rational choice, considering Apple’s latest product release and announcement timelines. For iPhone 5, the company made an announcement on September 12th, with pre-orders starting on September 14th and the devices hitting the stores by September 21st. The Pre-orders for latest iPad began immediately after the announcement was made, and the iPad in fact sent out only 9 days later, but, so it is not yet seen whether the pre-order date for new iPad mini is going to be the same as is for the announcement, or someday following.

Apple also perhaps wishes to take full benefit from the season of holiday shopping, so pushing for obtainability following diligently on the heels of announcement is of course a nice bet. Usually, such plans enjoy substantial success during such holiday season. During the holiday quarter last year, Apple sold around 15.50 million iPads, up from almost 7.35 million in 2011 during the same period. So it can be dignified for record-shattering sales this holiday season, if iPad mini hits a chord with the users in terms of design and price.