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

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

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,775
39,722



Kotaku reports on claims [Google translation] from Chinese web portal NetEase regarding Apple's plans for the launch of a smaller "iPad mini" in the third quarter of this year. According to the report, Apple is planning to launch with six million units of the device at a price of either $249 or $299 in order to combat forthcoming Windows 8 products, although smaller Android tablets such as Amazon's Kindle Fire have also been viewed as targets for Apple.
NetEase claimed that the device will be released around the third quarter of this year to "counter attack" the upcoming Windows tablets. The report further claims that the devices will cost anywhere from US$249 to $299 and that there will be an initial 6 million units ready for launch.
Click to expand...
The well-connected John Gruber has claimed that Apple has a 7.85-inch iPad in its labs, but he does not know whether the product will ever make it to market. Various claims of Apple moving closer to production of the smaller iPad have also been surfacing as rumors continue to swirl.

iPad-Mini-comparison-t.jpg
Mockup of 7.85-inch "iPad mini" next to iPad 2 (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)​
Last December, we posted a paper mockup showing what a 7.85-inch iPad would look and feel like, coming to the conclusion that onscreen elements would remain usable even as the standard iPad resolution of 1024x768 was squeezed into a 7.85-inch display rather than a 9.7-inch screen. A 7.85-inch "iPad mini" display with a resolution of 1024x768 would carry a pixel density of 163 pixels per inch, exactly the same density as the non-Retina iPhone and iPod touch models. Consequently, content meeting Apple's interface guidelines would display at acceptable sizes on such a display.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Looking to Launch ‘iPad Mini’ Priced at $249-$299 in Q3
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/16/apple-reportedly-looking-to-launch-ipad-mini-priced-at-249-299-in-q3/
dont know about you, but personally i still dont see much point in a smaller ipad.
 
Smaller, but still doesn't fit in the pocket. If you're going to be carrying something the iPad, as it it, is great. But then again, at the price range, they are going directly after the Kindle; maybe it would change a lot?
 
Maybe if you have both, they can team up like Batman & Robin and defeat the criminals on the internet... or the trolls. :p
 
Price

Not useful for me, but if it occupies a pricing sweet spot, then it should pick up a good few buyers, especially the 'Dad I want an Ipad' legion of kids.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't mind a 12" iPad Pro with quad-core processor, 2GB ram, 128GB of storage, 802.11ac WIFI, and pressure sensitivity for creating artwork. But will it happen? I can dream.

I'm going to give my idea to DigiTimes and tell them I'm an analyst. Expect a post in about 45 minutes.
 
I'd love a tiny iPad but after using a retina iPhone & iPad I could never go to a non-retina screen such as this.
 
JamerTheProgram said:
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)
Click to expand...

No disrespect, but the dead tell no tales.

Apple is a market leader and has control over the supply chain. I would love to see a smaller, cheaper iPad. I have tried the Samsungs and they are no interest to me. Bring on the iPad mini! Destroy Amazon!:D
 
JamerTheProgram said:
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)
Click to expand...

Steve also said 3rd Party Apps are not needed for the iPhone (then, in 2008 they introduced the App Store). Also, he said no one would want to watch video on an iPod (then, they introduced the video iPod a year later).

And "disrespectful"? This is a business - if Apple sees a good enough market for a 7.5" cheaper tablet, why wouldn't it take it? Apple has high standards & only release products that meet those standards - it's like not they're Toshiba and release products willy-nilly hoping they will work.
 
New iPad hardware wouldn't target people who want Windows 8 tablets: iOS 6 would.

I'm pretty sure if people are going to choose Windows 8 tablets, it's because they're running Windows 8, not because they have smaller screens.

Also, loving the fact they put the picture of the iPad at two different sizes. Ace photoshopping there. ;)
 
Seems like a likely target for the new die shrunk 32nm A5 we've seen floating around in the iPad2/ATV3.

But would you buy a new Apple non-retina device knowing in a year or two would likely go Retina.

For launch, at that price, a 326 ppi device is probably off the table, but in a year or two... these HIDPI 'retina' panels are going to be dropping in price.
 
I think the 9-10 inch size is pretty much perfect but then it's clear that many people have taken to the smaller, 7 inch, size. I can imagine some uses for such a device but, for my needs, it sacrifices too much in flexibility for what it gains in portability. This, of course, depends on what you use it for. If I were a more casual user with a greater focus on reading books and basic web browsing and a lesser focus on complex apps and content creation the sums may well add up differently.

The shape matters too. I've played a bit with a friend's Playbook. It's a very nice device. Solidly built with a very nice screen. It felt very small to my hands and eyes, accustomed as they are to the iPad, but it was the wideness of the screen which seemed most restrictive. It felt like a letterbox compared to the broader, more square shape of the iPad.

Perhaps a 7.85 inch device with the same aspect ratio as the iPad would be a better compromise. Larger than a 7 inch device and less narrow. At a sub $300 price point, as long as they get it right on the specs, the iPad mini could be a hit.
 
I'm guessing this will probably never see the light of day, but if it does I'll be first in line to get one. I like the current iPad, but I've always wished it were a little smaller.
 
"hey love, I finally got you an iPad too"

A great present for us men who don't want to have to splash out for a full iPad.
 
thekeyring said:
New iPad hardware wouldn't target people who want Windows 8 tablets: iOS 6 would.

I'm pretty sure if people are going to choose Windows 8 tablets, it's because they're running Windows 8, not because they have smaller screens.
Click to expand...

It remains to be seen whether they'll choose Windows 8 tablets at all.
 
mgs4 said:
dont know about you, but personally i still dont see much point in a smaller ipad.
Click to expand...

Down to personal taste I guess. I prefer using a Kindle if I"m stood up on the tube, or just on the tube in general as it's smaller. I can see a smaller iPad being useful for busy commutes.
 
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
Back