Apple Will Reportedly Launch iPad Mini 5 and Entry-Level 10-inch iPad Next Year

[AirunJae]

A little surprised with the mini, but I am sure it will be a good model for a lot of people. I am only curious on whether or not they will retain the home button or move to the new design language and Face ID.

I suppose it depend on the price. If they go for a Standard iPad in a Mini body, I would guess not, simply due to margins. I think it would have to currently be an iPad Pro Mini to get the FaceID tech. But maybe in a year or two after costs of production come down, I could see FaceID making it into the Standard iPad line-up.

I'd be curious to know if Apple is updating the Mini more so for the general consumer or for Businesses & Education. Seems like I always see Minis in use for various small businesses and restaurants, and a Speech Language Pathologist in my district got a number of Minis (And the 2017 iPads) last school year through a grant to implement them as AAC (Augmentive & Alternative Communication) devices for students that need them.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

I am glad that finally market forces (i.e. consumer demand) have begun to impact Apple product decisions.

Apple Exec: Why won't people buy what we want to sell them!?!
Apple Jr Exec: I suppose we could build the products they keep asking for?
Apple Exec: It's just crazy enough to work.

Replace junior by randomly visiting customer ... or housekeeper

 

[doctor-don]

Where's the Mac Pro?

 

[Shin-Ra]

I want an iPad mini 5 with the latest SoC, high quality screen, USB-C would be nice but it doesn’t need a fancy camera or camera lump..

At least two speakers for stereo sound in landscape.

I don’t think any of that warrants a price far north of £300.

 

[H2SO4]

MSRP mini, I think is what you meant, right?

If you thought Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price, yes.

 

[martyhimself]

What do you want Apple to do?

• Curate the App store. There are only so many 'blocky' games one can suffer- most of them choose this art style because it is time saving etc. etc.
• Crack down on games with in-app purchases that are squarely aimed at fleecing vulnerable people.
• Work with developers of apps and games on other platforms that would work well with a touch interface and help them port it to iOS. If I sat down I could probably list 50+.
• Work with developers to create a 'premium' / AAA tier of apps and applications that command higher prices and run on Pro devices, promote this tier BUT:
• Regularly bundle up games / have game / apps sales at reduced prices (see Humble Bundle / Steam).
• Make sure apps and games keep working on future versions of iOS, OR: release emulators on the store for them.
• Release Xcode for iOS so I can develop and publish iOS apps on iOS.

I could go on and on. Apple is the richest company in the world, it could do all of this and more.

There are some counter events in the pro realm: Adobe
is bringing a somewhat complete version of Photoshop to the app store. Ti's cas inspire is a
work of art, but I never use because it so much easier to use desktop version with a mouse.
Many productivity apps are limited by lack of a mouse/pointer and the kludgey file support.

I do agree with you here on both counts- there are some positives too.

 

[fokmik]

Where's the Mac Pro?

WWDC 2019

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Today's report goes on to say Apple plans to reduce production costs of the two iPads by reducing the amount to LED procurement in Japan and switching to Korean-made LED displays.

Is that just a passive-aggressive way of saying Samsung-made LED displays?

 

[Greenmeenie]

Hope the next mini gets pencil support. Most likely it will be for the first gen if it does. I think eventually...the mini and regular iPad will get USB-C, face ID, thinner bezels and support for the apple pencil #2...But probably not until 2020 for the 10th anniversary of the ipad. Looks like this March update will be a minor one.

 

[acblue94]

Yet another screen size? Many apps are not updated for the 11 inch pro yet.

So true. 90% of my apps aren’t updated. Defeats the purpose of the small bezels.

 

[simonmet]

After 3 years I guess somebody thought they should do some work. I mean seriously, Apple; it’s a good form factor! Why did you abandon it like the Mac Mini and Mac Pro for so long? How hard is it to keep a device moderately updated and relevant?

Knowing Apple however it’ll probably be way too expensive so they can keep their revenues high despite declining sales (which they no longer want to report).

 

[longhorn2004]

I think the new 10 inch will keep the same screen res as the 9.7. I just hope they add top speakers like the pros. I also think it will have thinner bezel like the 10.5. It will probably have the a11 or a12 processor and 4gb of ram.

I think it will be the same 9.7 shell with smaller bezels on top and sides. Must keep home button to keep costs down and updated internals and new pencil, since I believe Apple is moving the whole product line to USB-C.

Finding a lower cost OEM to provide LCDs, allows Apple to keep the price the same and widen margins.

 

[nt5672]

Maybe we could get another half dozen iPad models. That should work and fit Cook's strategy. Double the number of models, double the revenue, right? I remember back when we did not need an engineering degree to figure out which models to buy of any Apple product.

 

[sracer]

Maybe we could get another half dozen iPad models. That should work and fit Cook's strategy. Double the number of models, double the revenue, right? I remember back when we did not need an engineering degree to figure out which models to buy of any Apple product.

If you need an engineering degree to figure out which iPad is right for you then perhaps the are more pressing needs to address.

Are Apple customers really that challenged that they find having options to be confusing? As long as Apple can meet their revenue goals, having more choices is better for consumers.

 

[tharitm]

Not surprised since the iPad was selling with hefty discounts 'Tis holiday. I'm guessing it'll be a bezel-less display and hefty price bump update, like their usual updates to products this year.

 

[ectospheno]

I 100% agree with this.

Apple is completely dropping the ball on the App Store.

It should be actively working with devs of popular games and apps on other platforms to port them to iOS instead of working against them. Big developers have left the store in droves. Instead, Apple is promoting crapware containing in-app purchases that are aimed at fleecing customers.

Apps and games are being abandoned by developers and are not working on newer iOS devices, which is completely unacceptable.

Companies that make poor products should fail. That is normal. The bulk of crap on the app store should flounder, fail, and disappear. This is how the free market works. Failure of the app store would be all that crap sticking around.

 

[nt5672]

If you need an engineering degree to figure out which iPad is right for you then perhaps the are more pressing needs to address.

Are Apple customers really that challenged that they find having options to be confusing? As long as Apple can meet their revenue goals, having more choices is better for consumers.

Nope no other needs to address. It can, of course, be figured out. Thats not the point. In the past the strategy was pick screen size and cost and you were good to go. Now you need to ask yourself a bunch of different questions. For me it is easy, as you say. For relatives, I just give up and point them to a non-apple devices. Saves them a ton of money since the difference in quality is not worth the Apple tax for the casual user.

 

[mtneer]

After what happened with the XR, I'd wont be surprised if Apple "cheapens" the display on this Mini to be a green screen CRT

 

[Zdigital2015]

Is that just a passive-aggressive way of saying Samsung-made LED displays?

No, I think it means that there is not enough information to suggest who would win the contract to produce those displays.

LG Electronics is a South Korea-based company as well. I did a quick Google search, but I did not find any other LED panel makers in the Republic of Korea, but that does not mean that they are the only manufacturers that Apple would use.

 

[sracer]

Nope no other needs to address. It can, of course, be figured out. Thats not the point. In the past the strategy was pick screen size and cost and you were good to go. Now you need to ask yourself a bunch of different questions. For me it is easy, as you say. For relatives, I just give up and point them to a non-apple devices. Saves them a ton of money since the difference in quality is not worth the Apple tax for the casual user.

I still think that the "difficulty" in choosing which model is a bit of hyperbole. People should have been thinking about their purchases all along... that only makes sense. Now they have more reason to think.

A rule of thumb that I use when asked for advice on which iPad to buy... I tell them to get the 2018 iPad (non-Pro). They don't need the additional horsepower or amped-up specs. If they did, they'd know which one to buy. They're not going to attempt content creation on them. Even for the casual content consumption-only crowd, the 2018 iPad is a good value. They're going to keep it for years and it will last a good long time.

If they just want a tablet, any tablet, I tell them to get a Fire HD 10 when they're $100 or less.

 

[az431]

So Apple needs a lower price point. That's not news, that's obvious.
But why would I want to buy a "cheaper" version of a flagship device, just because the pricing is ridiculous beyond belief?

This will not sell at all ... I really hope Tim Cook leaves with a golden handshake.
His obsession with supply chain optimisation and high margins is just horrible.

By the way, shareholders will notice that as well. Regardless of all the nice talk about innovation in materials and new technologies. I would not be surprised to see AAPL touch $100.

I don't buy any current products anymore. I know it's irrelevant.
But the share price has moved and investors see that at least.

Thank you for your input Mr. Kim. Looking forward to the new Galaxy Tab.

 

[Cosmosent]

More evidence that Tim Cook's AAPL has changed course, & is now 100% focused on The Top Line Revenue Number.

The course change @ AAPL was made somewhere between when XR pre-Orders began, on Fri, Oct 19th, & the end of the first weekend AFTER the XR began Available (i.e., late on Sun, Oct 28th).

AAPL Reported Earnings for their previous Qtr on Nov 1st, @ which time they announced they will NO longer provide iPhone unit sales (at least until they can fix the current mess).

The new (rumored) lower-priced iPads are a direct result of the XR NOT doing so well ... nothing else.

There have been a number of little data points the last few weeks that makes it crystal clear that Tim Cook is now running a different ship.

Cook "thinks" he will be around to reap the Revenue benefits of the rumored lower-priced iPads, but I doubt it.

 

[az431]

I am glad that finally market forces (i.e. consumer demand) have begun to impact Apple product decisions.

Apple Exec: Why won't people buy what we want to sell them!?!
Apple Jr Exec: I suppose we could build the products they keep asking for?
Apple Exec: It's just crazy enough to work.

Did I miss where Apple discontinued the Mini at some point during it's now 6-year run?
[doublepost=1545406536][/doublepost]

iPad lineup is becoming more confusing than the Mac lineup. Does this mean iPad mini 5 will keep the iPad mini 4 form, iPad 10" will replace iPad 9.7" and take the iPad Pro form?

The article states that a new iPad mini is in the works, and that the 9.7" iPad will move to a 10" screen.

 

[Vanilla35]

The reports of iPad mini's death have been greatly exaggerated.

You're only saying that because there is now a new article stating the iPad mini will be refreshed. Before that all logical points showed it as dead in the water.

 

[MoreRumors?]

I would have to see the specs and cost before considering this. With the recent complaints of new out of the box iPad being bent along with the response from Apple, I would hold out and see where this goes.

Am I the only one waiting for a new iPod lol. I don’t like taking my iPhone to the gym I just want a pure music player I can throw about.

I am not holding my breath on an updated iPod and I think it will be totally phased out soon. I think Apple will want you to migrate the music into the iPhone and that's where we are headed. In addition, the support for iPods are short term for iOS updates as I have the previous generation and have not had an update in probably 4 years.