Anecdotal evidence that an iPad Mini will sell like hotcakes.

[spiderman0616]

By now everyone is probably aware of the "iPad Mini" rumors floating around. There's a lot of debate as to whether or not it will actually happen. Based on the past few days of questions I've gotten from friends and family, I think Apple should do it.

Had a family gathering over the weekend. As with all family events, this is a time when all my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. like to ask me all their tech questions. I do this for a living 40+ hours a week, so why wouldn't I want to talk about it on the weekend too, right? Being a newly converted (in the last 2 years) Apple fan, it's also a time when people in my family like to give me a hard time about ANYTHING they can find in the news that's even remotely negative about Apple just to see if they can get me riled up.

In the last couple of weeks running up to this family event last Saturday, I have had 3 family members forward me links to articles about a possible upcoming iPad Mini. My uncle posted on my Facebook timeline that he was going to order an iPad Mini ASAP just so he can have it before I do. My little cousin (she's 9) was saving her money for a Kindle Fire. She now wants to wait it out and see if there's an iPad Mini this fall.

I'm not saying that my family is the deciding demographic on the success of this thing. What I am saying is that my family generally doesn't care too much about stuff like this. I think if there's an iPad Mini, it will be like the iPod Nano/Shuffle/etc. was to the iPod. It will be a smaller, more affordable tablet. Maybe it will be a little more stripped down feature wise. But it will be an iPad nonetheless, and people are going to want it. And I think if the price is right, Amazon, B&N, and anyone else making smaller ~$200-$250 tablets should be shaking in their boots.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Well, at least you called it "anecdotal" and didn't just outwardly say it was evidence.

I think there is a market for a smaller iPad. I've seen a few people around here pick up the Kindle Fire because they said it was easier to use on the go and at work. One person in particular mentioned it fitting in her lab coat pocket better. I can completely see this. I like the iPad as it is but I wonder if I'd lug it around more if it were smaller. I tend to carry my Kindle around a lot, which is about the size I see the smaller iPad being.

Who knows what will happen. I won't be buying a smaller iPad if I have the larger but based on the buying habits of people who post in the purchase thread, I would not be shocked to see people owning both. Truth is, you can stick an Apple logo on a piece of dog **** and people would probably consider buying it.

 

[noteple]

Being a newly converted (in the last 2 years) Apple fan, it's also a time when people in my family like to give me a hard time about ANYTHING they can find in the news that's even remotely negative about Apple just to see if they can get me riled up.

I hear the iPad mini and iPhone nano are going to be bundled and marketed to the wee people with a bonus shamrock green smart cover.

 

[Drag'nGT]

I agree based on the talks I hear around the hospital and my family. I have heard discussions from how it (iPad) is too big for them (ladies mostly) to how $500 is still a lot of money for something that isn't a laptop. Most people want an iPad in addition to their computer but not as a replacement to their computer.

 

[spiderman0616]

Well, at least you called it "anecdotal" and didn't just outwardly say it was evidence.

I think there is a market for a smaller iPad. I've seen a few people around here pick up the Kindle Fire because they said it was easier to use on the go and at work. One person in particular mentioned it fitting in her lab coat pocket better. I can completely see this. I like the iPad as it is but I wonder if I'd lug it around more if it were smaller. I tend to carry my Kindle around a lot, which is about the size I see the smaller iPad being.

Who knows what will happen. I won't be buying a smaller iPad if I have the larger but based on the buying habits of people who post in the purchase thread, I would not be shocked to see people owning both. Truth is, you can stick an Apple logo on a piece of dog **** and people would probably consider buying it.

I personally don't want a smaller one either--I use mine as my main computer, and I just prefer the higher screen real estate for all the different things I do.

But I'd LOVE to buy one for my wife if they release one. She is 100% hooked on her iPod Touch, but uses her Kindle (standard e ink model) for reading. She would love to have a device that converges the two, but feels that compared to the paperback sized/weighted Kindle, the iPad is just way too heavy for extended reading. She is the prime target for an iPad Mini.

 

[thewitt]

If Apple does come out with a smaller iPad, it's not going to be half the price.

It would still be a $499 device....as the cost savings of a smaller screen are not significant.

Mini would be mini in form factor only, not fist.

Still as attractive?

 

[seadragon]

It might come down to hand size.

Kids and small handed people = iPad mini
Adults with large hands = regular iPad

I have large hands and I hate typing on the iPhone. As a result, my email replies are typically one liners. The iPad on the other hand (pun intended) is much better and I tend to type much more on it.

 

[Batavian]

I have had 3 family members forward me links to articles about a possible upcoming iPad Mini

Can you post those links?

 

[BJMRamage]

my son (2.5 yrs old) prefers the iPad over the iPhone screen.

I doubt an iPad Mini would be something we'd buy for our household but I guess some would. and it might be great for Apple as people buy the iPad Mini and realize the size is smaller than they'd want and then go out an buy the regular iPad and say how foolish they were for the Mini.

 

[poloponies]

If you ask a question like "who would want the identical functionality of an iPad in a smaller device at half the price?", everybody's hands would be in the air, but that's just wishful thinking. You don't drop half the price by reducing size (unless you're talking iPod Touch size).

If you change the question to a more realistic "who wants a smaller iPad for $50-$100 less" you'd see far fewer hands popping up.

Look at Toshiba's new line of tablets, the 10" starts at $450 and the 7.7" starts at $500 (albeit with an AMOLED display).

 

[Chupa Chupa]

1. The term "anecdotal evidence" is a paradox.

2. Amazon loses about $50 on each Kindle Fire. They use the razor/blades strategy, which is the opposite of what Apple does -- sell products at a significant markup and then take a loss or low profit from the media.

The Fire at $199 most notably misses cameras and has 8GB less storage than the low end iPad. At wholesale that would add another $20. Then add another $5 for an aluminum vs plastic case. We'll call everything else equal.

$199 retail price
$ 50 add in Amazon's loss per unit
$ 25 additional wholesale parts cost

$275 Wholesale cost per 7" iPad
$ 97 35% margin

Selling price for 16GB 7" iPad would be about $370, rounded down.

That's quite more than what you say your relatives are willing to pay. Apple isn't going to take a loss like Amazon and they are not going to even lower there margins to enter that segment of the market. If they can product a solid product and make its normal margin then they'll push one out, but it won't compete with the Fire on price.

 

[BJMRamage]

well said by the last two posters.

Idea of spending a little less for the smaller iPad is not something that interests a lot of people.

switch to a lighter casing and people won't mind the size.
7" still doesn't fit nicely into a pocket.

 

[iapplelove]

If Apple does come out with a smaller iPad, it's not going to be half the price.

It would still be a $499 device....as the cost savings of a smaller screen are not significant.

Mini would be mini in form factor only, not fist.

Still as attractive?

Hmm honestly I would doubt it would be the same price

I'm not saying it would be half but I was thinking about 100 less than each individual model for example the 499 iPad will be 399 for iPad mini

 

[thewitt]

Hmm honestly I would doubt it would be the same price

I'm not saying it would be half but I was thinking about 100 less than each individual model for example the 499 iPad will be 399 for iPad mini

There is very little cost difference between the standard and a 7 inch model. Apple would have to sell for less profit to do that.

 

[iapplelove]

There is very little cost difference between the standard and a 7 inch model. Apple would have to sell for less profit to do that.

This I understand however I think one of the biggest attractions of the kindle isn't the size but the price.

Why would anyone (especially Americans which I am) buy something but for the very same price we could get the same thing but bigger(current iPad) just saying

 

[poloponies]

This I understand however I think one of the biggest attractions of the kindle isn't the size but the price.

Why would anyone (especially Americans which I am) buy something but for the very same price we could get the same thing but bigger(current iPad) just saying

Some people want the smaller format. But the people that want the Fire or its competitors want a cheap tablet.