Why iPhone OS 4.0 will be later to the iPad

Apr 09

PhiliPhone, Technology , , , , , 1 Comment

Apple yesterday announced that the new iPhone OS 4.0 will be hitting the ubiquitous mobile phone/device/mini-computer in the Summer, but the iPad would have to wait a few more months until Autumn (the Fall as they would call it). Call it paranoia, but I have a theory why this might be.

The iPhone traditionally sees a new model around the end of June. So that would tie in nicely to the release of iPhone for OS 4.0. Many features, most notably multi-tasking, will not be available to older models except the most recent iPhone 3GS. So to get all the new shiny goodness of OS 4.0 on their device, many iPhone users will have to upgrade. This will generate a ‘need’ in consumers minds so that they end up buying new hardware to run the ‘must-have’ features of the new iPhone OS.

However, the iPad will still only be about three months old by the end of June, and Apple may well be planning to upgrade the iPad’s specs, but not that soon for fear of really, really, upsetting their early iPad adopters.

So I think that Apple will revamp the iPad in 6 Months time, about September-time, and coincidentally will release OS 4.0 for the iPad at the same time. This will drive many who had been critical of the iPad’s first incarnation to think again about purchasing now it has better specs and a shiny new OS. This will also give consumers time to get used to having OS 4.0 and its enhanced features, and they will be gagging to get this same functionality on their iPads too.

Am I being cynical? Time will tell…

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