Apple Debuts Second-Generation iPad Mini with Retina Display

[Iconoclysm]

What makes this tablet $170 dollars more expensive than a 16gb Nexus 7?

Let's see, weight, processing power, screen resolution, screen size, ecosystem...need more?

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Seems like Apple has learned something from 5S/5C. They are betting on people are going to spend that extra money to get the better device. So they've put in the same specs to both Air and Mini.

Though the conspiracy theorist in me suspect that they couldn't do A7X at this time so they just said f%ck it.

There wasn't a point to an A7X this time because the A7 is already an X style SoC.

 

[Dustman]

It's really not that expensive compared to other similar tablets:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2055590/lg-drops-a-new-high-resolution-tablet-the-lg-g-pad-8-3.html

The Nexus 7 is cheaper but a lot smaller.

This.

The only thing keeping the Nexus 7 off the table for me is it's size. A 7" tablet is only 2 inches larger than my smartphone, what's the point? The Mini's 4:3 aspect ratio paired an 8" screen makes all the difference.

I wish 4:3 tablets were more common in the Android world. For me personally, its the hardware, not iOS, that keeps Apple in my home.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Original mini should have dropped to $199. Retina mini should have been priced at $299. With as expensive at they priced it I would not be surprised to see many many more ipad airs sold vs mini retinas in the coming year.

$299 seems absolutely unthinkable and no competitor offers anything at that size and resolution for anywhere near that.

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did you not pass rounding in math growing up? more like 8" and 10". Who rounds down unless its under 5?

Not only that but it's 7.9" on a 4:3 screen which is more surface area than if it were a 7.9" with a 16:9 screen. There's almost 50% more screen space on an iPad mini than a Nexus 7.

 

[jsw]

Let's see, weight, processing power, screen resolution, screen size, ecosystem...need more?

The Nexus 7 weighs less. Processing power is equivalent. PPI are within 1%. Ecosystems are equivalent. The 32GB LTE version is barely over 50% of the cost of the equivalent mini. Cameras are the same specs. The N7 has wireless charging and NFC. Oh, and a GPS on all versions.

So yes. I need more.

Edit: I'm not arguing the Nexus 7 is better. I'm arguing that it is a similar device at a significantly lower cost. Plus it fits in a pants pocket...which is handy.

 

[haruhiko]

Seems that the iPad mini retina has better value than the big iPad since they both have the same spec this time?

 

[Iconoclysm]

No, that's not true, the first retina iPad (iPad 3) was significantly more expensive than the iPad 2. That's when they kept the iPad 2 around and they're still doing that, as the only non-retina iPad. I can't find a source no matter how much I Google it because they only show current prices… But I'm almost certain that the iPad 3 price was higher than the iPad 2 price at launch.

That's not true. Both were $499 at launch...

 

[Xiroteus]

The iPad 2 is still very popular. I expect education and industrial buy them do to the lower price as they probably find the performance more than acceptable. And after years of component cost reductions, I would not be surprised if the iPad 2 had amazing margins.

A major problem is the iPad 4 should be $399 not the iPad 2. That's just a cheap move on Apples part.

 

[Iconoclysm]

If 329 for the Mini 1 had been a good deal you might be right--but it wasn't.

If screen real estate is the deciding factor in the value of a tablet, the iPad mini being nearly 50% bigger than the Nexus 7 should make it right.

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The Nexus 7 weighs less. Processing power is equivalent. PPI are within 1%. Ecosystems are equivalent. The 32GB LTE version is barely over 50% of the cost of the equivalent mini. Cameras are the same specs. The N7 has wireless charging and NFC. Oh, and a GPS on all versions.

So yes. I need more.

Edit: I'm not arguing the Nexus 7 is better. I'm arguing that it is a similar device at a significantly lower cost. Plus it fits in a pants pocket...which is handy.

The Nexus 7 size to weight is heavier. Processing power is not even nearly equivalent, or do you just read GHz and call it a day? The A6X beats the Nexus 7 in benchmarks and you think the A7 wouldn't? Ecosystems equivalent in some alternate reality I guess. We're not just talking apps here but also accessories including a ton of audio hardware/software. When's the last time you saw a Nexus 7 compatible DAW? It doesn't even exist.

As for storage and LTE, yes, cheaper on the Nexus for sure. NFC and wireless charging? That's even more niche than my DAW reference above. I'm not taking a giant ass wireless charger with me everywhere I go and if NFC ever catches on I won't be using a tablet to pay for things. Likely, low power Bluetooth will win this battle anyway.

 

[jsw]

If screen real estate is the deciding factor in the value of a tablet, the iPad mini being nearly 50% bigger than the Nexus 7 should make it right.

By that argument, you'd be a fool not to get the Air for $100 more.

 

[Poisonivy326]

I wouldn't mind either the ipad Air or ipad mini's starting prices if it was at 32 GB ...

 

[Iconoclysm]

By that argument, you'd be a fool not to get the Air for $100 more.

Interestingly enough, I will be getting the iPad Air this time around but the size difference is actually less than the difference between the 7 and the mini. The mini, if you're looking for smaller size is the better deal. However, I like to use my iPad for sheet music and the mini has proven to be too small for that at realistic distances from a music stand.

 

[jsw]

The Nexus 7 size to weight is heavier.

Actually, the mini is about 10% heavier in volume to weight.

Processing power is not even nearly equivalent, or do you just read GHz and call it a day? The A6X beats the Nexus 7 in benchmarks and you think the A7 wouldn't?

Processing power absolutely is equivalent. Where are you seeing real-world usage showing differences?

Ecosystems equivalent in some alternate reality I guess. We're not just talking apps here but also accessories including a ton of audio hardware/software. When's the last time you saw a Nexus 7 compatible DAW? It doesn't even exist.

Yes, because such a huge portion of the population uses DAW. Of course, there are N7-compatible DAWs on the Play Store, and you can use the USB port for hardware options. The ecosystems are equivalent.

As for storage and LTE, yes, cheaper on the Nexus for sure.

That's my point (along with the GPS). However, I have to concede, that - at a huge price premium, granted - the 64GB and 128 GB options are fantastic on the mini.

NFC and wireless charging? That's even more niche than my DAW reference above. I'm not taking a giant ass wireless charger with me everywhere I go and if NFC ever catches on I won't be using a tablet to pay for things. Likely, low power Bluetooth will win this battle anyway.

I'll grant that NFC is more or less irrelevant, but wireless charging isn't. I set the N7 on the charger on my nightstand. It charges. No effort. Same at my desk at work. I grant - easily! - that lightning kicks the ass of micro USB. But wireless is even better.

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Interestingly enough, I will be getting the iPad Air this time around but the size difference is actually less than the difference between the 7 and the mini. The mini, if you're looking for smaller size is the better deal. However, I like to use my iPad for sheet music and the mini has proven to be too small for that at realistic distances from a music stand.

For what it's worth, I'm likely getting an Air as well. I do like the hardware; I just am not keen on paying a huge premium for what is not, in reality, much of a difference in usability.

Also, I do like the aspect ratio of the iPads better in general, but I very much like that the Nexus 7 - in a case - fits in my back pocket. The iPad mini doesn't. That portability is useful to me.

 

[StintheBeast]

The iPod touch is a mini computer. The iPad mini is just a bigger faster mini computer.

People like me (people who studied computer science) know the difference between memory and storage space.
You can order an 13" MacBook Pro with 16 GB of memory for only $1,599.00 – suddenly $400 sounds cheap.

Excuse me then. 16 GB of storage. But how does the iPad mini compare to the 13 inch MacBook pro with 16 GB of RAM?? And I like how you said ONLY $1599.99. The iPad and MacBook are totally different markets. No is gonna say "well this MacBook is $1600 so I'm gonna get the iPad mini cuz it's only $400" And I guess you could call the mini a mini computer but you can't do crap with it compared to what you can do on a Mac. All I was saying is that the iPad mini is overpriced AF. Just please don't compare iPads to Macs ever again. You need a desktop operating system to accomplish something useful lol

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By that argument, you'd be a fool not to get the Air for $100 more.

But get the mini if you want the best display. Because it's the same pixel ratio as the Air but a smaller screen which means more pixel density. If you're into being that guy with the "next big thing"

 

[ColdShadow]

..this kind of specs for only $100 more..

"only" $100 more??
your reasoning makes zero sense..
so the new Macbook Pro / iMac should also see a $100 increase every year when they upgrade them?
this is an upgrade,it is a replacement for the older model,it should have been priced same (or just slightly higher) than the predecessor model.not a chunky $100 more.

 

[kajakfahrer]

They kept the old ipad2 with this high price for you, so that we think:" wow, look ... the other devices are cheap as hell!"

 

[-LikesMac-]

I actually would have been more surprised if the new iPad Mini was not more expensive than before; who thought that the retina display would not impact profit margins for Apple if it were to be implemented without any price changes? Along with profit concerns, Apple likely did it for such factors as preventing too much cannibalization of other products (i.e. the iPad Air).

 

[Poisonivy326]

I think Apple's strategy is obvious after today's keynote: make everything Mac-related more affordable and a "bargain" (down to the free Mavericks upgrade), while jacking up the prices of the tablets/phones. It makes sense as Mac sales have been dropping, so everything about the retina macbook became more affordable, from the RAM to the SSD storage space. I guess they feel as if they can't really afford to lose more market share in the PC industry, so they cut profit margins. I can see a lot more parents giving in to their kids wanting "the computer with a nice screen" now.

Tablets and phones however are one area where they do feel as if they can charge "movie theater popcorn prices": the $100 for 16 --> 32 GB, keeping the ipad 2 at $399, etc.

I guess they feel completely confident that the iOS/ipad/iphone market is solid and secure enough that they can keep with this pricing strategy and people will still buy.

I wonder if they'll continue to cut "Apple tax" on Macs and jack up "Apple tax" on iDevices.

 

[GregAndonian]

No thanks! The price of tablets are going down not up.

You obviously haven't seen the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition).

 

[Battlefield 2]

My iPad 3 was already expensive enough. And they're raising prices again? Maybe I'll wait till the iPad 6 for TouchID and a possible price drop before buying another iPad. Bold move Apple. Bold.

 

[Gudi]

"only" $100 more?? your reasoning makes zero sense..
so the new Macbook Pro / iMac should also see a $100 increase every year when they upgrade them?

No, hell not! They should see a comparable 20% increase on their respective base price. For every year in which the upgrade includes 4x pixels, 4x cpu, 8x gpu and 2x bits. I'm looking at you sexy 128-bit 4K iMac (Late 2014).

this is an upgrade, it is a replacement for the older model, it should have been priced same (or just slightly higher) than the predecessor model. not a chunky $100 more.

It's $70 more or -$30 less for last years technology. Only the difference is $100 and this difference is much too small. Only an idiot would not buy the $399 bargain.

 

[rGiskard]

If screen real estate is the deciding factor in the value of a tablet, the iPad mini being nearly 50% bigger than the Nexus 7 should make it right.

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As for storage and LTE, yes, cheaper on the Nexus for sure. NFC and wireless charging? That's even more niche than my DAW reference above. I'm not taking a giant ass wireless charger with me everywhere I go and if NFC ever catches on I won't be using a tablet to pay for things. Likely, low power Bluetooth will win this battle anyway.

Qi wireless charging stations are already installed or planned at numerous airports and several coffee chains. It may fizzle, but there's a good chance it will become a standard. Samsung, LG, Sony, Nokia, Motorola, Pantech, HTC, and Belkin are some of over 100 companies on board.

Any objective comparison between the Retina Mini and Nexus 7 would show that while the Mini has the edge on performance and screen size, they are otherwise very similar. Certainly the larger screen on the Mini is worth something, but $170? Apple doesn't even deem the jump from an 8" to 10" retina display to be worth more than $100.

For Mac users the rMini also has iCloud syncing going for it, and the free iLife/iWork that comes with it (not entirely sure about that tie in). But for Windows users? $400 is a heavy lift for an 8" tablet that is only a marginally better than a Nexus 7 and syncs through the clumsy iTunes interface.

$369 would have been a fair price. Next spring, expect Apple to drop in an A8 and lower the price to $369. I'll be waiting

 

[Gudi]

But how does the iPad mini compare to the 13 inch MacBook pro with 16 GB of RAM?? And I like how you said ONLY $1599.99. The iPad and MacBook are totally different markets.

Two slightly different segments of the same market known as computers. Also includes iPhones.

No is gonna say "well this MacBook is $1600 so I'm gonna get the iPad mini cuz it's only $400".

Have a look at #231. See? She is comparing two computers and has the same difficulties you have.

And I guess you could call the mini a mini computer but you can't do crap with it compared to what you can do on a Mac.

Alan Turing wants to have a word with you.
If anything in theoretical informatics is right than you can do crap with a Turing Machine.

You need a desktop operating system to accomplish something useful lol

There's an app for that. Just leave the games category in the AppStore alone.

 

[EbookReader]

One thing is clear after today announcement.

Android will continue to gain market share in tablet and iOS will lose market share.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-5...-ipad-mini-price-choosing-profits-over-share/
Apple whiffs on iPad Mini price, choosing profits over share

"This is the clearest statement Apple could have made that it is only interested in competing in the premium tablet space," Ovum analyst Jan Dawson said. "This leaves a huge chunk of the tablet market unserved by Apple while others such as Google, Amazon, and a raft of others aggressively target the sub-$400 market. This reinforces our view that Apple's share in tablets will continue to fall as Android's share rises over the coming years."

And fall it has. Apple essentially invented the modern touch-screen tablet with the first iPad in 2010. By the end of that year, it sold more than three-fourths of all tablets in the market, according to IDC. By the end of 2012, however, it sold 46 percent of tablets, and its share will drop further to 36 percent this year, the tech research firm estimates. Android, by comparison, will make up about 60 percent of all tablets in the market by the end of 2013, up dramatically from its share of 22 percent in 2010.

 

[chatin]

16 GB the biggest disappointment.

Apple needed to ditch the 16 GB models. It is very hard to be a retina app collector with 13 GB of usable storage. I would look for a used 64 GB iPad before paying $700 for an Air.

 

[haruhiko]

My iPad 3 was already expensive enough. And they're raising prices again? Maybe I'll wait till the iPad 6 for TouchID and a possible price drop before buying another iPad. Bold move Apple. Bold.

The big iPad did not increase in price. Just not lowered.