Supply Chain Hints Suggest Retina iPad Mini Could Debut in Second Half of 2013

[Syk]

I have been fortunate enough to always have a buyer lined up for my previous iPads due to such high demand. However the retina display drove me the the third gen iPad. Even the rumors of the redesign don't seem like there's enough reason to upgrade just yet.

As far as buying a cellular iPad over a wifi only. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself first. How often are you around wifi? And do I really NEED cellular connectivity when I always have my smartphone with me? You pay more up front, but the fact that you can cancel your iPad data plan each month if you desire is a plus for me. I don't use it on my iPad all the time, but I like knowing it's there if I do need it.

I've got a wifi ipad2. I have wifi at home and at work I'm IT so using the wifi there isn't a problem. I have a jailbroke iphone4 and use mywi sometimes but that can drain the battery plus in a mini I think I want the GPS also.

Like you mentioned. You can turn the plan on when you want it and not held to a contract. Also when I travel even though most hotels have free wifi I don't really like using them. I have a cousin who would try to sniff the traffic.

I'm thinking about getting a Verizon version because it would give me two sources for data. If I had to use my iphone which is AT&T as a hotspot I could or I could use the verizon data if it's better.

Just thinking the options through

 

[Squilly]

More excited for the iPad 5.

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People keep expecting revolutionary updates. But you can only do so much with tablets and phones. There is no more revolutionary updates, people need to get used to spec bumps and small touches.

There's always a hoard of people complaining that the next iPad/iPhone doesn't have something revolutionary like holograms or augmented reality or something. If you're looking for the next thing that will wow you don't expect to find it with the next phone or tablet update (from either Apple or its competitors); at least not in the near future.

So.... create something new.

 

[2IS]

Supply chains may suggest that. Competition pretty much dictates and guarantees it.

 

[HiRez]

I completely agree with the battery life issue but out of curiosity what would a little weight hurt?

Well, one of the advantages for me of the Mini over the 10" iPad is it's comfortable to hold with one hand for extended periods of time. For me that makes a huge difference. So because of that, a little more weight would really kill that aspect of it, in fact I would prefer it got even lighter, like a Kindle. Obviously you can't have everything and tradeoffs need to be made between weight, battery life, and performance, but for the Mini the lower weight is a primary feature, for me.

 

[ellsworth]

now that the rumours about the production of an iPad mini retina is flying around

sales will begin to fall

thanks again

You have to understand that we're a small community. 75% of the people who walk into an Apple Store and make a purchase are unaware of rumor sites.
Maybe higher.

 

[maxosx]

That's great news.

Because I have several Retina equipped Apple products:
2012 15" MBPr
2012 iPad 4
2012 iPhone 5

My iPad Mini is a dreary looking thing.

Even compared to the non-retina, yet much higher resolution of my Nexus 7 & Nexus 10.

Conspicuously missing from the usual flurry of rumors at this juncture, is the sparsely rumored iPhone 5S.

That doesn't bring confidence to those of us who use both iPhone 5's and Galaxy G3 / Nexus 4 / Galaxy Note II Androids and are loving the gorgeous, spacious displays. Not to mention the highly efficient, fast & fun selection of SWYPE & other Gesture Based Keyboards.

I do hope Apple decides to participate in the arena of ergonomically enjoyable smartphones.

Clinging to their ultra compact iPhone form factor is great for some, yet as we've seen over the span of 2012, plenty of Apple loyalists like myself want a second more competitive size. Ideally Apple could easily sell two models of iPhone while still holding out for their fat gross profits.

Heck, if Samsung can do it, why not Apple!

Only time will reveal Apples state of mind.

 

[iGrip]

[/COLOR]

The Android tablet experience would have to improve a lot for a Nexus to be an overall better device than an iPad.

I'm wondering if Windows 8 or even Windows RT may be better than either iOS or Android on a tablet.

ISTM that Windows 8 has a lot going for it as a tablet OS, but I think that its too early to really form any solid opinions. There's not really much on the hardware front yet except for the Surface.

I have high hopes for it however. It would be great to be able to run regular software on a tablet PC along with the apps.

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If Apple has the intention of going Retina on the 2nd gen which will add weight, thickness and possibly degrade battery life, why would you start with a product of better dimensions then immediately gimp it 12 months later?

So the new MaxiMini will be a brick, eh? And with a defective LG screen too? Will the Retina Displays be yellowish and suffer from image retention?

 

[iGrip]

And while I generally think Android gets a bad rap, I do get frustrated with the laginess, inaccurate keyboard/touchscreen and the constant 'Error - Wait/Report/Ignore' errors that crop up daily.

I think that something is likely wrong with your hardware. I'm no expert, but I never get any sort of Error messages of any sort ever with my S3 running Jelly Bean. I'd be surprised if daily error messages are normal using Google's hardware.

 

[mantan]

I think that something is likely wrong with your hardware. I'm no expert, but I never get any sort of Error messages of any sort ever with my S3 running Jelly Bean. I'd be surprised if daily error messages are normal using Google's hardware.

It could be....I had early issues with severe ghosting on the screen to the point Google authorized an RMA...but it cleared up so I didn't send it in.

 

[ChrisTX]

I've got a wifi ipad2. I have wifi at home and at work I'm IT so using the wifi there isn't a problem. I have a jailbroke iphone4 and use mywi sometimes but that can drain the battery plus in a mini I think I want the GPS also.

Like you mentioned. You can turn the plan on when you want it and not held to a contract. Also when I travel even though most hotels have free wifi I don't really like using them. I have a cousin who would try to sniff the traffic.

I'm thinking about getting a Verizon version because it would give me two sources for data. If I had to use my iphone which is AT&T as a hotspot I could or I could use the verizon data if it's better.

Just thinking the options through

I've always purchased AT&T iPads because where I'm at, AT&T is king. I guess it depends on personal preference really. Usually by now, new iPads have been announced so I doubt we'll see any before fall. However Apples release schedule is so sporadic now, that even the most seasoned Apple vets won't be able to predict their product releases.

 

[Nanasaki]

You don't need to look at your computer screen from that close to notice the pixels. They are so low density, we can easily discern them from a normal viewing distance. They don't have to get as dense as an iPhone obviously, nobody needs a 300 ppi iMac. But they can easily go to 200 ppi and become Retina for their distance. That's 4 times as many pixels as they have today. So a retina iMac would be an instant buy for me. After buying my iPad 3, my 30" cinema display started looking like crap, and after buying my rMBP, it's even worse. I usually do all my text reading on my laptop instead of my Mac Pro. Text is infinitely better on a retina screen. There's just no discussion about it. It's worlds apart.

A couple of weeks ago I would have argued the same way. But after having bought a Mac Book Pro Retina and being using it since the last couple of weeks I am utlery shocked at how bad "low-res" computer screen can look. If you take the average External Monitor with it's 100-110dpi it's grainy as hell (after having looked at a Retina screen). You notice it. All. The. Time. It's a bit less obvious on Notebook displays, as they are more into the 140dpi range but it's still so much nicer with a high density display. Trust me. Every artwork, every web site looks so much better. Moving a window form my retina screen to an external non-retina display is like pushing the window into digital stone age.

I do respect all your opinions. But non-retina really isn't an issue for me and millions of people out there. I am the one using low resolution iPad Mini and Macbook Air all the time. I do have iPad 3, be honest with you, the screen do looks nice. I also tried retina Macbook Pro, the screen also looks nice. I do acknowledge the display make text and images much shaper and nicer, but switch between low res. Macbook Pro to high res. iPad 3 does not bother me at all.

The reasons thst retina iMac is bad idea at least for now are: 1) the cost. I don't really know the cost to produce 21 and 27 inch retina display, but i would think the cost gonna be high. 2) You really need a good graphic card to push that screen. I still remember all the lag when scrolling down and zooming pages. 3) In order for you really see the text, you really need scale down the resolution. Like the Retina Macbook Pro do use 1440x900 instead of full resolution. You don't get more working space compare with low res. screen. 4) huge portion of web sites are still not optimized for Retina display, they are just look as bad on retina display.

But seriously, i still think retina iMac is no where near close.

 

[ani4ani]

Got voted up four times. Should be voted up a lot more. I have some relatives who are absolutely computer illiterate and got iPads. They still haven't got used to the idea that if they have any problems, they can go to the Apple Store (there is one nearby) and someone will be actually helping them. Not trying to sell extended warranty, not lying to them, not trying to get rid of them, but someone who is actually being paid to keep the customers happy. They are still too much used to PCWorld and shops like that.

Interesting..perhaps the UK Apple store experience is different? When my 1st gen iPod Touch (purchased on launch day) had "home" button issues 9 days after the warranty had expired, my local store offered me a 10% discount against a new one. I certainly didn't walk out feeling as if people were being paid to make me happy; quite the opposite actually.

 

[Chlloret]

I'd take a new iPad Mini with an upgraded CPU. Not a fan of the A5 they put in the Mini...the screen could get better but it's the CPU I'm interested in. I really only plan to use it for Accordance 10 and some ebook readers which I use on my Mac and want to use on the road.

You want a more powerful prozessor just for the sake of it? The apps you plan to use are not benefitting at all from it. They do not use any prozessor power at all.
Accordance 10 was made for the iPad mini, they even gave some away for it.

 

[Chlloret]

I had the iPad2 for two years and was happy with it. Very happy. It had about 130dpi and today people say, that it is basically unusable with such a low dpi count.
Everybody that uses it however, seems to get on with it very well.
Now I have he iPad mini. Smaller, more portable, lighter, brighter, faster, a lot cheaper and a vastly improved screen that sports over 170dpi.

Everybody is amazed with the screen. My grand daughter got the iPad3, but is nagging every day to get the mini, she likes it much better. She will sell the 3 and get a mini soon but is not bothered about a retina screen, she complaines that my old 2 and the mini get way better battery life then her heavy and thick super duper retina pad. The wife uses my old iPad2 and would not give it away for anything.

I think this retina business is way overstated, I can not see the difference anyway, I'm way to old. My grand daughter can, at close inspection but preferes lightness and before all battery life to retina.

My new full hd TV got a wopping 40dpi and the picture looks great so I can not see why I should shell out a premium to have hundreds of dpi on a phone or tablet. These retina screens need very powerfull gpu's and prozessors and thet means more power drain. For what?

I have a nexus7 here and that has a higher dpi count then the mini. But it is not coming close to the screen of the mini. Even the third one I got (first was doa, second lost the screen) shows that it is a $199 toy. You get what you pay for, besides, it is more a large phone then a tablet, thanks to the narrow 16x9 screen the size is a lot smaller then the mini. Unconfortable small.

 

[macs4nw]

Yawn.

Maybe, but nevertheless eagerly anticipated by many, if these forums are to be believed. Hope they can avoid the supply constraints they had last holiday season with the iMacs.

 

[thekeyring]

The whole twice-a-year upgrade cycle seems a bit desperate on apple's part. They know that a certain percentage of users will upgrade no matter what, so it seems like they're shipping garbage upgrades just because they're guaranteed a certain number of sales. :/

If its the third/fourth quarter of this year, isn't this more like a yearly upgrade?

 

[mackandproud]

I love the form factor and weight. A retina display would certainly nudge me much closer to a 'buy' decision.

Question: can you use a stylus with either the regular ipad or ipad mini?

 

[yakapo]

One thing I dont understand is...

People say the iPad Mini is better than the Nexus 7 because it has a larger screen.

But people want the iPhone to stay 4'' or even back to 3.5''.

lol

A big screen makes a huge difference right? Why can't this logic be applied to the iPhone?

Where's the 4.5 to 5'' iPhone option?

I prefer and own an ipad mini but you can't refute that reasoning.

 

[BMcCoy]

That's the thing I don't really understand..
Presumably it's better/more lucrative, for Apple to maintain distinct product lines?
The iOS devices are already converging to almost identical os, functions and use; even the Macs are becoming similar.
Would it really be a reasonable goal to have a wide selection if sizes, and effectively end up with one product line... but in 8 sizes .. 3" 4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10"... etc?
No more iPhone, iPad, iPod, iwhatever... just iDevice and every size imaginable?

 

[wovel]

The whole twice-a-year upgrade cycle seems a bit desperate on apple's part. They know that a certain percentage of users will upgrade no matter what, so it seems like they're shipping garbage upgrades just because they're guaranteed a certain number of sales. :/

They only thing they did that with was the iPad and it was really just to get the lightning connector out there. .

 

[iGrip]

It could be....I had early issues with severe ghosting on the screen to the point Google authorized an RMA...but it cleared up so I didn't send it in.

Did you buy it at T Mobile or via mail order? Why do you need a Google RMA?

 

[Chlloret]

They only thing they did that with was the iPad and it was really just to get the lightning connector out there. .

Well, the iPad4 also has a much faster prozessor and better battery life. I have here an iPad3 and a 2 and a mini, the 3 is by far the slowest and runs out of juice first.
So I guess, the 4 was an improvement going beyond the lighning connector.

 

[SactoGuy18]

The most likely thing to happen:

A new full-size iPad (5G) with the iPad-mini like case coming out in April 2013.

A new iPad mini (2G) with Retina Display arrives October 2013.

 

[HurryKayne]

New Ipad Full size with A6 only?Just dual i mean?
Ok it will be more handy but what's the ..difference?
Could an A6 Quad core come out or is it only next year with A7?
Then to be honest all i need now is a REAL Intel Quad core with the Air form factor and price..
but i suppose will be 2014 for this too.

 

[Chlloret]

New Ipad Full size with A6 only?Just dual i mean?
Ok it will be more handy but what's the ..difference?
Could an A6 Quad core come out or is it only next year with A7?
Then to be honest all i need now is a REAL Intel Quad core with the Air form factor and price..
but i suppose will be 2014 for this too.

What app NEEDs a quad core atm on the iPad? What app would even benefit from such a battery destroying prozessor?

Right now, the little 5 in the mini is running circles around the entire quad core competition. So for what do you need more?