Apple iPad 128GB Announced, Goes On Sale February 5

Apple on Tuesday officially announced the upcoming release of the iPad 128GB. The new memory capacity will be offered via Apple’s fourth generation model.

The Cupertino, California company will offer the new iPad in both Wi-Fi only ($799) and Wi-Fi + Cellular ($929) models. The new memory options will also feature black and white model choices.

Featuring Apple’s retina display the new devices are being targeted squarely at the high-end and enterprise user markets. According to Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller:

“With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs. With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs.”

Announcing a mid-cycle upgrade to its systems is a rare move for Apple. Historically the tech firm has focused on yearly updates, typically reserving system changes to minor iOS releases meant to fix bugs and offer system essential services.

Moving to secure new enterprise customers could be Apple’s attempt to push those users away from Microsoft’s new Surface Pro tablet. The Surface Pro is specifically geared towards high-end and enterprise customers who are looking for a full OS and more robust computing solution.

Apple could also be targeting customers who have moved towards more powerful ultrabooks. Those devices offer high end features, better speeds and more robust memory options for power users.

Recent reports have suggested that Apple customer loyalty is slipping and it is unlikely that Apple will win back many of those customers with a 128GB iPad. With that being said the company could earn more enterprise customers in an attempt to offset its losses.

Enterprise customers offer Apple and other tech firms a more secure future. As businesses adapt to a certain type of technology their IT departments often stick with that tech in order to streamline their network systems. A hospital for example that invests thousands, maybe even millions of dollars in Apple products will be less likely to start from scratch down the road with Google Android offerings.