Although Apple already has a number of third-gen iPads circulating in its supply chain, Cupertino is in little rush to launch the latest iteration of its wildly popular tablet.
To be sure, a true “second-place” tablet has yet to challenge Apple’s dominance of the market. As such, the iPad 3 probably won’t be available until sometime in 2012.
“In our view, Apple should be in no rush,” J.P. analyst Mark Moskowitz wrote in an investors note obtained by AppleInsider.
“The other tablet entrants have stumbled so far, and that trend-line could persist deep into 2012.”
According to Moskowitz, competitors like Motorola and Research in Motion (RIM) have “disappointed” with their tablet offerings, while Sony is the next company projected to fail in its entrance to the lucrative space.
“To us, Sony’s tablet lacks the refined, sleek feel of the iPad and its bezel-like back is not user-friendly,” he opined.
“[Plus], the sony tablet runs on the Android OS, which has failed to garner as much interest in tablets as it has in smartphones.”
In contrast to Sony, Moskowitz said he saw Amazon as having the potential to create a true second-place tablet in the market.
However, he acknowledged that an e-reader would be hobbled by “diminished user expectations” when compared to a full-fledged tablet – making the transition from e-ink to color touchscreen rather difficult.
“Amazon’s Kindle may not be a harbinger of the company’s future success in tablets, in our view… [So] until we see how Amazon fares, we think the next potential threat to Apple’s tablet dominance is not until late 2012 when Windows 8-based tablets could hit the market.”
