We’ve all been saying how Apple’s run of luck may be dwindling rather fast. If it was the iPhone 5 last year that failed to make as big a mark as Apple had hoped, this year, we thought the iPad 4 would be losing some of its sheen, thanks to a slew of new Android tablets in the 10-inch market, in addition to the Microsoft Surface Pro. And so we thought Apple was busy making a spectacular iPad 5 to combat the growing competition. Instead, the latest news suggests that Apple’s coming out with a 128 GB iPad 4. But is that really what the consumer wants? The new iPad model comes with a price tag of $799, significantly higher than the average tablet, and in the range of a laptop. Tech enthusiasts are saying that this move from Apple could be a defensive strategy, after sliding sales of the iPad 4. If experts are to be believed, then this new iPad model is designed to fend off competition from upcoming tablets and hybrid devices running on Windows 8 which will soon enter the market, including Microsoft’s very own Surface Pro. The 128 GB Surface Pro is available with a keyboard cover at a price of $999, and has enough power to perform like a regular laptop. Also expected in the coming months are laptop-tablet hybrid devices powered by Intel’s new Haswell chip – a far more power efficient processor. This could very well increase the competition in the tablet space as well, given that these devices can function like regular laptops, but be as portable as tablets. There’s also speculation that Apple’s move to introduce an iPad with so much storage space could potentially indicate the company’s desire to discontinue the 11-inch MacBook Air with its 64 GB SSD hard drive. It doesn’t sound too far-fetched when you consider the fact that it’s the only MacBook device which costs less than $1000. But at $799, the 128 GB iPad is $200 less than this model, and hence, a more optimum choice for consumers looking for more storage and an ultra-portable form factor. But really, is an extra addition of storage space sufficient for the iPad to regain some sales in the coming months? Or is this is just a temporary fix from Apple, until they bring out a more powerful, more exciting iPad 5? We can only hope.
