Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Should an iPad Mini with Retina be strategically held back?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 35.1%
  • No

    Votes: 24 64.9%

  • Total voters
    37

KittyKatta

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
1,058
1,212
SoCal
The iPad Mini has proven to be a success but the lack of retina has made it a product that seemed ready for a revision even before it was released. So, considering the iPad 4 backlash then should Apple hold off on releasing an updated iPad Mini with Retina? Why or Why Not?

I think there's a valid argument for both sides:

The negativity associated with an "unfinished" iPad Mini and an "early" iPad 4 may have contributed to the falling stock price so updating so soon may cause people to be more apprehensive or less impulsive when buying an Apple product.

But...

On the other hand, technology shouldn't be held back just because people will yell at you if you improve their products too soon so if a Retina iPad Mini is ready then it shouldn't be held back.


IMO, if a retina version is ready then I think it's good for everyone. Apple gets a product lineup with no compromises and fans get the option to buy the product that they wanted from the start. For me, I love my iPad Mini but if a retina version is ready then I want it NOW! :D
 

charlieegan3

macrumors 68020
Feb 16, 2012
2,394
17
U.K
I think it would be dangerous to move to releasing products unpredictably - like you said, they would loose out on lots of impulse buys.
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
Apple has never given a damn about their share price. Never have done, never will. And plenty of people have figured out by now that that is to a great part responsible for Apple's incredibly high share price - many companies make one decision after the other that helps the share price in the short term and damages the company in the long term. Apple doesn't.

And don't confuse posters here with what real people think.
 

identity

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2011
316
0
Apple has never given a damn about their share price. Never have done, never will. And plenty of people have figured out by now that that is to a great part responsible for Apple's incredibly high share price - many companies make one decision after the other that helps the share price in the short term and damages the company in the long term. Apple doesn't.

And don't confuse posters here with what real people think.

Says don't confuse posters here with what real people think, yet posts on macrumors...
 

mpayne2k

macrumors 6502a
May 12, 2010
876
63
I say get the iPad Mini w/ Retina Display out ASAP. Put a discount on the iPad Mini (first gen) and push the market of them being more competitively priced and have the Retina version slide in at the current price points. This way, they cover their bases. The early buyers should be happy they had the iPad Mini all along, the on the fence people that didn't budge due to price can get the first gen, and the retina followers get their iPad mini with retina.
 

joshwithachance

macrumors 68000
Dec 11, 2009
1,991
914
The best strategy, in my humble opinion, would be to get the retina mini out sometime in the Spring, and bring down the price of the current mini to $279.
 

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,537
398
Middle Earth
Likely scenario is doing a launch around the time that back to school ends. I'd think that September 2013 would be an ideal launch.

Retina isn't holding back iPad mini sales...lack of production is. Also the differences for some people are even harder to see because the iPad mini is 163ppi which is higher than the Original iPad and iPad 2.
 

TickleMeElmo

macrumors regular
Jun 19, 2012
123
0
Apple has never given a damn about their share price. Never have done, never will. And plenty of people have figured out by now that that is to a great part responsible for Apple's incredibly high share price - many companies make one decision after the other that helps the share price in the short term and damages the company in the long term. Apple doesn't.

And don't confuse posters here with what real people think.

Apple absolutely does care about share price. Apple is not beholden to anybody other than its stockholders. Companies are legally obligated to care about the share price.
 

irDigital0l

Guest
Dec 7, 2010
2,901
0
iPad Mini 16GB - $279
iPad Mini with Retina display 16GB - $329
iPad with Retina display 16GB - $499

Launch the Retina version in March.
 

cardfan

macrumors 601
Mar 23, 2012
4,191
5,269
As an Apple investor, I don't want to see a retina Mini for a long time. Sell the crap out of the nonretina. Increase the speed or other things for the next couple of cycles. Margins should go up on it.

Let retina sell the bigger ipads. A thinner ipad 5 will do wonders.

Also, I'd like to see the iphone launch moved back to summer. Last fall was too much at once. Even the apple centric blogs seem tired after the ipads. Ipads are better suited for the holidays anyways. Phones, not so much. Carrier plans & contracts make them too personal to buy as presents in a lot of cases.

Now, as a customer? I'd buy the retina Mini yesterday. Bring it on. I'd have no need for the bigger ipad.
 

Fattytail

macrumors 6502a
Apr 11, 2012
902
242
It'll be a tremendously tall task to get out a retina device in less than a year and retain the same battery life and weight. I don't think Apple does it until the mini 3 in 2014. Note that Anandtech also indicated that they don't think Apple will do a retina mini next year because of technical challenges in doing so. These things are selling just fine as is.
 

FrozenDarkness

macrumors 68000
Mar 21, 2009
1,723
964
iPad Mini 16GB - $279
iPad Mini with Retina display 16GB - $329
iPad with Retina display 16GB - $499

Launch the Retina version in March.

This pricing is so far fetched its hilarious. You know for all the hubbub over ipad minis lack of retina, people didn't realize that apple also didn't laminate the mini screen, something most apple products have now to reduce glare, AND its still the least profitable item in apples lineup. An ipad mini with retina won't make sense as it'll most likely require a slightly thicker form factor and will decrease margins even more
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.