Apple Reportedly Delays Launch of Jumbo iPad
Though such delays likely sound familiar to even the casual Apple observer, they still raise the question: Is this just a marketing tactic to drum up demand?
By Geoff Weiss • Oct 9, 2014
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Reports swirled this morning that due to frenzied production efforts surrounding its enormously successful 6th generation iPhones, Apple would be forced to delay the launch of an upcoming jumbo-sized tablet.
An official at Foxconn, a leading Chinese assembler of Apple products, told The Wall Street Journal that it was struggling to hire enough workers to produce the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- of which a record 10 million were sold during their first weekend on shelves. All told, 200,000 Foxconn employees are currently dedicated to production.
Coincidentally -- or perhaps not -- the delay reports arrived just one day after Apple sent out an invitation for an October 16 media event that teased, "It's been way too long." On that date, the company is expected to unveil its latest iPad Air 2 (details of which can be found here) in addition to the next generation iPad mini, brand new iMacs and the company's much-anticipated Apple Pay service.
Related: Sick of Apple? Check Out Carrot, a Wireless Vegetable That's Exactly What the Name Suggests.
It is unclear whether the larger iPads -- which the Journal describes as boasting 12.9-inch liquid-crystal-display screens -- will be presented during next week's event as well.
However, to even the casual Apple observer, reports of frenzied production and subsequent launch delays likely sound familiar. There were even rumors, back in August, that the company's iPhone 6 and Apple Watch would fail to arrive on schedule -- before such a schedule had even been announced.
Such hiccups don't seem to jive with Apple's airtight secrecy and infamous self-dominion, which have made it one of the most celebrated marketers of our technological era. Which all begs the question -- is all the hemming and hawing just a way to drum up demand? Whatever the strategy, one thing is undeniable: it works.
Related: Former Apple CEO John Sculley: Steve Jobs Sold Experiences, Not Products
