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iPad Air costs $274 to build, $42 less than iPad 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2013

Thanks to Apple's economies of scale, advanced manufacturing, smart engineering and the latest technological solutions, Apple's fifth-generation full-size iPad, the iPad Air, is actually cheaper to produce than the third-generation model - despite packing in the latest technology, research firm IHS Suppli has discovered in a new teardown analysis.

Total cost of components that go into the latest iPad is between $274 and $361, depending on the model, which is still $42 cheaper than the entry-level iPad with Retina display. The priciest iPad Air component by and large is its Retina display and the touchscreen assembly.

Both components incorporate a number of improvements such as fewer, more advanced LED lights providing the backlighting to the display and a new type of sensor known as a cycle-olefin polymer (COP) sensor located right underneath the outer layer of Gorilla Glass. More tidbits right bellow...

JD Power offers bizarre explanation defending its botched tablet rankings

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

With the release of new iPhones and iPads, Apple has retired the somewhat defensive 'Why iPhone' and 'Why iPad' web campaign. It makes sense: Tim Cook & Co. probably think others should now defend themselves against the new iPhone 5s and iPad Air.

Fans will recall both of Apple's web pages gave undecided customers plenty of reasons to consider an iPhone and iPad over competing products, citing - among other reasons - rampant Android malware and high satisfaction scores by J.D. Power.

On the other hand, the removal of J.D. Power scores from Apple's web site could easily have everything to do with J.D. Power's last week tablet scores giving Samsung the top tablet ranking even though the South Korean company won only on price.

The results of that survey have sparked a heated debate and prompted some tough questions among the Apple faithful because the iPad clearly bested Samsung in all of the remaining five categories: Overall Satisfaction, Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design and Tablet Features.

And now in a seeming PR damage control maneuvering, J.D. Power is attempting to defend the indefensible by claiming the survey wasn't botched and arguing the rankings hold up - even if the reputable research firm's actual explanation is pretty bizarre, to say the least...

Samsung bests Apple in latest J.D. Power tablet customer satisfaction survey

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

J.D. Power and Associates is an American-based marketing information services firm that's highly regarded for its research on customer satisfaction. Apple loves to quote their surveys, and does so at media events and on earnings calls.

But this is one report Tim Cook and company are probably not going to be mentioning. In J.D. Power's latest tablet customer satisfaction survey, Apple was bested by Samsung on overall satisfaction and in particular areas like device cost...

Samsung now selling 1 out of each 3 smartphones

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 29, 2013

Although Apple sold 33.8 million iPhones during the third quarter, up from 26.9 million a year ago, South Korean Samsung continues to dominate smartphones on a global scale. The company sold more than 88 million smartphones during the same period, comprising 33.2 percent of the worldwide smartphone market, according to one market research firm.

Despite its uptick in unit sales, Apple's share of the smartphone market for the quarter slipped to 13.4 percent, down from 15.6 percent - something that should be corrected in the fourth quarter, as sales of new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s smartphones come into full view...

JD Power: Apple leads in satisfaction on AT&T/Verizon, Samsung on Sprint/T-Mobile

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

When it comes to smartphone satisfaction, carriers are key. That's the central finding of J.D. Power, which Thursday released its latest study indicating Apple and Samsung lead in satisfaction across all four major U.S. providers.

When it comes to the iPhone, customers of long-time Apple partners Verizon and AT&T love the Cupertino, Cupertino, company's smartphone lineup, more than any other smartphone brand.

As for South Korean Samsung, Sprint customers report are most satisfied by the Galaxy family of smartphones. Which U.S. carriers do the best job supporting smartphones? According to the study, AT&T and Sprint report the greatest satisfaction, followed by T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless...

How rapid adoption of iPhone 5s/5c is preventing Android-like fragmentation

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 16, 2013

We've all heard the Android propaganda: vast numbers of cheap smartphones based on Google's mobile software will overcome the quality of Apple handsets. Not so fast, say new web traffic numbers. In less than a month, 40.6 percent of iPhones online are the new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c models.

Indeed, if this upward curve continues, the majority of iPhones will be using Apple's latest technology at most one year old. By comparison, Android continues suffering from fragmentation marked by apps developed for a time when Apple's iOS 3 was just launched...

Apple’s iOS 7 hits 71% adoption in under a month

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Apple's iOS 7 continues to break records when it comes to how quickly the mobile software is being adopted. In less than a month, nearly 75 percent of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners have upgraded, topping the pace of iOS 6.

New numbers show in only 27 days 71 percent of iDevice owners had adopted iOS 7 by Monday. By comparison, Apple's previous version of iOS needed 30 days to reach 61 percent adoption, the Cupertino, California company's previous record...

iPhone 5s outselling iPhone 5c more than two-to-one

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 14, 2013

More sales estimates released today indicate the iPhone 5s continues to outsell the iPhone 5c, Apple's other smartphone released in September. Indeed, the iPhone 5s - decked out in fingerprint sensor, new A7 processor and all - accounts for 64 percent of Apple handset sales, flying off shelves more than twice as fast as the more colorful iPhone 5c at 27 percent.

However, will that sales lead last beyond the early demand fueled by first-adopters and other Apple fanatics? Plus, can the two new iPhones perform as well as their iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s counterparts did?

Chrome’s share of total iOS web traffic doubles since last year

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2013

Google's Chrome went from zero market share to becoming the world's most popular desktop web browser in just five years. And since its release on Apple's iOS platform in June 2012, Chrome's been consistently the top third-party browser on the App Store (free download), making its way on a lot of people's Home screens. Research firm Chitika estimates that Chrome's share of web traffic coming from the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices has doubled since June 2012 launch.

Just 24 hours into its launch Chrome became the App Store's most popular free app and grabbed an estimated 1.5 percent share of total iOS web traffic. Today, Google's iOS browser accounts for three percent of total iOS web traffic...

iPhones and iPads remain the top pick among US teenagers

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 9, 2013

Despite Samsung's attempt to label the iPhone as past its prime, Apple remains the top pick among US teenagers. More than half of American teens own an iPhone with nearly three quarter of young people choosing an iPad when it comes to tablets.

When it comes to purchasing decisions, popularity of cheaper Android devices have barely moved the needle, if at all. The figures from Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster bode well for Apple and its continued growth among the key consumer demographic now driving technology purchases...

iPhone gaining over Android in US, two-thirds of iOS users on Apple Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2013

Breaking all of the preconceived notions about the cyclicality of the iPhone, a new survey shows Apple's iOS gaining on Google's Android and the embattled BlackBerry during a three-month period ended August 2013. The iPhone gained 1.3 percentage points ranking as the top smartphone vendor in the United States with a cool 40.7 percent share of the nation's smartphone subscribers.

Although Google's Android led with a dominating 51.6 percent share, its slice of the smartphone platform market actually shrank by 0.8 percentage points. What's really interesting about Apple's growth is that iOS outsold Android without the new iPhones. The full breakdown is after the break...

iPhone boosts T-Mobile sales, overtakes Android in Japan

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 1, 2013

The iPhone has fueled smartphone sales by Apple's latest U.S. carrier partner, Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile USA. In the three-month period ended in August, the service provider saw its share of domestic smartphone sales jump to 13.2 percent, up 1 percent.

According to a report released Monday, the carrier began in April attracting owners of feature phones upgrading to smartphones. Now, however, 56 percent of consumers buying an iPhone from T-Mobile are coming from another smartphone. Indeed, more than 38 percent of T-Mobile's smartphone purchasers previously owned Android handsets...