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Apple Considering Lower-Priced iPad Mini at $199-$249?
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Of the MANY people who I know (including myself) that own an iPad, NONE us us use the rear camera. Can't therefore see a point of having it (bearing in mind most iPad owners will no doubt have a mobile with one!) As such, get rid of it and anything else that increases prices, reduce your margin further (because we all know low margins for greedy Apple probably mean twice that of other manufacturers!) and I'm sure we'll see a sudden and massive surge in sales as people buy multiple units and forgo waiting for a retina version.
Simple business economics really!
This. What's the point of an 8GB device.. it's ridiculous. 32GB SD cards can be had for around $20.. Even entry level 16GB iPads / iPhones need to go.. Get with the times
Once again. No new innovative products. Just rejigging of old "innovations". Damn you New (Post Jobs) Apple! 
This. What's the point of an 8GB device.. it's ridiculous. 32GB SD cards can be had for around $20.. Even entry level 16GB iPads / iPhones need to go.. Get with the times
Apple can be funny, so much about the future (meaning getting rid of useful features because they want you to buy over priced digital content on iTunes) that they ignore the present yet they are falling behind and any talk of 8GB should never be taken seriously.
Not much, considering that Apple eats up all the cost for providing all the free apps, handles all the advertising for free, payment processing for free, sells gift cards below face value (because no store would sell $50 gift cards if they just had to pass on the $50 to Apple). Apple makes money by selling hardware. The App Store is basically advertisement to entice you to buy the hardware.
This. What's the point of an 8GB device.. it's ridiculous. 32GB SD cards can be had for around $20.. Even entry level 16GB iPads / iPhones need to go.. Get with the times
I have to agree with this.
The base iPad and iPad Mini need to be 32Gb, even if they keep the current Mini as a non retina cheap model.
But since when has logic played a part of Apple's product lines?
Really the main reason why people buy minis .
Oh wait it's cause it's smaller and lighter and you can't even tell it doesn't have a retina lol
I don't think the cost of 8 GB would be that much lower than 16 GB nowadays anyway.
Just like others: I assume the current lowest spec'ed iPad mini to continue as the budget / education iPad for a nice low price and the "retina" iPad minis for normal prices.
The iTunes store is run at around break-even. It is there for the benefit of the devs and the customers. Apple does it for altruistic reasons.
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Apple is nothing like Rolls Royce. Apple is like Ferrari.
apple has no problem at their current price point and consumers clearly have no problem with the current price point, but reduced price may help get a few million more sales (at the cost of profits which will cause the stock to plummet bc the noobie investors want the same margins on cheaper products)
If they do release this and it's not a retina screen then that could, possibly, extend the lifespan of the ipad 2. Since apps and updates will still be released supporting non retina devices. At LEAST through iOS 7 hopefully. I love my ipad 2 and am VERY happy with it. I've had it about a year and a half now and though I've tinkered with the idea of upgrading, I'm going to ride it out. Not because I'm waiting for the next big thing but because what I have is absolutely perfect for what I use it for.
Apple has one and only one goal. Apple strives to maximize total profits.
Apple creates "the most amazing products" in order to maximize total profits. They do not do it as a public service, like the Red Cross or the Catholic church. Apple is a business.
Sheesh.
Pur-lease, it looks absolutely ridiculous. I honestly haven't ever thought 'I really wish my tablet had a rear camera' on my Nexus 7.
It shoud be notted that the iPad Mini (16Gb Wifi) sells in most countries outside the US/Canada for around $440 USD...which is far from inexpensive...and makes the Nexus 7 and other cheaper tablets look much more appealing...
For the price it costs in the US it's a already bargain - nothing to complain about...jeez.
For the price it costs in the US it's a already bargain - nothing to complain about...jeez.
Internaut
macrumors 65816
From a business point of view, what the analyst suggests is IMHO bang on the money. A cheaper model, perhaps with an even lower profit margin, could boost sales of services (tunes, apps, movies, books and so on). To me, this makes a great deal of sense. A tune, app, movie or book bought from Google Play or Amazon is revenue not realised by Apple.
However, there is a caveat. IMHO, looking at Apple's history, this goes so far against the grain, I simply can't imagine it ever happening!
However, there is a caveat. IMHO, looking at Apple's history, this goes so far against the grain, I simply can't imagine it ever happening!
While I hope they keep the current 32Gb Mini as a cheap iPad option like they currently do with the iPad 2, I'm not sure if they will. It might be just 16Gb to give people more incentive to get the 'new' iPad Mini when it's released.
My spec is we will have,
16Gb current iPad mini WiFi $199, 4G $299
32/64/128 new iPad mini WiFi and 4G models.
And a similar product structure for the full size iPad with the iPad 2 being dropped.
JMHO
My spec is we will have,
16Gb current iPad mini WiFi $199, 4G $299
32/64/128 new iPad mini WiFi and 4G models.
And a similar product structure for the full size iPad with the iPad 2 being dropped.
JMHO
How Low Can Kuo Go... or maybe it should be: How Kuo Can You Go, seeing as he's sinking to Digitimes depths here. Well, OK, at least he is advertising as his opinion, not fact.
Every 7th grader who has taken (and not fallen asleep) a basic business class understands that selling a s-load of a product doesn't automatically translate to making s-load of money. And there is the rub. Just what Apple needs to restore investor faith and booth share value... a low margin product that can't measure up to Apple's "regular priced" ones.
If Apple intended to go bottom fishing it would have priced the mini at $199 or $250 to start and then all the sudden Android tablets would be extinct. But Apple is barely making decent (decent by Apple standards, and investor expectations) margins on the mini as-is. So this story is nothing more than Kuo trying to get attention and maybe MR trying to get some clicks in a slow period.
Every 7th grader who has taken (and not fallen asleep) a basic business class understands that selling a s-load of a product doesn't automatically translate to making s-load of money. And there is the rub. Just what Apple needs to restore investor faith and booth share value... a low margin product that can't measure up to Apple's "regular priced" ones.
If Apple intended to go bottom fishing it would have priced the mini at $199 or $250 to start and then all the sudden Android tablets would be extinct. But Apple is barely making decent (decent by Apple standards, and investor expectations) margins on the mini as-is. So this story is nothing more than Kuo trying to get attention and maybe MR trying to get some clicks in a slow period.