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Apple Debuts Second-Generation iPad Mini with Retina Display

There's a lot of talk about the Nexus 7 today.

Is it really a hot product? I don't recall seeing record sales numbers for the thing.

If the Nexus 7 is listed under Asus' numbers... Asus only sold 2 million tablet last quarter.

In contrast... Apple sold 14.6 million tablets last quarter.

So it doesn't look people are buying the Nexus 7 as much as people are talking about it.
 
Here's how I think it works: too many people chose the former mini over the full-sized iPad... more than Apple expected. The "aggressive" pricing on the former model did not have enough of a margin in it per Apple's objectives. So, increase the price of the new model to get that margin AND, at the same time, set up the dilemma of motivating people to just step up to the bigger one (which already has the full margin).

Same thinking with 5c vs. 5s pricing, except they learned from the iPad mini pricing mistake. So they priced the 5c too high to be sure the margin was there and set the same dilemma. The reward? Either way, they get the desired profit per unit sold and the pricing is close enough to motivate buyers to give great consideration to coughing up the extra $100 for the "better" one.

Apple just gets to laugh all the way to the bank either way. Before I get 50 bashing responses about "that's how capitalism works", "shouldn't Apple be able to make a profit" and all that usual drivel, YES, I agree they should be as successful as they want to be. A segment of the crowd will whine & gripe and then go cough up the extra money and/or pay up even more for the "better" one. Me? I think I'll stick with the mini I have and see what next year brings before I upgrade. Or wait for these to show up in the refurb store.
 
baryon said:
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.
Click to expand...
It was more expensive than the new iPad 2 price, but the same price as the iPad 2 had been up to that point, no?
 
baryon said:
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.
Click to expand...



I dont remember ipad 3 being more expensive than the ipad 2 at launch.


Also found this on Apple's website, found it interesting that they now mention it

"Warranty & Service

In the United Kingdom, consumers are entitled to a free of charge repair or replacement, by the seller, of goods which do not conform with the contract of sale. Under English law, consumers have up to six years from the date of delivery to exercise their rights however, various factors may impact your eligibility to receive these remedies. For details, click here."
 
Michael Scrip said:
There's a lot of talk about the Nexus 7 today.

Is it really a hot product? I don't recall seeing record sales numbers for the thing.

If the Nexus 7 is listed under Asus' numbers... Asus only sold 2 million tablet last quarter.

In contrast... Apple sold 14.6 million tablets last quarter.

So it doesn't look people are buying the Nexus 7 as much as people are talking about it.
Click to expand...

Simply put its just ppl complaining after an apple event. always happens. ppl wil still buy it.
 
jumanji said:
after reviewing this further, i can now see why the cost isn't cheaper.

it's got the same insides as the big brother. the first mini was watered down. this one isn't.

its the same ipad except for screen size. you want the smaller one, you pay less. you want the bigger one, you pay more. you're still getting a suped up ipad
Click to expand...

Yes, I'd much rather have a price increase and the mini get the latest technology than no price increase and skimping on specs.
 
I said this in the other thread but the "later November" availability of the mini 2 is a disaster waiting to happen. How many people will want a mini 2 for Christmas and then have a fit when it ships in January?
 
I was expecting the mini to get heavier and fatter if they put in retina. I wasn't expecting the other tech specs to be the same for each new ipad. The air is a great update for those with a 9.7" iPad. If you have an old mini then you are looking at going heavier and fatter. Might as well go a little larger and the thickness is the same but then it's $100 more.. I'm undecided which is the better choice...

PS. I have the older mini so to get a new one means I get one that is heavier and thicker..the retina display really isn't that important considering the size shrink over the original iPad size. I'm thinking that is not the way I want to go and will keep the mini I have as it is but I will get the air which is a larger screen for movies and general viewing at home. The mini will still be the best choice for carrying out and about.
 
Last edited:
Can someone confirm please: are there pre-orders for the Mini with Retina? Or is it like the iPhone 5s where sales won't start until Nov. 1st in which case I'd just pick one up at the Apple store on my way home after work.
 
Exponent said:
As I just got a Nexus 7 for development work, and you can get 16GB WiFi for $230, it will be interesting to compare it to the new iPad mini


Nexus 7
-------------
- Resolution: 1,920 by 1,200
- Screen size: 7.02 inches
- Price for 16GB WIFI: $230

Ipad Mini
-------------
- Resolution: 2048x1536
- Screen size: 7.9 inches
- Price for 16GB WIFI: $399

Is IOS worth $170, if you do the same tasks? Read books, browse web, reply to e-mails, watch occasional movies, listen to music?

This isn't an anti-Apple rant: I can tell you that IOS is far better integrated with the computer than the Nexus, if you don't already use Google for everything. I was amazed how primitive "out of the box" the Nexus was regarding syncing.
Click to expand...

heh heh, those customer who want better hardware at lower price has already move to Nexus 7 or something else. That is the reason that Ipad market share dropped some much last Q. Consumers are not a uniform group. There are a lot buyers who want better product and will be willing to pay the price. Market is pretty brutal. If Apple mispriced this products, we will see the result in the 4q13 earning.. We will see the review tonight and see what the first group of reviewers say. I bet the Ipad air weight loss is going to make headline as much as the retina display on the mini.. It is a big deal to loss 33% of the weight of the full size ipad in one generation...
 
LordVic said:
Google has managed to put out a high PPI device in the Nexus 7, for $170 less.
Click to expand...

Because Google is not making any money on the hardware. They make the money on serving you advertisements in all the Google services and selling the information they learn about you to third-parties.

(Not a complaint or a slam at Google, by the way. It's how their business is structured.)


LordVic said:
think Apple is banking on reputation too much with this release.
Click to expand...

They're banking on history. They know their products sell at a premium over the competition.

LordVic said:
If they had the RMini (retina mini) at $329, while it's still more than the N7, it would have flown off the shelves.
Click to expand...

And would have crippled their margins.

LordVic said:
But to keep the old Mini...at the $329 price point, really is questionable.
Click to expand...

They reduced the price from $329 to $299.


LordVic said:
What I find more pecular is that the ipad 4 is getting nixed. And the ipad Air takes it's pricepoint. in the full size market, we're getting a much faster, better, lighter, and I'd say Sexier device at the exact same price as before.
Click to expand...

We saw it with the 3rd and 4th generation iPads (at least in terms of specification and performance).


LordVic said:
But the Mini isn't following that same market replacement.
Click to expand...

The iPad Mini is currently following the iPad 2 / iPad 3 model - add Retina and new hardware to improve performance. The difference is the price went up on the new model, but the margins are much tighter on the Mini then the full iPad.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Here's how I think it works: too many people chose the former mini over the full-sized iPad... more than Apple expected. The "aggressive" pricing on the former model did not have enough of a margin in it per Apple's objectives. So, increase the price of the new model to get that margin AND, at the same time, set up the dilemma of motivating people to just step up to the bigger one (which already has the full margin).

Same thinking with 5c vs. 5s pricing, except they learned from the iPad mini pricing mistake. So they priced the 5c too high to be sure the margin was there and set the same dilemma. The reward? Either way, they get the desired profit per unit sold and the pricing is close enough to motivate buyers to give great consideration to coughing up the extra $100 for the "better" one.

Apple just gets to laugh all the way to the bank either way. Before I get 50 bashing responses about "that's how capitalism works", "shouldn't Apple be able to make a profit" and all that usual drivel, YES, I agree they should be as successful as they want to be. A segment of the crowd will whine & gripe and then go cough up the extra money and/or pay up even more for the "better" one. Me? I think I'll stick with the mini I have and see what next year brings before I upgrade. Or wait for these to show up in the refurb store.
Click to expand...

And just like pure capitolism, those of us who can't spend, or justify spending that kind of extra money will go elsewhere, and Apple ends up With 0.00

I was in the market to replace my 7" Playbook. Based on my recommendation, my mother and father were in the market to replace 2 other tablets that were dieing or on their way out. (HP touchpad, and a first gen Acer tablet who's screen broke).

We were holding off our decision making till today.

for $499 for the ipad Air, I might be able to recommend to my Father. and I Might consider it for myself...

But for my mother who's looking for a 7-8" device, mainly for reading and news, $399 for the retina Mini is out fo the question. its not an option. She will not spend that on tablet. But how do i then weight the pros/cons of the normal "mini" at $329, when she can get the Nexus 7, to do everything for nearly $100 less than even the old Mini.

I understand, as most do, that there is a difference in business model between Apple and Google when they price their devices. That significantly different, They make ti a very very hard case for themselves for those on a budget.
 
Michael Scrip said:
There's a lot of talk about the Nexus 7 today.

Is it really a hot product? I don't recall seeing record sales numbers for the thing.

If the Nexus 7 is listed under Asus' numbers... Asus only sold 2 million tablet last quarter.

In contrast... Apple sold 14.6 million tablets last quarter.

So it doesn't look people are buying the Nexus 7 as much as people are talking about it.
Click to expand...

yes, Nexus 7 is listed under Asus number... Google never release how many Nexus device they sold..
 
jsw said:
It was more expensive than the new iPad 2 price, but the same price as the iPad 2 had been up to that point, no?
Click to expand...

It's not how I remember it, but I can't confirm as I can only find current prices everywhere… But if I remember correctly, they increased the price and continued selling the iPad 2 at the same price, but maybe I'm confusing it with the new iPod Touch?
 
Exponent said:
As I just got a Nexus 7 for development work, and you can get 16GB WiFi for $230, it will be interesting to compare it to the new iPad mini


Nexus 7
-------------
- Resolution: 1,920 by 1,200
- Screen size: 7.02 inches
- Price for 16GB WIFI: $230

Ipad Mini
-------------
- Resolution: 2048x1536
- Screen size: 7.9 inches
- Price for 16GB WIFI: $399

Is IOS worth $170, if you do the same tasks? Read books, browse web, reply to e-mails, watch occasional movies, listen to music?

This isn't an anti-Apple rant: I can tell you that IOS is far better integrated with the computer than the Nexus, if you don't already use Google for everything. I was amazed how primitive "out of the box" the Nexus was regarding syncing.
Click to expand...

For those specs alone, no, the retina mini is not worth it. However I remember getting a cheap Dell laptop for grad school and saving $400 over a cheap MBA. I was not thrilled. For me ease of use, battery life, quality of build, and the fact that it JUST PLAIN WORKS adds value.
Of course, if I was in charge of supplying my company with 200 identical tablets and we had a budget of $50,000, we would be forced to get the Nexus 7 :(

Apple is shooting themselves in the foot by not giving more of a discount to the old mini. $250 would make a much more compelling argument for it, or even $270 and then $370 for the new mini.

If I had $600 to spend on electronics, which I do not have, and the choice was iPad Air+cover+tax or iPad Mini+cover+tax+$108 or Nexus+cover+ $300, I would choose the mini knowing I would probably slam down the Nexus in frustration in a week anyway.
 
0029937 said:
Can someone confirm please: are there pre-orders for the Mini with Retina? Or is it like the iPhone 5s where sales won't start until Nov. 1st in which case I'd just pick one up at the Apple store on my way home after work.
Click to expand...

They haven't said anything.... That's why I'm furious
baju5a5y.jpg
 
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