Apple Reportedly Looking to Launch ‘iPad Mini’ Priced at $249-$299 in Q3

[applesith]

I can't see Apple changing the iPhone screen size AND offering another sized iPad. This screams fragmentation even if aspect ratios remain the same. I think an increased iPhone screen will happen before an iPad mini is introduced.

Personally, I'd actually love a larger 15 inch retina iPad with having the ability to open multiple apps open at once and a larger keyboard display. I know this won't happen, but I'd rather have that then a smaller iPad.

 

[nilk]

The big question is what effect the shrinking of touch areas will have on existing iPad apps? For example, will apps with virtual music instruments be less usable?

One of the advantages Apple has right now is only a handful of devices to support, making it easier for developers to produce apps because they have less hardware they have to test on than competitors. The more variety they add to this, the less of an advantage they have (though still orders of magnitude better than, say, Android).

If they want to pick up the low end of the market, they should just price the iPad2 at $299 or less, rather than creating a new, potentially inferior form factor.

 

[Stouver]

I would buy this for my mom.

 

[jclardy]

I bought a 7" Android tablet, thinking it would be the cat's meow as it would be more portable. I ended up not really liking it. I think Steve was correct in saying that a 10" screen is about as small as you can go and still be enjoyable to use. I ended up selling it and now use a retina ipad.

I don't think you can really compare a 7" android tablet to the possible "iPad Mini" because of:

1. Software
2. Aspect ratio

Pretty much all 7" Android tablets out there are not running 4.0. Most are running some form of modified 2.3. This has many problems, the first of which is that there are no apps designed for 7" tablets, because there is no way to specify that an app was designed for it in Google Play. So developers have no incentive to optimize for tablets. When comparing a 7" Android tablet to iPad in terms of software there really is no comparison.

Second, aspect ratio. 7" Android tablets are all 16:9. Great for video, ok for novels, terrible for everything else. Web pages are too short in landscape, too zoomed out in portrait. PDF's have to be zoomed on every page. The keyboard is too small for two hands in landscape, but too wide for thumbs.

What I am saying is that a 7.85" 4:3 iPad running iOS with the ability to run every iPad app in the app store would be a completely different experience than current 7" Android tablets, in every aspect. Plus at its lower price point it would make a huge impact in the education market.

 

[d0vr]

7.8" iReader with non retina LCD/e-ink hybrid and I'll be all over it. I might of been saying this for a while though. Looking forward to watching the "we don't need it" brigade change their tune if it happens.. You know, like they always do.

 

[robertosh]

Wouldn't that be a little disrespectful to Steve Jobs?
He said he didn't like 7 inch tablets... (Didnt he? Or am I imagining it? :s)

Jobs said too that the he hated the netbooks and later they release an 11.6 air.. so i think that is possible that a smaller ipad was in his plans.

 

[macse30]

I would buy one for my partner right away.

These things are really just touch screens with tons of sensors and network capability. No company can build such a powerful yet affordable I/O device for their specific product. iPads will continue to be used in crazy new ways that we haven't even considered. A new form factor just opens new opportunities. Brilliant.

 

[d0vr]

I would only purchase a 7" or 8" iPad if it had a retina display and more than 64gb of RAM.

Surely you are either being sarcastic or just trying to sound like you know what you are talking about by using semi-technical terms. 64gb of RAM? Really? I mean maybe in a decade or so... But in a cheaper device?

I take it you won't be buying one then...

 

[ThomasJL]

The iPad Mini is the new Powerbook G5.

 

[d0vr]

The big question is what effect the shrinking of touch areas will have on existing iPad apps? For example, will apps with virtual music instruments less usable?

If they want to pick up the low end of the market, they should just price the iPad2 at $299 or less, rather than creating a new, potentially inferior form factor.

Virtual instruments were ever usable? Besides, just because you don't think you want it or will have a use doesn't make it inferior.

 

[nick_elt]

Wouldn't that be a little disrespectful to Steve Jobs?
He said he didn't like 7 inch tablets... (Didnt he? Or am I imagining it? :s)

He said alot of things and changed his mind. Besides we need to move on from Steve. As great as he was(prob best visionary ever maybe) companies need fresh ideas to keep moving foward.

 

[griz]

This is going to turn out to be one of those "Not what it looks like" rumors.
I still think this is going to be released in conjunction with the real Apple Television. It will be the remote. It will draw people into buying the TV so they can get the iPad. And it will not be sold separately at first. I believe this is what Jobs meant when he "cracked" it.
Playing off the success of the iPad will bring in the audience to the TV. The iPad is a great way to control a TV through the current AppleTV, but not everyone has an iPad.
So in classic Jobs fashion, Tim Cook will reveal 3 new products.
A new Ipad, A new Apple TV, A new Display. A new iPad, A new Apple TV, A new Display. Are you getting it? These are not 3 different products but one new revolutionary device. And the AppleTV will cease to be a "Hobby".

 

[nick_elt]

Surely you are either being sarcastic or just trying to sound like you know what you are talking about by using semi-technical terms. 64gb of RAM? Really? I mean maybe in a decade or so... But in a cheaper device?

I take it you won't be buying one then...

Surely he meant 64gb flash storage. 64x ram of the current ipad sounds more like the dreams of an android fan. I mean 2gb ram in the current ipad would be Amazing.

 

[riciad]

I'd love to see this happen as I promised 2 of the grandkids that I'd get them iPads next year. One for a birthday present and the other for a confirmation present.
That would make a nice cost saving.

 

[Dwalls90]

I don't see how this is feasible. Unless this thing has little to no onboard storage, how could they ever sell it for or less than $299? The iPod Touch sells for $199 and this thing is twice as large! Apple also loves their margins so I fail to see how this keeps up with their strategy of profit maximization.

Plus now that the iPad, iPod and iPhone are all retina, this thing will look like the forgotten middle child.

 

[fred222]

Apple's always been big into education, especially now with the textbook push. Equipping grade schools would be a perfect use for this hypothetical device. Also, they say that kids "imprint" on the first operating system they use... I'm sure Apple wants all the young folks to have exposure to iOS so when they're growing up they turn to the same brand and ecosystem for their media consumption, internet browsing / social networking / lolcats, etc. Someone who enjoys using a mini tablet with iOS at school is more likely to want an iPhone, an iPad of their own, will be familiar with the interface of an AppleTV when they see it at walmart and gravitate towards that purchase even if it carries a higher ticket price because it's a "known good," carrying known (implicit carried over brand quality) value.

Edit: Also, another note re comment above on price and capacity. If educational-focused, remember schools tend to have good networking, and iCloud is going to "offshore" most storage needs on fast networks. Also for e-reader uses, that doesn't really require large capacity. Might be able to get by with 8gb of storage only as someone else suggested. Honestly, if you need more for some particular purpose, I'm sure there's devices out there providing additional networked storage for your iDevice...

 

[iSee]

I can't see Apple changing the iPhone screen size AND offering another sized iPad. This screams fragmentation even if aspect ratios remain the same. I think an increased iPhone screen will happen before an iPad mini is introduced.

Personally, I'd actually love a larger 15 inch retina iPad with having the ability to open multiple apps open at once and a larger keyboard display. I know this won't happen, but I'd rather have that then a smaller iPad.

The idea people are talking about with the 7.85" iPad is that it will keep exactly the same resolution as the iPad 2 (1024 x 768).
Apparently, this is 163 dpi -- the same as the non-retina iPhone.
So the idea is, apps designed for the existing iPad will work and look good without any redesign, assuming the developer followed Apples HI guidelines. And therefore, no fragmentation.

I guess with the iPhone, they could just make the screen bigger without changing the resolution, which again, would reduce fragmentation, assuming that increasing the size of the UI elements rarely affects the UX significantly.

(Myself, I'm not sure -- I'd need to try it out.)

 

[AppleWarMachine]

I"ll buy one for $249

 

[denaliOnDubs]

I'd like to see a smaller iPad hit the market. I probably still wouldn't buy it. I've never found a need for anything in between my MacBook Air and my 4s... But that's just me.

 

[mantan]

Seems like savvy move. Though it shows how blantantly over priced the iPod Touch market has been.

I bought my wife an iPad for her birthday. The kids (and me) like to use it on occasion...but I wasn't interested in dropping $500-$800 on a second one. But if I could get another one for the kids or me at $249 or $299, I'd be all over it.

I'm sure they'll limit the specs to keep from canibalizing the iPod touch and iPad segments. (I could see it being $249 8 gig wife/$299 8 gig 3G) But as a second/alternate/intro device, it would be very successful.

 

[Shanpdx]

What do they cut?

My worry is what they will cut to reach the price point $249 or $299?

1. Camera(s)? - will be missed for FaceTime
2. Single Core A5 ? not the A5X
3. less RAM? 512MB
4.

???

 

[flashflooder]

This move alone would push their stock to $1000 within a year, IMO.

 

[217833]

Makes perfect sense to me... With the next iPhone and iPod Touch having a screen no bigger than 4" (almost the same dimensions than the current iPhone), the 7.85" iPad mini and the 9.7" iPad... they should have all usable sizes covered.

No need for larger "phone" and no need for smaller "tablet", it will be a great tablet to fit women purse, as well as cheap enough for kids at school... The modern version of School Tablet:

Perhaps also small enough for very mobile tasks where the iPad 9.7" is more practical for reading/office computing tasks.

No need to redesign current Apps UI that will stay big enough to be used with fingers (even better for small hands... such women, kids, asian market, etc...).

A $299 would make also a perfect sense price wise... just right between the iPod Touch and the first iPad model.

If you add iOS 6, the current gazillions of Apps, the Apple eco-system with iCloud, etc... it will be no reason for anyone to buy a Kindle, Android or even Windows Tablets... And they will definitely kill anyone else if they just release "Gate Keeper" for iOS, to allow anyone to run Apps from the App Store, or from Signed developers, or from anyone.

If you are worry about "Virus/Trojan/etc..." just run your iOS device with AppStore Apps only... If you have a specific need, you can still run Apps from trusted developers... That would also solve App that don't respect Apple AppStore rules, use personal APIs, etc... No need to jailbreak anymore.

And it would be one more step for the merge of OS X and iOS. So, in that large scheme strategy, a iPad mini 7.85" would make sense... And it also makes sense to have Cameras for Facetime (on a $299, since the iPod Touch does also have Cameras), but maybe also a version without Camera (maybe the $249) for the School business...

Spid

 

[mtrctyjoe]

Yep, iphone Bigger, not iPad smaller ...

Reckon there's more chance of a 4" iPhone

The iPad is a great size for what it does ... and someday could replace the laptop - I could never imagine it getting smaller.

The iPhone however, could get slightly bigger ....

An iPad in the middle seems silly.

 

[notabadname]

Could be a nice and affordable alternative to the Touch for my kids. These things beat the heck out of in-car entertainment systems costing far more. Long drives with the kids are so peaceful now. No fighting, each doing their own thing. I love it. Great Christmas present option.