iPad Are 7-8" mini tablets dead?

[Cool Pup]

I don't think so. I'd say that the whole "tablet" market might be dying sooner than the Mini itself seeing as phones are growing larger (for better or for worse).

But regardless to that, ever since the Mini came out, I haven't really seen many people using full sized iPads in the wild. The Mini is just a fantastically-sized device that manages to get both facets of a handheld device as well as the larger real estate of an iPad without feeling too cumbersome as the full-sized iPad would be in some situations. It never feels all of that safe or comfortable to pull out an iPad Air in a crowded bus or train as it is to pull out a Mini.

It's strange because, just a few years ago, everyone was telling Apple that they HAD to have a smaller-sized tablet because larger tablets are "dead", and yet now, apparently the Mini is dead despite continuing to sell extremely well?

I fully believe that there's room for both sizes. Comparing phablets to tablets isn't exactly so easy, because phablets aren't for everyone in the same way as an iPad would be. Using a 5.5 inch phone is not an easy task, nor is it as mainstream for most people like a large touchscreen device would be because people still consider phones to be "portable", and once you get too large, portability becomes compromised.

 

[cycledance]

i find the phablets very useless and ackward items

this seems the direction apple and google decided to follow
i believe a phone should be the size of a hand (or about) no more

basic information, phone line, to really stay in contact and move easily


while tablets mostly for indoor job (school, kitchen, office, home)



for me the six plus is a totally wrong concept, and i believe Apple is testing what people wants, might turn upside down in 3-5 years, just like when Google offered the nexus 7 and apple bring out the mini

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i dont think tablets are in decline
just the actual market is filled/full and the rest of the world cannot afford it.

tablets are the present and future (one x student, kid, teenager,home,kitchen,grandpa)

i agree with that. we will have to wait and see though what kind of impact the apple watch will make.

i'd love to see an iphone mini. i love my white iphone 5c and i have no desire to upgrade it until the iphone becomes SMALLER.

 

[gadget123]

Google killed off its 7" tablets and now Apple appears to be doing the same thing. So is a mini tablet a dead product now?

What alot of nonsense.

The first ipad mini was released with no retina and the older Apple chip so was always a low end opinion.

Only because last year it was more in line with iPad Air. End of the day the air is so small and thin anyway why would you want a mini with the latest spec? The mini will drop in price and encourage people to buy an iPad if they can't afford the air.

----------

I don't think so. I'd say that the whole "tablet" market might be dying sooner than the Mini itself seeing as phones are growing larger (for better or for worse).

But regardless to that, ever since the Mini came out, I haven't really seen many people using full sized iPads in the wild. The Mini is just a fantastically-sized device that manages to get both facets of a handheld device as well as the larger real estate of an iPad without feeling too cumbersome as the full-sized iPad would be in some situations. It never feels all of that safe or comfortable to pull out an iPad Air in a crowded bus or train as it is to pull out a Mini.

It's strange because, just a few years ago, everyone was telling Apple that they HAD to have a smaller-sized tablet because larger tablets are "dead", and yet now, apparently the Mini is dead despite continuing to sell extremely well?

I fully believe that there's room for both sizes. Comparing phablets to tablets isn't exactly so easy, because phablets aren't for everyone in the same way as an iPad would be. Using a 5.5 inch phone is not an easy task, nor is it as mainstream for most people like a large touchscreen device would be because people still consider phones to be "portable", and once you get too large, portability becomes compromised.

Phones will not finish the tablet market off. Yes you could walk about with a phone the size of the ipad but that makes no sense. I reckon phones won't go above 6" now.

 

[pacorob]

i find the phablets very useless and ackward items

this seems the direction apple and google decided to follow
i believe a phone should be the size of a hand (or about) no more
while tablets mostly for indoor job (school, kitchen, office, home)

I agree. I have used a 4.7 inch Samsung Galaxy Nexus (i9250) for a few months after my iPhone 3GS (3,5" screen) but I returned to the iPhone 4S and still love the handy smaller size (3,5" screen). I didn't use the top row of apps (i left them empty) so i can still use it with one hand. The size was also not handy went i put my phone in my pocket when i used the bike daily from home <> work. I had to put it in a separate bag or in my jacket.

I won't buy such a large phone as the 6Plus 5,5" screen or even 6 4,7" screen, although they have that feature to 'scroll down' the apps so you can still operate it with one hand.

I would switch to the 5S (4inch screen) in the near future but still love the size of the 4S.

 

[CalmEnvy]

I don't think there dead. Even though the mini 3 wasn't a huge update, Apple still gave it the same storage and colour options as the Air 2. For me, the mini is the perfect size as a tablet and I recently went back to having an iPhone 5. The size is perfect compared to the Nexus 5 I had. I honestly hope that Apple keeps the 4" screen size and gives users three different choices each year.

Hopefully next years mini will be a bigger upgrade so that I can move from the first gen mini I have now.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I don't think so. I'd say that the whole "tablet" market might be dying sooner than the Mini itself seeing as phones are growing larger (for better or for worse).

But regardless to that, ever since the Mini came out, I haven't really seen many people using full sized iPads in the wild. The Mini is just a fantastically-sized device that manages to get both facets of a handheld device as well as the larger real estate of an iPad without feeling too cumbersome as the full-sized iPad would be in some situations. It never feels all of that safe or comfortable to pull out an iPad Air in a crowded bus or train as it is to pull out a Mini.

It's strange because, just a few years ago, everyone was telling Apple that they HAD to have a smaller-sized tablet because larger tablets are "dead", and yet now, apparently the Mini is dead despite continuing to sell extremely well?

I fully believe that there's room for both sizes. Comparing phablets to tablets isn't exactly so easy, because phablets aren't for everyone in the same way as an iPad would be. Using a 5.5 inch phone is not an easy task, nor is it as mainstream for most people like a large touchscreen device would be because people still consider phones to be "portable", and once you get too large, portability becomes compromised.

All the research shows mini is not selling as well as full size iPads. The problem is the mini isnt large enough or potable enough. It is the ultimate in compromises. I see a lot of iPad Airs out in the wild and minis for that matter.

 

[baypharm]

It is interesting that phones were very large in the early days and they became smaller as the years flew by. Think Star Tac. Now phones are becoming large again. I think these large format phones will have a definite impact on sales of smaller tablets. But the real issue here is the marketplace itself. There is a glut of tablets on the market from a variety of manufacturers. Add to that a whole boatload of used tablets people are selling, it doesn't take long to see the writing on the wall.

 

[DSTOFEL]

I hope not. I'm planning to buy one and hope the mini gets a decent upgrade in the future. I regret buying the Air because I have gotten so little use out of it.

A few years ago the 7" tablet was hot and there was speculation it was eating into iPad sells, so Apple seemed force to offer their own small tablet.

With last year's iPad release, I was attracted to the mini form factor but noticed it was heavier than the original mini immediately upon picking it up and while holding it in the Apple store, I didn't think it would be easy to use one handed for hours at a time like a Kindle is.

With so much weight taken off the full size iPad, and with the better color gamut, the Air seemed the way to go; it would be better for PDFs, technical manuals, magazines, comics and surfing the internet.

The Air is my first iPad and I thought I would get lots of use out of it, and to my surprise I hardly use it. I don't carry a briefcase or messenger bag so it didn't just slip into my life. I had to figure out how to carry the thing out of the house, and it never just came with me I had to make a choice to take it. Turns out, I didn't like taking it with me and rarely did.

When I started thinking about what I wanted to do with an iPad, it was to have the internet and my technical manuals with me at all times, which wasn't happening because the Air rarely came with me. I need something easily portable that will just be with me at all times like my iPhone and Kindle are.

So I started thinking about getting a new Mini when they were updated. I was expecting it to be lighter than the second generation and hoping it would have the same processor as the Air 2. When the 6+ came out, I thought that was the answer, my phone and tablet in one device, and I wouldn't need the mini. After looking at the PDFs in the Apple store demos, I don't think PDFs will be easy enough for me to deal with on the 6+.

So I am back to the mini and plan on buying a second gen soon.

If the Air outsold the mini, it makes since because the weight of the mini was more than the original and not much less than the Air, and add in the color issue, I made the decision to go with the Air. Maybe others on the fence went with the Air as as well for those reasons.

In hindsight, I wish I had bought the Rmini last year instead of the Air. I would like to see the mini continued and brought back in line with the Air's specs. It is not cheapness that is bringing me to the mini, rather it is the form factor.

Very nice summation. Everything you said resonates with me.

I've had both generations of the Mini and have used them extensively for the past 2 years. I travel each week for business and I use the Mini primarily for:
-watching videos on plane
-Internet, youtube,HBO GO, etc in hotel rooms
-Set it up at work at my deck to keep an eye on the Stock Market
-Excellent device for PDF's
-much more....

I chose the Mini's over the Full size primarily because of Weight. I find the Air hard to hold/use for extended periods. I find the R-Mini a bit heavy too.

I sold the R-Mini in anticipation of the updates. Was hoping for thinner, lighter and a better display (ie to fix gamut issue and overall muted colors). Needless to say, disappointed!

I'm moving on from the Mini's. I Want to move forward with technology and Apple isn't even trying with the Mini's.

BTW, bought the iPhone 6 Plus: Fantastic device....but not good for PDF's IMO

For me: I'm waiting to see if the Air 2 has more than 1GB RAM. If it does, I'm in as I think that will help it to achieve longevity. If only 1GB Ram, I'm out! As a fall back plan, pre-ordered the Nexus 9 and will stick with that decision if Apple has left me with no viable options (based on my needs and what I value). I'm sure I'll enjoy the Nexus!

 

[scupking]

Microsoft has canceled development on the surface mini.

 

[stretch80]

I don't think so. If the Mini 3 had an A8 I would have bought it instead of an Air 2, I love the size of my original mini. What I think is going on is that Apple is devaluing the Mini to push more profitable Air 2 sales. I don't think we will see the Mini and full size model have the same internals again, that was a one time deal.

Those are my thoughts exactly. I bought the Air 2 cause the lack of chip upgrade in the Mini 3. I'm gonna miss the Mini size a lot. Perfect size! Hopefully next year they'll make it closer to the Air 2 chip size. At least the same generation chip anyways.

 

[Cool Pup]

I'm moving on from the Mini's. I Want to move forward with technology and Apple isn't even trying with the Mini's.

Not sure how you would claim that. Yes, it's disappointing Mini users had a very horrible "update", but keep in mind the original Mini didn't even have a Retina display when every other iDevice had that going for it. The second update was leaps and bounds above it and practically the exact same device as the Air, the flagship iPad.

I'd give it more than one product refresh to decide that Apple isn't trying or not. It's not like the Mini 2 is irrelevant now, it's still a fantastic device and will not have any issues running software for at least a few years.

If the iPad Pro is true, all of this would confirm that the Mini is sticking around, albeit in a more limited capacity if it'll be about a year behind new tech (perhaps we'll get the A8X chip in the new version).

iPad Mini (small), Air (medium), Pro (large) — Seems like a good way to get the tablet market to cover any and all types of people.

 

[aka777]

Having just sold a mini retina and an iPad air, I felt quite the opposite actually. The demand for the large iPads is no longer there. The unchanged delivery times for the new iPad Air 2 speaks for itself.

This is the first time since the iPad 1st launch that I will not be upgrading or buying a new iPad. It’s just too hard to justify the $250+ loss of buying a 4G model. If only Apple passed on the cost savings they have gained over the years for the 4G models.

Google always believes that bigger is better and that is why they are selling larger tablets.

 

[RickTaylor]

When I started thinking about what I wanted to do with an iPad, it was to have the internet and my technical manuals with me at all times, which wasn't happening because the Air rarely came with me. I need something easily portable that will just be with me at all times like my iPhone and Kindle are.

This is exactly why I bought the mini when it came out, and upgraded to the retina mini when it followed; it's marvelous for that purpose. Pdf documents can be just a bit small, and I frequently use IAnnotate or Pdfexpert to hide the margins of a document, but to me the portability of the device is well worth this compromise. It's just small enough to fit in a suit jacket pocket, and goes everywhere with me.

I don't mind if the mini isn't quite up to the Air in specs, especially if it's a bit less expensive as well. I don't need the latest processor or perfect color reproduction for the uses I put it to. I just hope Apple continues to support the device. For me at least, the form factor is perfect, and I haven't seen anything that matches it.

 

[aka777]

I don't think so. I'd say that the whole "tablet" market might be dying sooner than the Mini itself seeing as phones are growing larger (for better or for worse).

But regardless to that, ever since the Mini came out, I haven't really seen many people using full sized iPads in the wild. The Mini is just a fantastically-sized device that manages to get both facets of a handheld device as well as the larger real estate of an iPad without feeling too cumbersome as the full-sized iPad would be in some situations. It never feels all of that safe or comfortable to pull out an iPad Air in a crowded bus or train as it is to pull out a Mini.

So true, as since the launch of the mini, I have never seen someone take out a large iPad.

The low sales volume of large iPads on Ebay, especially 4g versions, also speaks for itself. I had to practically give mine away, therefore, suffer a large loss. This is why, no way in the world will I upgrading to a large iPad this time round. I’ve had the latest iPad model since the 1st one.

 

[DSTOFEL]

Not sure how you would claim that. Yes, it's disappointing Mini users had a very horrible "update", but keep in mind the original Mini didn't even have a Retina display when every other iDevice had that going for it. The second update was leaps and bounds above it and practically the exact same device as the Air, the flagship iPad.

I see your point!

I've had both versions of the Mini and use them both extensively for the past 2 years. Fabulous devices both! However, we are now on the 3rd version of the Mini and Apple is still using what, in my opinion, is an inferior display (i.e. still the same 63% extremely limited gamut as in the original mini). This, combined with the fact that they are sticking wit the last generation processor and 1GB of RAM are the main reasons for my assertion that Apple is not even trying.

All I want is a portable "premium" tablet (i.e. one that comes with all of the latest technology...similar to the Air 2). Why can't Apple make both small and larger "premium" tablets?

 

[Cool Pup]

All I want is a portable "premium" tablet (i.e. one that comes with all of the latest technology...similar to the Air 2). Why can't Apple make both small and larger "premium" tablets?

Let's hope that they do. I'm not going to count out the Mini yet, because it really is a great device and I know that they know that.

There's a good chance they might be working on an "Air-type" lightness of the next Mini with similar thickness and this 3 was just a transition to show that they haven't killed off the line.

It would have been more devastating to the Mini if they didn't upgrade it at all. At least adding Touch ID and the new gold option shows that they're at least announcing new models at the events. Had they not shown a new release, it would have been far more crippling to the line as it would show that they aren't even interested in standardizing Touch ID in all of their hardware.

So true, as since the launch of the mini, I have never seen someone take out a large iPad.

The low sales volume of large iPads on Ebay, especially 4g versions, also speaks for itself. I had to practically give mine away, therefore, suffer a large loss. This is why, no way in the world will I upgrading to a large iPad this time round. I’ve had the latest iPad model since the 1st one.

Yeah. It's real hard to unload an old iPad, much harder than the older phones in my opinion.

 

[Night Spring]

There's a good chance they might be working on an "Air-type" lightness of the next Mini with similar thickness and this 3 was just a transition to show that they haven't killed off the line.

The thing is, a mini that has the same specs as the Air could very well cost more to produce than the Air. Especially, if we consider the r&d for getting the mini to Air-like thinness and lightness -- as your remark above implies, it'd be a huge r&d project. But despite the cost of building a mini, it is sold at less than the Air. It was great for consumers, but probably not so great for Apple's bottom line.

 

[rotation]

I don't know why you guys expect the mini to have the same specs as the air... Apple never did that before the retina mini and it doesn't make sense to have the mini have the same processing power as the Air.



Honestly the Mini Retina was and is the best deal Apple has ever given on a tablet. The mini 3 is disappointing, but by no means a bad product.




You mini guys were spoiled last year when apple got lazy and used the same SoC for both. Sucks, but A7 is an awesome processor.



And no i don't think 7-8" tablets are dead at all. I think the next mini will have to be lighter and more powerful but the mini 2 is still the best bang for your buck on iOS out there.

 

[neteng101]

Mini tablets seem to be the netbooks of the tablet market. Netbooks are not completely gone today but they're pretty scarce... as larger form factors become lighter and thinner, so larger tablets are becoming the ultrabooks of the tablet market.

 

[psac]

It is quite sad, I happen to think my 64GB rMini is one of the best devices I've every owned. Tons of usage day to day at work and at home.

The good thing is that I should get at least another good year out of it, but I hope maybe two or three more years might not be unreasonable.

(And that is Apple's "problem" with the iPad market. )

 

[aka777]

Tablet sales are down all around.

That being said, as someone who utilizes a tablet daily and made great use of the 4G cellular version, the mini is actually the way to go. It’s much more portable and a great size to use as a ‘portable' web device.

Even if apple dropped the price of the 4G iPad air 2 to a WIFI version, I just would not buy it, as it’s not easy to carry around. In addition, its approaching the Macbook Air territory.

Almost everyone I know today who has both 4G iPad types, prefers the mini version. The WIFI IPad Air / 2 is fine for the stationary home/office user. However, what I found with this, why not just use my iMac or Macbook.

It is very disappointing to see that apple not produce an iPad Air 2 mini version. As this is the perfect size and weight for a cellular version and almost justifies the $130 premium for the 4G LTE version.

 

[Badrottie]

Google killed off its 7" tablets and now Apple appears to be doing the same thing. So is a mini tablet a dead product now?

Oh NO?? Are you sure about that??? I cannot believe it!!

 

[AdonisSMU]

Tablet sales are down all around.

That being said, as someone who utilizes a tablet daily and made great use of the 4G cellular version, the mini is actually the way to go. It’s much more portable and a great size to use as a ‘portable' web device.

Even if apple dropped the price of the 4G iPad air 2 to a WIFI version, I just would not buy it, as it’s not easy to carry around. In addition, its approaching the Macbook Air territory.

Almost everyone I know today who has both 4G iPad types, prefers the mini version. The WIFI IPad Air / 2 is fine for the stationary home/office user. However, what I found with this, why not just use my iMac or Macbook.

It is very disappointing to see that apple not produce an iPad Air 2 mini version. As this is the perfect size and weight for a cellular version and almost justifies the $130 premium for the 4G LTE version.

Almost everyone I know has a big iPad or an iPad Air. The mini just isn't enough of a bigger screen over a phone.

 

[Night Spring]

Almost everyone I know has a big iPad or an iPad Air. The mini just isn't enough of a bigger screen over a phone.

Well, my mom now has a mini and an Air, her mini basically replaced her iPod touvh.

 

[12vElectronics]

It is quite sad, I happen to think my 64GB rMini is one of the best devices I've every owned. Tons of usage day to day at work and at home.



The good thing is that I should get at least another good year out of it, but I hope maybe two or three more years might not be unreasonable.



(And that is Apple's "problem" with the iPad market. )

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get 2-3 years more. My mini 1st gen is still running strong. Just don't update to the newest iOS