Anyone reading these words is well aware that the Apple rumor mill is huge. The iPhone 5 was just announced yesterday, it hasn’t even come out yet, and we’re already onto the next Apple rumor. Well, it seems like nerds aren’t the only ones spending their time reading about the latest leaks. This report from Pioneer Press has us really thinking about the business realities of the rumor mill.
Companies like J. W. Hulme and Pad & Quill, makers of high quality iDevice cases, are betting heavily by dedicating resources to following the latest and greatest in rumors. While they may not go to final production until the device is in their hands, this is clearly a rush to be first. If your competitors get their cases out before you, there is a non-trivial amount of cash that will be lost after the flood of new devices dies down. It has gotten to the point where Pad & Quill feels the need to order the new devices from their AT&T rep within a half-hour of announcement. That is some serious dedication.
Just imagine what it must have been like to be a case designer back when the iPhone 4S was announced. On one hand, you probably won’t get the same number of orders as you would if there was a new form factor, but there must be a significant amount of relief. “Whew, no crazy teardrop cases to design this week. Let’s just worry about making cool cases in the current form factor.” As far as other markets, it must be hellish to try to work on Android cases. Let’s just be happy we have it as good as we do here in iPhone and iPad land.
Source: Pioneer Press
