With multiple sources now hinting to the iPad 3 and its nearing release, new details are beginning to emerge on the fate of the current iPad 2. In particular, what price point will it sit at when the highly anticipated iPad 3 launches.
iPad 2 to take $299 price point when iPad 3 launches in March?
Given that when the iPad 2 originally launched, we saw the first-gen iPad take a $100 price cut, dipping it to $399. However given that this happened when the iPad stood without any competition, a steeper price drop is expected this time around.
One of the biggest rivals to the iPad 2 and upcoming iPad 3 will no doubt be the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire. While we don’t expect the iPad 2 to drop below $200 to match the Kindle, DigiTimes reports that we may see two distinct iPad 2 models – a high-end model with a “Retina Display” and another lower end model that will be for folks who don’t need all the bells and whistles. As ZDNet puts it,”It’s certainly possible that the version with the higher-resolution screen will be priced at $499, with the other model starting at $399. But the price difference between $199 and $399 is still steep, so Apple could then drop the iPad 2 price to $299 to fill in that gap.”
Of course, this would be a short-lived opportunity given that when the original iPad had its price cut, all units at Apple Stores were sold out within the first few months. We’ll keep you posted as more develops.
