iPad mini Makes no sense to buy Mini 2 without retina

Depends. Rumors are they will be even thinner and more bezel-less than the previous mini. With no retina, I'd probably sell my mini and get a mini 2 if the design is right.

Too many unknowns to make a decision about an unannounced product
We know next to nothing about the design or specs

I love my Mini and it has virtually replaced my full sized iPad 3 now
And the lack of a retina display has not negatively impacted my experience

The mini is such a cypher to me, I own one and a nexus 7, the new nexus 7 has tempted me to get one. But I keep on looking at my mini's screen and wonder why it looks so good to me, it's a bright very vibrant screen. The resolution really only does damper it with text, otherwise the screen to me looks better than it has a right to considering its 1024x600.

I agree...I don't care what cosmetic changes they make to the mini, if it does not have a retina display, they can KEEP it.

If there is a retina mini someday, great. If not, I LOVE my mini just the way that it is today. I think the screen is amazing. I was very much surprised when I turned it on for the first time and I love using it more than my Nexus 7 that I bought back in February.

I love my mini because I'm a long time Apple enthusiast.

I hate that Apple is so greedy... they used the cheapest low res display they could find. All for the sole purpose of insuring they'd maintain their fat profits at the expense of loyal customers like myself.

Last Friday I bought a new Nexus 7.2 with a gorgeous hi res display that's within just four or five pixels of what Apple calls retina. For a full $100 less than I paid for the mini, it proves what's possible.

It's these tactics used by Apple that will catch up to them at some point. In no way am I suggesting its gloom & doom for Apple. But those Apple apologists and excuse makers that defend them and live in denial, only enable this pattern to continue.

Yes, I know that by choosing to buy one, I too enabled Apple. That's the ugly position Apple puts us in.

Agree with OP. No retina, no mini 2. Just with a few speed bumps will not give me a reason to purchase the 2. Got spoiled with retina. It should come out someday, but who knows when.

I'm too spoiled by the retina display. No retina mini means I won't be buying one.

The 512mb of RAM is horrible for web browsing in the current mini. Having more than 4 tabs open causes them to constantly reload when switching between them.

Scarpad said:

The mini is such a cypher to me, I own one and a nexus 7, the new nexus 7 has tempted me to get one. But I keep on looking at my mini's screen and wonder why it looks so good to me, it's a bright very vibrant screen. The resolution really only does damper it with text, otherwise the screen to me looks better than it has a right to considering its 1024x600.

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The new nexus's screen is so much better than the first generations. Everything about it is so much better. The colors, contrast, view angles (no more off angle glow/washout). Its seriously the best screen on the market right now in a tablet. I have both and have played with the mini extensively (my friend had one that he sold)

maxosx said:

Last Friday I bought a new Nexus 7.2 with a gorgeous hi res display that's within just four or five pixels of what Apple calls retina. For a full $100 less than I paid for the mini, it proves what's possible.

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The Nexus proves what's possible when you subsidize a lot of the cost by ad revenue. If Google didn't have that revenue stream there is no way the N7 would be that cheap.

If Apple gets in front of everyone and releases a iPad Mini 2 without retina they should be completely ashamed. For Apple to go two generations with the mini and not be retina is completely insane when they were the ones to start this 'retina' screen race with the iPhone 4. With Google launching the new Nexus 7 with such a high res screen Apple better not miss the boat.

This is why i plan on buying the ipad 5. IF retina mini doesn't come out ill enjoy the 5, if 5 is so light and thin i may not even need the mini. but if its not just sell the 5 to get retina mini when it comes out.

Not all retina is equal. The retina on:

iPhone 5 -- 326 ppi
Ipad retina -- 264 ppi
Mac Pro 13" retina -- 227 ppi
Mac Pro 15" retina -- 220 ppi

Now a few other devices not retina to compare...

Mac air 11" -- 135 ppi
Ipad not retina - 132 ppi
Mac Pro 13" not retina -- 113 ppi
IPAD MINI -- 163
iPhone 3gs - 163


So the mini is pretty much the highest ppi of non retina displays, and thes a big variance among retina displays.

Personally, I find the text pretty smooth and clear compared to my Mac air 11", but nowhere as clean as my iPhone 5.

I won't buy a new mini unless they do some really good retina, more than the Mac Pro retina, something close to the iPhone 5.


I really want a Mac air retina though, more than a mini retina.

darngooddesign said:

The Nexus proves what's possible when you subsidize a lot of the cost by ad revenue. If Google didn't have that revenue stream there is no way the N7 would be that cheap.

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Good point. Amazon uses the same business model as well. Explains how both companies can offer devices for so much less than apple.

LightOnAHill said:

Personally, I find the text pretty smooth and clear compared to my Mac air 11", but nowhere as clean as my iPhone 5.

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I recently bought a 13" rMBP, and really wanted to get the 13" cMBP on sale at BB for $900. The non-retina MBP displayed text poorly, and I took me Mini over for comparison...there was no comparison, and I abandoned any plans to buy the MBP.

MacDawg said:

Too many unknowns to make a decision about an unannounced product
We know next to nothing about the design or specs

I love my Mini and it has virtually replaced my full sized iPad 3 now
And the lack of a retina display has not negatively impacted my experience

Click to expand...

What he says and I will add that I still have my three but each time I pick it up it gets heavier and more cumbersome.

maxosx said:

I hate that Apple is so greedy... they used the cheapest low res display they could find. All for the sole purpose of insuring they'd maintain their fat profits at the expense of loyal customers like myself.

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Its an excellent display--get a grip. I get that people are greatly invested in "retina" screeen res--but there is more to displays than resolution. The original nexus 7 had a high screen res, but its display received many poor reviews.

An updated mini without retina would signal to me that apple will be releasing the mini retina at a higher price point early next year

rowspaxe said:

An updated mini without retina would signal to me that apple will be releasing the mini retina at a higher price point early next year

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In the US, the iPad 3 cost the same as the iPad 2 before it so there is no reason to think the Retina Mini will be more expensive than the current Mini.

Nexus 7

Long time Apple product buyer, but I'm getting the Nexus 7 when the LTE version comes out. I see most of the same apps available that I currently use on my iPad 7 & iPhone.

I might get an Android phone too, but I'll be sticking with OS X for the time being. Not giving up on Apple at all, it's just that the Nexus 7 looks like just what I'm wanting. Why wait?

Apple is being very cautious not to greatly cannibalize the normal sized iPad sales.

darngooddesign said:

The Nexus proves what's possible when you subsidize a lot of the cost by ad revenue. If Google didn't have that revenue stream there is no way the N7 would be that cheap.

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You're only kidding yourself.

rowspaxe said:

Its an excellent display--get a grip. I get that people are greatly invested in "retina" screeen res--but there is more to displays than resolution. The original nexus 7 had a high screen res, but its display received many poor reviews.

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I own the original Nexus 7, after a year of pure enjoyment I was very eager to buy the second generation with all the upgrades.

Just because a pro Apple reviewer may have criticized the display is meaningless. At 216 ppi, it puts my low res 163 ppi mini display to shame.

My new Nexus 7 2 hi-res model at 323 ppi, really illustrates what's possible when the focus is delivering an excellent product to the customer. I believe Apple is capable of catching up to Google, the only question is... will they?

LightOnAHill said:

Not all retina is equal. The retina on:

iPhone 5 -- 326 ppi
Ipad retina -- 264 ppi
Mac Pro 13" retina -- 227 ppi
Mac Pro 15" retina -- 220 ppi

Now a few other devices not retina to compare...

Mac air 11" -- 135 ppi
Ipad 3 not retina - 132 ppi
Mac Pro 13" not retina -- 113 ppi
IPAD MINI -- 163
iPhone 3gs - 163


So the mini is pretty much the highest ppi of non retina displays, and thes a big variance among retina displays.

Personally, I find the text pretty smooth and clear compared to my Mac air 11", but nowhere as clean as my iPhone 5.

I won't buy a new mini unless they do some really good retina, more than the Mac Pro retina, something close to the iPhone 5.


I really want a Mac air retina though, more than a mini retina.

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When did we have a non retina iPad 3?

BrianMR said:

Long time Apple product buyer, but I'm getting the Nexus 7 when the LTE version comes out. I see most of the same apps available that I currently use on my iPad 7 & iPhone.

I might get an Android phone too, but I'll be sticking with OS X for the time being. Not giving up on Apple at all, it's just that the Nexus 7 looks like just what I'm wanting. Why wait?

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Yes, I use both a Nexus 7 and an iPad Mini. I have most of the same apps on both platforms but the iOS versions win because too many time, the Android versions are just scaled up phone versions with no tablet version, like on iOS.

I've been using a Nexus 7 since February and an iPad Mini since June. If I had bought the mini before the Nexus 7, I never would have bought the Nexus 7 at the time. It's all about the apps and to me, the apps clearly win on iOS.

Even simple things in apps using Netflix as an example make iOS a win. Netflix auto plays the next episode in a TV season, doesn't do that on Android.

My local news app lets me watch their live newscast using the app. Can't do that on the android version. Have to go to the website to watch the news.

I've been seriously enjoying this iPad Mini, and buying it in June has allowed me to have so much fun with this. Doesn't matter that it's not retina. It's still so colorful and crisp and I've had two months to use it while others are arguing about waiting on retina displays.