Apple could redesign iPad to offer users MacBook Air hybrid

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has suggested the firm will continue using Intel chips in its MacBook Air range, and hinted it could be on the verge of redesigning the iPad.

Following a meeting with Cook, Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner published a research note suggesting Apple may be about to redesign the iPad to meet the needs of those wanting an ARM-based hybrid device.

"We have wondered whether Apple might offer an ARM-based version of MacBook Air at some point; we walked away from this meeting with the impression that Apple feels iPad satisfies - or will soon satisfy - the needs of those who might have been interested in such a product," Gardner noted.

Although no details were given about forthcoming products, the suggestion that the iPad will be redesigned is likely to send the rumour-mill into overdrive.

It is possible that Apple could offer some form of tablet-laptop hybrid similar to the Asus Transformer Prime, given the limited things that it can do to refresh the current design.

Apple is also unlikely to offer any budget versions of its mobile devices, despite reports prior to the launch of the iPhone 4S. The firm will continue to offer products at the high-end of the market with a premium price tag, stated the Citigroup analyst.

"Peter Oppenheimer [Apple chief financial officer] suggested that the company would continue to focus on producing ‘great products' in the belief that consumers are willing to pay a little more for them," Gardner explained.

"We did not get the impression that Apple feels a burning need to move down-market in smartphones, but rather that the company believes consumer preference will continue to gravitate toward the more capable devices that Apple currently produces."