Rest easy folks, the iPad 3 pricing matrix will mirror that of the iPad 2
With the iPad 3 unveiling just days away and on target for March 7, a rumor surfaced last week – originating from a Chinese microblogging site – claiming that the iPad 3 was going to be $80 more expensive than the iPad 2. For a company that likes to keep things, and especially prices, consistent, this struck many as odd. But with the iPad 3 likely to sport a Retina Display and perhaps a 4G LTE chipset, some articulated that perhaps Apple’s bill of materials for the iPad 3 is higher than it was for the iPad 2 – and hence the price increase.
But thankfully, that rumor turned out to be nothing more than just that – a rumor. 9to5Mac is reporting, citing a source with knowledge of the matter, that iPad 3 pricing is going to be exactly the same as iPad 2 pricing. That’s to say, the base model with just wi-fi will check in at $499 and will increase accordingly depending on storage and 3G/4G functionality.
And speaking of the iPad 2, a report from earlier this week claimed that Apple will offer a cheaper 8GB version of the iPad 2 at a cheaper price point, to be released in conjunction with the iPad 3. Essentially, Apple will be porting their iPhone 4S/4 sales strategy over to the iPad realm. If this sales strategy does, in fact, come to fruition, expect the iPad 2 to sell for about $399, $100 cheaper than the buy in point for the upcoming iPad 3.
via 9to5Mac
