Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, during the iPad 2 launch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For most of last year, many people were expecting Apple to release a new iPad in March. The October release of the new iPad and the iPad Mini took the wind out of those sails, but with a number of releases since then, many were still expecting March to see something announced by Tim Cook.
Let's take a closer look at the dates. The first iPad? Announced March 10th 2010. The iPad 2 was unveiled on March 2 2011, with the third generation unveiled on March 7th 2012.
Of course the fourth variant, alongside the iPad Mini, showed up six months later on October 23 2012, upsetting the expected rhythm, and apparently replacing it with another. Since October Apple have been releasing updated hardware on an almost monthly basis, such as the 128 GB iPad and the tweaked MacBook Pro hardware.
So what happened in March? (Because I don't think the iCloud update counts). The Samsung Galaxy S4, that's what happened.
Even with the best 'Distortion Field' in the world, the media were going to focus on the launch of the South Korean company's flagship handset and give it a significant amount of coverage. It's one of the key handsets in this year's smartphone story, and I doubt that this time round an Apple announcement would have depressed the digital column inches.
Some people may think that Apple are keeping their powder dry and are going to run the next hardware announcement as a spoiler when the Galaxy S4 first reaches the store? If so that's a short term marketing strategy that's not going to have a long term impact on sales of the S4.
If you had to identify the elements that have driven Samsung's Android success, marketing spend would be very high on that list. If Apple's intentions are to come down and fight on the ground with Samsung (and they've already started throwing punches) then I hope that Phil Schiller realises that he is going to be outgunned and needs to be a little more creative. But Apple's intentions should not be reactionary to the Galaxy range. Yes, Android as a platform is numerically stronger than the iPhone, but in terms of sales of a specific handset, Apple still has the number one handset.
The change to the release schedule benefits Apple's income by spreading income throughout the year. Apple release their staff from having to deliver products by a specified date, rather they can deliver when the product is ready. And those manufacturers that are looking to second-guess Apple can no longer predict when hardware will be announced or reach the shops.
Apple are in the comfortable position that they can take a long-term view, rather than having to react to the competition. While their marketing department might be taking pot shots, their own products continue to walk their own path, and do not need to be distracted by the competition.
