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

iPad mini iPad Mini Retina would need a bulky 12W charger

G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
think about it

why "spoil" users with the compact 5W charger in 2012 and then "disappoint" them with a bulkier charger in 2013

if Apple was planning to release a retina ipad mini in the next 12 months, they would have shipped a bulky charger with the current one in the first place

what do you think?
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Oh frickin no. Next you're going to say you actually prefer non-Retina.
 
G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
I'm ok with the bulkier charger.

The point is, from apple "packaging and charger design team" point of view it would be a step backward, so iPad Mini retina won't happen until it is feasible to charge it with the compact 5W power adapter.

File it as "yet another reason why the Digitimes 2013 iPad mini retina rumor may be BS".

Or may not.
 
blackhand1001

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,599
33
Pretty sure most people complained that the mini should have came with the 12 watt charger anyways and were disappointed that it came with the 5 watt.
 
G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
blackhand1001 said:
Pretty sure most people complained that the mini should have came with the 12 watt charger anyways and were disappointed that it came with the 5 watt.
Click to expand...

Most people on forums.

The general public would see it as a step backward*, it just feels weird on Apple's side if they were planning to ship a retina iPad mini in 2013.


*a pretty noticeable one, unlike the "grab a caliper and a precision scale if you want to notice" step backward in the iPad2-to-iPad3 transition.
 
Chundles

Chundles

macrumors G5
Jul 4, 2005
12,037
493
Our 5W adapters are the same shape and size as our 12W adapters.

It would make no difference here.
 
Dulcimer

Dulcimer

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
895
717
I was thinking about this as well. However, the original iPad wasn't "Retina" and the second generation became slimmer and lighter. When they did go on to the third generation "Retina" iPad in 2012, it was both heavier and thicker than its predecessor. I see them doing the same thing with the mini. By the time the new iPad mini is released (say, summer/fall of 2013) they should have new, more power-efficient displays (e.g., Sharp's IGZO displays).

The bigger problems I see with a "Retina" iPad mini is resolution choice and differentiation between their full-sized and mini line of iPads.

If Apple decides on using the full-sized iPad's resolution on the mini, then the mini will have a higher DPI of 324 (according to my calculations). It makes the full-sized iPad feel less "pro." On the other hand, making a new resolution with a similar DPI to the iPad's 264 would cause defragmentation for iPad app developers. Maybe this isn't as big a problem as I think.
 
G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
90% of consumers haven't even noticed the weight/thickness gain of ipad 3.

Switching back to a bulkier charger (at least in US and EU) would be a bit harder to not notice.

We'll see...
 
I

iEvolution

macrumors 65816
Jul 11, 2008
1,432
2
98% of consumers aren't going to give two craps about the charger, they are buying it for the DEVICE not for how large the charger is. Pretty silly even to someone as fickle about electronics as me.

Do you think a chargers bulkiness will actually affect sales? This is akin to not buying a car because the battery is too big. Apple can thin out anything, I'm sure they can get a 12w charger to an acceptable thinness.
 
W

walmartmartyr

macrumors 6502
Jan 3, 2012
328
3
SJism23 said:
I was thinking about this as well. However, the original iPad wasn't "Retina" and the second generation became slimmer and lighter. When they did go on to the third generation "Retina" iPad in 2012, it was both heavier and thicker than its predecessor. I see them doing the same thing with the mini. By the time the new iPad mini is released (say, summer/fall of 2013) they should have new, more power-efficient displays (e.g., Sharp's IGZO displays).

The bigger problems I see with a "Retina" iPad mini is resolution choice and differentiation between their full-sized and mini line of iPads.

If Apple decides on using the full-sized iPad's resolution on the mini, then the mini will have a higher DPI of 324 (according to my calculations). It makes the full-sized iPad feel less "pro." On the other hand, making a new resolution with a similar DPI to the iPad's 264 would cause defragmentation for iPad app developers. Maybe this isn't as big a problem as I think.
Click to expand...

I thought that the retina display was just the ipad 1's res times 4. Thus the ipad 3&4 just multiply the res by 4. Guess im wrong.
 
G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
iEvolution said:
98% of consumers aren't going to give two craps about the charger, they are buying it for the DEVICE not for how large the charger is. Pretty silly even to someone as fickle about electronics as me.

Do you think a chargers bulkiness will actually affect sales? This is akin to not buying a car because the battery is too big. Apple can thin out anything, I'm sure they can get a 12w charger to an acceptable thinness.
Click to expand...

Never said it would affect sales or consumer choices.

It's just weird.

Apple could have just shipped the original mini with the bigger charger and a thicker box (like in australia), this way nobody would have ever "associated" the mini with the compact cellphone charger. It would have been just the way things are. Instead now it will be a small disappointment and a first time for apple IIRC. (shipping a bigger charger in a next gen iteration)

Or I'm overthinking this.
 
G

giggles

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
1,024
1,238
The point is, I don't believe the Digitimes rumor.

iPad Mini Retina will come in 2014 with power sipping internals/display and the familiar 5W compact charger.

iPad Mini 2013 could have 8Mpx camera, maybe draft AC gigabit wifi, doubled storage, doubled RAM, etc. and the familiar 5W compact charger. Still 1024x768 and ipad2 discontinued.
 
Last edited:
R

raccoonboy

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2012
918
5
Anything new in Ipad mini 2 will surely disappoint the first generation users anyway. It couldn't get any worse for this form factor.

5W adaptor included is a joke. A mobile charger for a tablet, Apple is so cheap.
 
M

mrkjsn

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2010
265
0
giggles said:
Never said it would affect sales or consumer choices.

It's just weird.

Apple could have just shipped the original mini with the bigger charger and a thicker box (like in australia), this way nobody would have ever "associated" the mini with the compact cellphone charger. It would have been just the way things are. Instead now it will be a small disappointment and a first time for apple IIRC. (shipping a bigger charger in a next gen iteration)

Or I'm overthinking this.
Click to expand...

I'm finding that many people who purchased the iPad mini is over thinking because its a way to justify their purchase. Many are worried that they bought too early and should have waited for a retina. So instead, they jump down the throats of anyone saying they'll wait for a retina or that the mini should have have had a retina in the first place.

I doubt that anyone would be disappointed that a retina mini would come with a bigger charger. It's a...charger...
 
D

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
17,989
9,571
Atlanta, GA
giggles said:
Most people on forums.

The general public would see it as a step backward*, it just feels weird on Apple's side if they were planning to ship a retina iPad mini in 2013.


*a pretty noticeable one, unlike the "grab a caliper and a precision scale if you want to notice" step backward in the iPad2-to-iPad3 transition.
Click to expand...

Most people wouldn't notice the difference in size.
 
Menel

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
giggles said:
think about it

why "spoil" users with the compact 5W charger in 2012 and then "disappoint" them with a bulkier charger in 2013

if Apple was planning to release a retina ipad mini in the next 12 months, they would have shipped a bulky charger with the current one in the first place

what do you think?
Click to expand...
The 'bulky' charger features prongs that fold up so create a nice smooth casing that packs less awkwardly.

Most users would take that any day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom