苹果iPad转用小屏，幕后另有隐情

几家媒体今日报道称，苹果正在试验较小的屏幕，准备用于即将推出的新款iPad。 外界对此的普遍看法是，与韩国三星电子竞争的苹果公司，正在拓宽其平板电脑产品线。三星Galaxy Tab提供三种尺寸：7英寸，8.9英寸和10.1英寸，价格也不一样。苹果iPad和iPad 2只有9.7英寸一种尺寸。分析师还指出，亚马逊旺销的Kindle Fire的屏幕尺寸是7英寸，正在抢夺苹果的平板电脑市场份额。 除了向消费者提供更多的平板电脑尺寸选择之外，分析师认为通过采用8英寸屏幕，苹果正在寻求降低iPad的价格区间。iPad 2售价是499美元。配备7英寸屏幕的Galaxy Tab最低售价为281美元，10.1英寸Tab的售价是379美元左右。

早些时候流传的iPad迷你版，号称是7寸icQesmc

我不太确定苹果是否正在追随三星。我认为，“幕”后面还有更多的考虑。 大约在一年以前，IHS iSuppli公司在报告中指出，苹果在LCD技术上面的投资已超过30亿美元。 据信接受这些投资的厂商是LG电子、夏普电子和东芝，而且这些投资的使用期限为两年。今天的新闻报道称，正在试用苹果新型屏幕的公司包括韩国LG和台湾友达光电。 去年，IHS iSuppli在报告中指出： 该协议将涉及供应苹果的视网膜显示器。这种显示器已被用于iPhone和iPad，采用了先进的IPS和LTPS技术，通过使用比人眼能够感知的尺寸更小的像素，在小型显示器上实现极高的分辨率。 由于只有拥有IPS技术或者获得了IPS许可的供应商才能生产IPS LCD，因此很难匹配拥有产能或IPS许可的供应商的需求。 分析师认为，获得更高的分辨率是苹果从9英寸转向8英寸屏幕的另一个考虑。屏幕越小，密度更高，也就是在更小的空间里集中更多的像素，因此可以呈现更加税利的影像。较小的显示屏在生产过程中也具有较高的产率。如果苹果生产采用目前技术的8英寸屏幕，将既可以获得更高的分辨率，又可以节省成本。 但苹果以在产品中提供更加先进的技术来超越对手而闻名，而不是渐进式地改进产品。所以我认为，如果苹果计划采用较小的显示器，那可能不只是显示器变小了。与iPad目前使用的屏幕相比，它可能具有技术优势。 如果苹果采用较新的技术，它所获得的好处是，iPad仍可以享有溢价。如果苹果想保持500美元的股价，维持溢价很有必要。而大量销售低价iPad，可能进一步扩大苹果在平板电脑市场的巨大份额。 你认为苹果想干什么？ 编译：Luffy Liu 本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载 参考英文原文：Behind Apple's Alleged Move to Small Screens, by Barbara Jorgensen

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{pagination} Behind Apple's Alleged Move to Small Screens Barbara Jorgensen Several news outlets are reporting today that Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is experimenting with smaller displays for an upcoming version of the iPad. The general consensus is that Apple, in an effort to compete with chief rival Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC), is broadening its tablet portfolio. Samsung offers its Galaxy Tab in 3 sizes: 7-inch, 8.9-inch, and 10.1-inch, at three different price points. Apple's iPad and iPad 2 have a 9.7-inch screen. Analysts also point out that Amazon's well-selling Kindle Fire, with a screen of 7 inches, is eating away at Apple's tablet market share. In addition to offering consumers more choice in tablet sizes, analysts believe that by moving to an 8-inch screen, Apple is seeking to lower the price range of the iPad. The iPad 2 sells for $499. A Galaxy Tab with a 7-inch screen sells for as low as $281; a 10.1-inch Tab is around $379. I'm not so sure that Apple is chasing Samsung. I think there's more going on behind the screen (pun intended). Almost a year ago to the day, IHS iSuppli reported that Apple had invested more than $3 billion in LCD technology. (See: Apple Defies Risk-Management Convention.) The recipients of this investment were thought to be LG Electronics Inc. (London: LGLD; Korea: 6657.KS) , Sharp Electronics Corp. , and Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo: 6502), and the investments would be used over a two-year period. Today's news reports say that the companies experimenting with Apple's new screen include Korea's LG and AU Optronics in China. Last year, IHS iSuppli reported: The agreements would involve the supply of Apple's retina display, used in the iPhone and iPad. The retina display employs the use of advanced in-plane switching (IPS) and low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) technology that provides extremely high resolutions in small displays by using pixels that are smaller than the human eye can perceive. Since IPS LCD production is limited to suppliers that own or have access to the IPS license, it is a challenge to match demand to suppliers that own production capacity and IPS licenses. Better resolution is another advantage analysts cite in Apple's move from 9-inch to 8-inch screens. Smaller displays are denser -- there are more pixels packed in to a smaller space -- so they do provide a crisp view. Smaller screens also produce higher yields in display manufacturing. If Apple were to produce the 8-inch screens using the same technology as it is now, it could achieve both better resolution and cost savings on the smaller screens. But Apple is known for leapfrogging its competition by offering significant technology advancements on its product versions rather than incremental improvements. So I think if Apple is committing to a smaller display, it will be more than just a smaller display. It will have technological advantages over the screens the iPad is using today. The added advantage to Apple, if it is using newer technology, is that the iPad can still command premium pricing. If Apple is going to maintain its share price of $500, preserving a premium price makes sense. Then again, volume sales of a lower-priced iPad could boost Apple's already-hefty share of the tablet market. What do you think Apple is trying to do?