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Jefferyd32

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 22, 2009
142
40
Seattle, WA
So with Apple redesigning the iPod touch and giving it a $299 price point, what does that say for a possible iPad Mini and what price point would be reasonable. Price is a huge factor with the potential mini, and it seems unlikely that Apple would price it under $299 and even if it started at $299, I would guess the storage would be minimal at best (16gb max?). That still seems to leave much of the market to android. I don't quite understand why Apple doesn't just release a $250 iPad mini and completely own the tablet market as they did with the MP3 market years ago.
 
I have a strong feeling that the iPad mini will never happen.

Firstly, the new pricing on the iPad and touch lines:

iPad 3 = $499
iPad 2 = $399
New iPod Touch = $299
Old iPod Touch = $199

As you can see, iPad mini doesn't fit in anywhere.

Secondly, Apple have increased the display size of the new iPhone. And they are hoping iPhone 5 + 10" iPad combo will become the most popular choice, that will stop people buying the 7" tablets.

For me, iPad mini doesn't offer any more portability than my iPad3. But I have to loose valuable screen real-estate. I am not interested in the iPad mini at all. Whereas the new iPod touch with a bigger screen is more attractive for me, as I don't own an iPhone at all.
 
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I really cannot see the ipad mini being cheap.

Apple may give it to us, not cause it want to offer a cheaper option... but a smaller one.

To be honest, people who have both the touch and the Ipad will probably buy the mini anyway. Its how apple fans roll.

As for the other consumers, I am not sure they will want to spend big $$$$ on a mini.

lets see what happens
 
To be honest, people who have both the touch and the Ipad will probably buy the mini anyway. Its how apple fans roll.

Apple have gotten so big now, they can't just rely on these Apple fans to grow organically in size and in profits. That's why they have axe'ed the server business and MobileMe. They need to find new markets and new customers, with the enormous amount of cash pile they have.

Apple is looking forward, and you guys are looking inward.

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I don't quite understand why Apple doesn't just release a $250 iPad mini and completely own the tablet market as they did with the MP3 market years ago.

I believe they are going to crack the very tough TV setup box market next (where TiVo has failed). They want to be in every living room.

Where as Apple has a 70% market share in the tablet market already. It's much harder to grow from 70% to 80%. There're always hardcore Android fans who will never switch to Apple.
 
It is an interesting problem. It's always hard for company to move downscale to a lower-cost product than to simply start that lower-cost product first place.

Maybe they'll make some differences between the new iPad and the iPod touch. For example, they could use a lower resolution screen. I think they're smart enough to find ways to differentiate the products and lower the price of the iPad mini.
 
So with Apple redesigning the iPod touch and giving it a $299 price point, what does that say for a possible iPad Mini and what price point would be reasonable.

It could still be $299. Remember that the iPod Touch has a Retina Display. Likely the iPad Mini will not (it will have the same resolution as the original iPad). Also, the iPod Touch starts at 32GB, while the iPad Mini would likely start at 16GB.
 
I have no clue. I'm inclined to think that it won't happen because of the $299 iPod Touch price tag, but we need to remember that there were iPad Mini leaks with the iPhone 5 leaks, which turned out to be true... I think they would just need to have really low specs on the iPad Mini to make it a matter of screen size vs performance between the iPod Touch and iPad Mini.
 
They may want to sell out the old iPod Touch and then lower the price of the new one and then launch iPad mini in the 299 price point.

But it only happens when Apple figured out how to cope with resistance from such as Spotify, Netflix or Google for the content.
And as we all saw so is the iPod Nano not the solution.
 
It is an interesting problem. It's always hard for company to move downscale to a lower-cost product than to simply start that lower-cost product first place.

That's why I think a tie-up with a cellphone operator or cable company is a must. And then the cost of the new iPad mini can be part-subsidized.
 
It could still be $299. Remember that the iPod Touch has a Retina Display. Likely the iPad Mini will not (it will have the same resolution as the original iPad). Also, the iPod Touch starts at 32GB, while the iPad Mini would likely start at 16GB.
Yes it could start at $299 as you say and go up from there. There is no reason the two could not share some price tiers because they are different devices. I'm hoping for some more solid rumors now that the iPhone and Touch have been revealed. I agree that the mini will replace the iPad2.
 
I don't see what this has to do with anything.

You are going on the assumptions I don't see.

The products are very dissimilar IMO. In size at least. They could be priced exactly the same and it's not going to cannibalize anything.

It will just be fill a gap in size. I would buy the Mini. I will not buy a Touch. For me, it's not even close.
 
I don't see why the new iPod Touch impacts the Mini at all.

The Mini will be huge in education, and for kids. It will be huge for people who want a light weight e-reader -- as I think Apple will hit it out of the park on weight this time.

It's a pretty big market. I think the iPad Mini will eat into sales of the iPod Touch, and iPad. That's okay for Apple, because it will also eat into sales of Kindle Fire and Nexus 7s.
 
IMO, 7" can only fill a niche market. Majority of the users are happy with the iPhone 5 + iPad + another laptop or MBP.
 
Firstly, the new pricing on the iPad and touch lines:

iPad 3 = $499
iPad 2 = $399
New iPod Touch = $299
Old iPod Touch = $199

As you can see, iPad mini doesn't fit in anywhere.

Secondly, Apple have increased the display size of the new iPhone. And they are hoping iPhone 5 + 10" iPad combo will become the most popular choice, that will stop people buying the 7" tablets.

For me, iPad mini doesn't offer any more portability than my iPad3. But I have to loose valuable screen real-estate. I am not interested in the iPad mini at all. Whereas the new iPod touch with a bigger screen is more attractive for me, as I don't own an iPhone at all.

Since its rumoured the iPad mini will have internals pretty much identical to the iPad 2 all you have to do is remove the iPad 2 and replace it with the mini. Simple.. we don't need 3 different iPads to choose from.
 
Since its rumoured the iPad mini will have internals pretty much identical to the iPad 2 all you have to do is remove the iPad 2 and replace it with the mini. Simple.. we don't need 3 different iPads to choose from.
If it is that easy, they would have announce it on the 12th already.

Make no sense to pull this particular announcement out of all the rest of the iPod/iPhone lineup change.
 
If it is that easy, they would have announce it on the 12th already.

Make no sense to pull this particular announcement out of all the rest of the iPod/iPhone lineup change.

October has been a rumoured date for the iPad mini for ages... and they wouldn't announce it on the same day as the iPhone... the event has to be all about the iPhone its about marketing and grabbing attention. The iPad mini would gain a lot of attention as well and by announcing it at a different date it keeps apple in the limelight.

I am not saying they are release it though. I am merely stating what the rumours are, and considering this site is about rumours then it makes sense.
 
IMO, 7" can only fill a niche market. Majority of the users are happy with the iPhone 5 + iPad + another laptop or MBP.

Not sure I agree. I think there is a huge potential for a 7 inch device...especially at the right price point. A lot of families can't spring for iPad's for everyone. But at the right price, a second, third, 4th tablet can become appealing.

From a gaming, surfing and media consumption perspective, an iPad mini seems a lot more attractive than the iPod touch. The Touch's main potential advantage is portability and storage capacity.
 
If the iPad mini does happen i see it replacing the iPad 2, the pricing could be something like this - 299$ for 16gb model, 399$ for 32gb. That would be really nice, an iPad for 300$
 
From a gaming, surfing and media consumption perspective, an iPad mini seems a lot more attractive than the iPod touch.

I am not disagreeing with you here.

That's is why I think the iPad mini might be locked to the cable operator of your choice (Like how iPhone is sold now). This way, iPad mini can be sold as a loss leader, and Apple can then get a kick-back from the cable company. I think, if this business model works, you could expect to see the new iPad mini under $200.

Of course, no one is going to watch TV and movies, all the time on a 7" tablet, this is where Apple TV, Airplay, Airport all come in. Your iPad mini then become the remote control of your entertainment system. And Apple can then sell you other Airplay accessories.

Don't forget, Apple is here for the big money, not here just to sell a few million iPad mini's at ultra thin profit margins.
 
People with iPads won't buy the mini.

....for themselves. I think a lot of parents with iPads will buy a second, third, etc. device for $299 that they wouldn't buy for $500-$700.

My wife is attached to her iPad. But I'd still buy a mini for myself. Or for my daughter. Or for my mother in law. I likely wouldn't buy another iPad for any of us.
 
....for themselves. I think a lot of parents with iPads will buy a second, third, etc. device for $299 that they wouldn't buy for $500-$700.

My wife is attached to her iPad. But I'd still buy a mini for myself. Or for my daughter. Or for my mother in law. I likely wouldn't buy another iPad for any of us.

That's true. It will probably be a wifi only device. There iPod touches look pretty damn good though.
 
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