iPad Marketing Strategy.

At Vertygo Team we feel quite puzzled.
The iPad, the new Tablet from Apple seems like an unnecessary product.

Basically the iPad looks like a bigger iPhone, an iPhone with just a bigger display. Actually, the iPad display is a lot smaller than the device physical dimensions, there is a fairly thick black border around each side.

It's a bulky device compared to an iPhone, of course it doesn't fit in your pocket, it is less functional and has far less features than a netbook or a laptop computer.

What shall be the iPad marketing strategy? we bet it will follow the marketing strategy that Apple used for the iPhone and for the iPod Touch.
At first, Apple will market the product only in the US, after 3-4 months they will market the iPad in other countries.
After 6 months, Apple will make a price rebate. At launch the basic 16GB iPad price is $499 and does not have 3G connectivity. The top of the range, the 64GB iPad with 3G connectivity is priced at $829.

We bet that, after 6 months from launch, Apple will sell the 64GB iPad with 3G connectivity at $499, (a $330 rebate) and the 32GB iPad with 3G connectivity at $399 (again, a $330 rebate).
Early adopters shall be thankful to Apple, once again.

We await Apple marketing executives comments on this, we promise we shall publish them on our website.


iPad Features

Apple is proposing the iPad as a mobile device to read e-books, browse the web, write and receive emails, view movies and photos on a screen that is 30% smaller than the screen of a laptop and weighs 700 grams. The iPad is touch screen operated - similarly to the iPhone and the iPod Touch - and has a virtual keyboard, obviously larger than the iPhone virtual keyboard.

In detail, the iPad features a 9.7" display with 1024x768 resolution, has WiFi connectivity, is 1.3 cm thick (half inch), has a total 24x19 cm size (9.5x7.5 inches) and weighs 700 grams (1.5 pounds).
Apple claims the battery lasts 10 hours. Some models will also have 3G connectivity, and will be sold at a $130 higher price.

Steve Jobs claims the iPad gives the best way to experience the web.
Yet, the iPad does not have Flash Player, Flash is essential on the web and is used everywhere. Surfing the Web without Flash gives you big empty boxes in the middle of a page. Video on the web is mostly implemented in Flash. No Flash, no video.
So, what Steve Jobs says is untrue. Actually the iPad gives one of the worst web experiences you can imagine.
Besides, the iPad does not have USB ports and does not have a camera.

We do not know where Apple is going to go with this product.
The iPad doesn't look neither impressive, nor revolutionary.

And the name too - iPad - is terrible.

Frankly, we are disappointed.


iPad Pricing

The iPad is priced starting from $499 for 16GB storage to $829 for 64GB storage and 3G connectivity.
The iPad will be on the US market by march 2010 and in the worldwide markets by june-july 2010.
Specifically, the iPad retail price will be $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, $699 for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model. The iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Stores.

Will the iPad be a flop?