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I just noticed this: first-generation Apple Pencil support only. So if you use an iPad Pro and one of these (which I would imagine is fairly common), you need TWO DIFFERENT PENCILS for your two devices.

1. That is only for the latest iPad Pro. So it can't be all that common. There were multiple years where the previous iPad Pros were sold and those are compatible.

2. Owning multiple iPads by a single person probably is not fairly common. Families owning multiple iPads isn't probably fairly common either across full income demographics, but if have two people using iPads concurrently then one pencil isn't going to work most of the time either.

For those in the camp of buy one of everything Apple... yeah there is some inconvenience. But the sky isn't going to fall in that context.
 
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So? 64GB is the standard base amount for Apple for now.

When 128 becomes the base they will get rid of 256 and the upgrade will be to 512. For this reason I am keeping everything I have 64 GB until 128 is the standard. I will never ever ever pay Apple for more storage and way more than I need. Although as a shareholder I would say treat yourself, you deserve the latest and greatest. :)

Don't forget to narrate this post in the voice of Doctor Evil.

64 GB not evil enough.
 
But why the Apple Pencil 1? Having 2 different pencils that only work with certain iPads is bound to cause confusion.

Apple should be phasing all iPads to the new Pencil 2, not introducing brand new iPads that work exclusively with the older pencil.

Agreed! It seems like they are planning on continuing to sell the Pencil 1 and Pencil 2 side by side for the foreseeable future. I actually prefer the Pencil 1 (because I can use it with a pencil grip) so I am selfishly happy. But from a product standpoint it is really confusing. And it means users who buy the non-Pro iPads + Pencil 1 now will actually be discouraged from EVER upgrading to the iPad Pro.

I also love how the cheaper iPads have the headphone jack that many prefer but not the iPad Pros. Great for me, but again, confusing. I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Pro.
 
So what? They looked good in 2013 and they will still look just as good here in 2019, with a much better display to boot.
Believe it or not, there ARE people out there who want newer generations of devices to look different so that they don't get confused with the older ones. (I'm not one of those people)

One of the greatest criticisms of the iPhone SE when it was first released was that it physically looked identical to the iPhone 5S and they were concerned that others would think they owned the older 5S rather than a brand new SE.
 
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So what? They looked good in 2013 and they will still look just as good here in 2019, with a much better display to boot.

Hang on, in the phone threads I hear all the time that the XR display is already good enough that OLEDs in Android phones for the same price aren't worth having instead, but the XR's lack of a chin is an amazing design feature.

Now I'm hearing that 2012 size bezels are fine and an improved LCD screen is the new feature worth having.

Can Apple fans please make up their mind on whether bezels or screen quality matter and stick to it thanks.
 



Apple today launched a new fifth-generation iPad mini, featuring an upgraded A12 Bionic processor, first-generation Apple Pencil support, a new advanced Retina display panel, and the same $399 price tag as the previous model.

ipad-mini-5-apple-pencil-800x420.jpg

Apple says that with the new A12 Bionic chip, the iPad mini now delivers three times the performance and nine times faster graphics. Meanwhile the advanced Retina display with True Tone technology and wide color support is 25 percent brighter and has the highest pixel density (3 million) of any iPad.

Elsewhere, an 8-megapixel rear camera brings improved low-light performance and HD video recording, while the front facing camera has been bumped up to 7 megapixels for better-quality selfies and FaceTime HD.

The new iPad also benefits from the same Wi-Fi performance and Gigabit-class LTE that's built into the latest iPad Pro models, and retains the headphone jack found in previous iPad mini models.
Available in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold, and in 64 and 256GB storage capacities, the new iPad mini starts at $399 for the Wi-Fi model and $529 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. An Apple Pencil (1st generation) is available for purchase separately for $99. Online orders for the new iPad mini begin today on the Apple website, with availability in Apple stores and select resellers starting next week.

The iPad mini 4 has been discontinued.

Article Link: Apple Announces New Fifth-Generation iPad Mini With Apple Pencil Support, Revamped Retina Display and A12 Bionic Chip
I would like to buy this one very soooooon
 
1. That is only for the latest iPad Pro. So it can't be all that common. There were multiple years where the previous iPad Pros were sold and those are compatible.

2. Owning multiple iPads by a single person probably is not fairly common. Families owning multiple iPads isn't probably fairly common either across full income demographics, but if have two people using iPads concurrently then one pencil isn't going to work most of the time either.

For those in the camp of buy one of everything Apple... yeah there is some inconvenience. But the sky isn't going to fall in that context.

So Apple has a great ecosystem, so long as you don't buy too many of their products
 
I wish they would've announced when they will be sold in stores. I am going to have to buy mine at Best Buy.
 
Implicit assumption there though that there will be no pencil 3 in 3-4 years. :) [ perhaps put an 'eraser' on it and change to different induction charging system. Pencil and iPad charge by Area 51, touchless wireless charging ... or something more expensive. ]

I think there is possibility Apple tied something about Promotion to the Pencil 2 so that would also make it more difficult over the immediate term.

True. Lol. I could totally see them doing that. It will always be something. Which is fine. I just look forward to when all apple pencils charge by the same means. Attaching it to the side of the ipad is so much more modern & convenient.
 
But why the Apple Pencil 1? Having 2 different pencils that only work with certain iPads is bound to cause confusion.

Apple should be phasing all iPads to the new Pencil 2, not introducing brand new iPads that work exclusively with the older pencil.

Pencil 2 requires a flat edge to attach to. iPad Mini’s design is curved so it has less friction which may cause Pencil 2 to fall off easily. Apple would need to redesign the mini but thst would increase the price.
 
Here we go again. The good news is that if people keep predicting the demise of the Mini they will eventually be right.....even a broken clock is right twice a day. ;)

While demise is probably over the top. There is a very decent chance that the Mini will fall right back into "Rip van Winkle" mode and go comatose for another 2-3 years. They bumped it up, but it is aimed at a relatively narrow market with relatively limited growth prospects ( replacements and some new utilization by narrow class. ). It is "surrounded" on both sides by a more affordable and higher features models so it is in a relatively narrow Goldilocks zone.

If that zone isn't growing very fast, then Apple isn't likely going to assignment very much R&D resources to it. They'll do a "catch up" eventually in their copious spare time. For better or worse that will make the "broken clock" appear right more often than it isn't. While Apple is hibernating, it will look correct.

The iPad mini 4 was/is running an 2014 era A9 processor. That will probably stop seeing iOS updates in a year or two. Apple left the 9.7 dangling on an A10 for now. The Mini is probably just got to the end of the rope. If the sales over the next 18months dramatically overshoot their projections then perhaps Apple will shave some time off the hibernation. If they match the projections then more likely it is going to be another long wait for the next update. If the sales are even slower than projected then an even longer hibernation.
 
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Also compatible with the logitech crayon, though, which i prefer. I have two and leave one at work and one at home.
I second that. The Logitech Crayon doesn’t roll away, doesn’t have a cap to lose, and isn’t vulnerable to losing a male lightning tip connector when charging. Oh, and it’s cheaper too
 
This is excellent news! My Mini 4 was getting quite long in the tooth.
Hopefully my mini4 case will fit this model.

If your mini 4 is long in the tooth, then my mini 2 is toothless! Lol. Yeah, this update couldnt have come at a better time. My ipad mini is on it’s death bed.
 
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From the article:

“Online orders for the new iPad mini begin today on the Apple website, with availability in Apple stores and select resellers starting next week.”

I hope it is early in the week. I am so ready. I missed the boat on ordering from apple's site as in arrival dates are pushed back to late march early April. :(
 
You’ve summarised my position exactly.

I currently have an iPad mini 2 and was pondering the iPad mini 4 before rumours of the iPad mini 5 came along.

I didn’t go for the iPad mini 4, because £399 was too much for little difference beyond Touch ID and 128GB RAM.

I’m glad to see the upgraded specs on the iPad mini 5 and, if I didn’t have an iPad mini already, I’d be very quick to order one.

But, I’m left with the same question. What is it that my iPad mini 2 doesn’t do that justifies spending £399 on the new model? The answer is that the price is simply not justifiable to me.

I will buy the iPad mini 5 one day - but that day isn’t today, because my iPad mini 2 isn’t £399 less value (for what I use it for) than the new model.

I'm basically in the same boat. My Mini 2 has aged, but ultimately still fulfills my daily needs. I love that the new Mini 5 is a huge leap forward from the Mini 2, but since the Mini 2 still works... is it worth the $729 (Cdn) I need to shell out for the 256 GB model (I need more than 64). What I fear though is we'll see that justification come at WWDC. A massive push like this in spec bumps across the product lines (XR instead of SE, these two new ipads) hints that iOS 13 (or maybe 14) could have some major changes coming that will severely impact their ability to support backwards compatibility with the older iOS devices. I suspect my Mini 2 is going to soon go the way of my iPod Touch, or my iPhone 3G and 4S and will be joining the 'unsupported' ranks.
 
Pencil 2 requires a flat edge to attach to. iPad Mini’s design is curved so it has less friction which may cause Pencil 2 to fall off easily. Apple would need to redesign the mini but thst would increase the price.

Yes Apple now consider themselves beyond having to do any actual work to get people to buy their products.
 
This thing has thicker top and bottom bezels than the original iPad mini from 2012. It's a damn shame.
These are precisely the same bezels and overall measurements that the iPad mini 4 from 2015 had. So you only noticed this now?
 
While demise is probably over the top. There is a very decent chance that the Mini will fall right back into "Rip van Winkle" mode and go comatose for another 2-3 years. They bumped it up, but it is aimed at a relatively narrow market with relatively limited growth prospects ( replacements and some new utilization by narrow class. ). It is "surrounded" on both sides by a more affordable and higher features models so it is in a relatively narrow Goldilocks zone.

If that zone isn't growing very fast, then Apple isn't likely going to assignment very much R&D resources to it. They'll do a "catch up" eventually in their copious spare time. For better or worse that will make the "broken clock" appear right more often than it isn't. While Apple is hibernating, it will look correct.

The iPad mini 4 was/is running an 2014 era A9 processor. That will probably stop seeing iOS updates in a year or two. Apple left the 9.7 dangling on an A10 for now. The Mini is probably just got to the end of the rope. If the sales over the next 18months dramatically overshoot their projections then perhaps Apple will shave some time off the hibernation. If they match the projections then more likely it is going to be another long wait for the next update. If the sales are even slower than projected then an even longer hibernation.

Agreed....by putting in an A12 we likely won’t see a major update for at least 3 years. Only time will tell if the form factor will disappear at that time, or will get another major update. It’s possible that folding/rolling display phones will make Mini iPads irrelevant, although education and some businesses still prefer the smaller size.
 
So Apple has a great ecosystem, so long as you don't buy too many of their products

Err no. If a single person buys highly redundant products then have a problem. If buy different ones across the ecosystem then you don't. One person two 2018 era iPhones ( e.g. an XR and a XS) versus. One person and a iPhone XS and iPad Mini ( or iPhone XR and iPad Pro both 2018 or iPhone XS Max , MacbookPro , AppleTV , and iPad AIR 2019 ).

If already have an iPad Pro why do you need a mini in a single person scenario? If have way above average disposable income to buy multiple iPad that you can't use at the same time, then how come go Scrooge McDuck when comes to buying another pencil at a fraction of the cost of buying that second, highly redundant iPad?


P.S. Folks who bought the initial 2 generations of the iPad Pro don't have a problem. It is the same pencil for the new Mini. Even if they traded in their "old" iPad Pro for the newest iPad Pro they'd often still have a Pencil 1 laying around not doing anything ( if had a 'Old" mini). So the folks who moved off the older iPad Pros (and will move off over time) already have a Pencil 1. No deep seated "ecosystem" problem there either.
 
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I hope it is early in the week. I am so ready. I missed the boat on ordering from apple's site as in arrival dates are pushed back to late march early April. :(

I ordered very early this morning, and mine had the same shipping dates. When I ordered I didnt realize that they would be releasing it in stores next week, so I might go pick one up on launch day and cancel my online order.
 
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