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Has Apple abandoned iPad mini?

dgdosen said:
so - how big would the screen be in the iPad mini if there was no bezel?
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That depends. The screen aspect ratio would have to change or you couldn't fit a screen in a device the size of the current iPad mini without any bezel.

Either the screen would extend to the sides and the iPad would get shorter or it would extend to the top and bottom and the iPad would be wider. I definitely don't want it any bigger than it currently is, so a shorter iPad with a bigger screen would be pretty awesome.
 
My Mini 2 is really struggling to keep up now, so even just a chip upgrade would be great. I'll buy a Mini 4 if the line really does get discontinued, but at this point it's chip is two generations out of date. I don't want to pay such a high price for old tech. I'd love for there to be a Mini Pro, with specs that match the other iPads and features like force touch and pencil support.

The mini size is still great for those of us who don't want big phones. I don't care how close in size the mini is to the plus if I'm never going to buy one. The plus is popular but there are a lot of regular iPhone users. If the mini is dropped I won't buy a larger iPad like Apple want, I'll switch brands. I prefer to make my purchasing decisions based on what features I need, not based on what any company would prefer I buy.
 
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I personally am really missing my iPad mini 4.

Writing this in my bed on the gargantuan 12.9" iPP and hate that I cannot hold it up and thumb type. The magic keyboard is nice, but I only use it most of the time as a stand. The entire device is cumbersome and doesn't feel nearly as special or as fun to use as my mini did at all.

I admittedly have this affinity for powerful things in small packages. They seem more magical and a joy to use...

I have the maxed out 2016 15" MBP and find myself missing my 2015 rMB!

I find myself wanting to sell my iPhone 7 to get an SE. And most of all I miss my iPad mini 4.

Would be such a waste at this point in the product cycle to go back to the small devices now though!

The rMB will probably get another spec bump soon. The iPad mini hopefully even sooner. The iPhone SE? Crossing my fingers.

My dream "upgrade" path is now to go from a 2016 15" MBP, 12.9" iPad Pro, and iPhone 7 to the next rMB, iPad Mini, and 4" iPhone.

Hopefully it looks something like this:
  • March 2017 - Refreshed 12" rMB (16GB RAM, Wide Gamut display, USB-C Gen 2, 1TB SSD option, and while we're wishing, TB3 support)
  • March 2017 - 7.9" iPad Pro mini (all same internals as the current 9.7" iPad Pro - A9X, 2GB RAM, iPhone 6s cameras, Apple Pencil, True tone wide gamut display, 256GB storage, minus the Smart Keyboard support/Smart Connector) in matte black
  • September 2017 - 4" iPhone SE (10th anniversary edition, iPhone 6/6s/7 design with current iPhone 7 internals - A10, 2GB RAM, camera, 3D touch, home button) in matte black
A guy can dream, right?
 
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I think it will go the way of the ipod touch - just the bare minimum updates to keep it running ios.
 
I sure hope they abandon the mini or just let it linger like the iPods. With the rumored 10.5 inch iPad Pro coming there will be 4 screen sizes to pick from. Talk about diluting the product lineup.
 
jonnyb098 said:
I sure hope they abandon the mini or just let it linger like the iPods. With the rumored 10.5 inch iPad Pro coming there will be 4 screen sizes to pick from. Talk about diluting the product lineup.
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That makes no sense. If you don't want a 7.9" tablet, don't buy it. Why would you want that option removed for people who want it just because you apparently don't want choices?

I hope they get rid of some colours and capacities. Too many to choose from! :rolleyes:
 
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joeblow7777 said:
That makes no sense. If you don't want a 7.9" tablet, don't buy it. Why would you want that option removed for people who want it just because you apparently don't want choices?

I hope they get rid of some colours and capacities. Too many to choose from! :rolleyes:
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The mini is dead and hasn't been updated in two years. Apple's strategy is for iPads to replace laptops for many users. A tiny tablet isn't the answer for that. Rather the larger iPads are.

What they should do is put the product in the right context. Sell the mini (if needed) for $199. A cheap e-reader/media device. Then continue to market the larger iPads to the average/higher end consumer.
 
jonnyb098 said:
The mini is dead and hasn't been updated in two years. Apple's strategy is for iPads to replace laptops for many users. A tiny tablet isn't the answer for that. Rather the larger iPads are.

What they should do is put the product in the right context. Sell the mini (if needed) for $199. A cheap e-reader/media device. Then continue to market the larger iPads to the average/higher end consumer.
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No, it's been a year and a few months. The iPad Air 2 wasn't updated in even more time than that.

The 12.9" iPad Pro hasn't been updated since the iPad mini 4 came out. By your logic, the larger iPad Pro is also dead.

The iPad mini doesn't need to replace laptops or larger iPads. Many of us use them as secondary devices to those larger devices. But considering some people use their phones as their only computers, it would be fairly easy for many to use only an iPad mini over a laptop.
 
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Channan said:
No, it's been a year and a few months. The iPad Air 2 wasn't updated in even more time than that.

The 12.9" iPad Pro hasn't been updated since the iPad mini 4 came out. By your logic, the larger iPad Pro is also dead.

The iPad mini doesn't need to replace laptops or larger iPads. Many of us use them as secondary devices to those larger devices. But considering some people use their phones as their only computers, it would be fairly easy for many to use only an iPad mini over a laptop.
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No thats not my logic at all. I meant the mini form factor. If it was selling well it would be updated more regularly and given more screen time at events. Apple hasn't spent more than a few seconds talking about the mini since the Mini3 (which was a joke in itself adding only gold and touch ID). So really the Mini 2 was the last time Apple made a big change to it. ZERO advertising for it. ITS DEAD by all practical reasoning. It was cute for a couple years. The larger iPads are the ones they're focusing on.

What happened was.....Apple wasn't sure about the future of iPads in 2011 so they made a mini to fill a small gap and see what happened with consumers. A lot of people got it and loved it for a while......then sales waned for a few years and they came out with the large pro to fill another small gap. Then that was met with tepid response so then did a 9.7 pro with a few even nicer features (camera, true tone screen). And now that seems to have almost stopped the bleeding. So now theyve found the sweet spot of growth (9-13 inch screens) with enough power and accessories to satisfy a very large group of consumers. Even my 56 year old mom (not techy and always used macs) is considering an iPad for the first time ever. That says a lot.

So there's my logic. Agree or not its what I think the sweet spot is for iPads.
 
jonnyb098 said:
If it was selling well it would be updated more regularly
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Again, it was last updated when the 12.9" Pro was released and that has not been updated yet either, and the iPad Air 2 went a year and a half (more time than since the iPad mini 4 was updated) before being updated itself.

jonnyb098 said:
If it was selling well it would be [...] given more screen time at events.
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Event time is limited and Apple is not going to waste it re-announcing features. The A8 processor was already announced on the iPhone. No point in spending time talking about how fast it is again. Same with the cameras, design, display, etc.
 
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I think if apple goes bezel-less across the iPad line, a 9.7" bezel-less ipad would kind of become the new mini. Just as the rumored bezel-less 10.5" ipad pro would be the same physical size of the 9.7" and would in essence replace it.

So if Apple does release a bezel-less 9.7" iPad, I could definitely see them phasing out the current iPad mini as they'd be roughly the same physical size.

Because if Apple is indeed going to release a bezel-less 10.5" iPad....I would imagine they'd eventually shift the entire iPad to a bezel-less design. It wouldn't really make sense for apple to keep bezels on some ipads and not others for too long.

Guess we'll find out soon.
 
Apple update needs to put state of the art components and much more RAM into the next generation Mini! 4 GB at least! Same as some mid tier smartphones! 6 GB would be idea. RAM is so cheap now, there is little reason for Apple still to stingy!
 
Seems like apple has abandoned all ipads.....they never updated the pro series software to actually be pro....just saying
 
jonnyb098 said:
The mini is dead and hasn't been updated in two years. Apple's strategy is for iPads to replace laptops for many users. A tiny tablet isn't the answer for that. Rather the larger iPads are.

What they should do is put the product in the right context. Sell the mini (if needed) for $199. A cheap e-reader/media device. Then continue to market the larger iPads to the average/higher end consumer.
Click to expand...

The Mini is dead?? It was updated 16 months ago. The Air 2 went longer than that before the 9.7" Pro came. I guess 9.7" iPads died then. Data from the last two holiday seasons shows that iPad Minis sold as well or better than the larger models.
 
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joeblow7777 said:
The Mini is dead?? It was updated 16 months ago. The Air 2 went longer than that before the 9.7" Pro came. I guess 9.7" iPads died then. Data from the last two holiday seasons shows that iPad Minis sold as well or better than the larger models.
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Source for your data?
 
joeblow7777 said:
The Mini is dead?? It was updated 16 months ago. The Air 2 went longer than that before the 9.7" Pro came. I guess 9.7" iPads died then. Data from the last two holiday seasons shows that iPad Minis sold as well or better than the larger models.
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My point exactly. All iPads died but the 9.7" was brought back to life last year. If no new iPads are announced this spring, the iPad line will cease to exist.

Greenmeenie said:
I think if apple goes bezel-less across the iPad line, a 9.7" bezel-less ipad would kind of become the new mini. Just as the rumored bezel-less 10.5" ipad pro would be the same physical size of the 9.7" and would in essence replace it.

So if Apple does release a bezel-less 9.7" iPad, I could definitely see them phasing out the current iPad mini as they'd be roughly the same physical size.

Because if Apple is indeed going to release a bezel-less 10.5" iPad....I would imagine they'd eventually shift the entire iPad to a bezel-less design. It wouldn't really make sense for apple to keep bezels on some ipads and not others for too long.

Guess we'll find out soon.
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A 9.7" screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio is still bigger than the iPad mini, even if slightly, but there's no way to have absolutely no bezel, which will increase the size even more. The iPad mini is already as big as I want a mini tablet to go.

A 9.7" minimal bezel iPad would replace my iPad Air 2, not my iPad mini. I would still need a mini to be able to have a device I can slip into my pockets.
 
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jonnyb098 said:
Source for your data?
Click to expand...

I honestly don't know if I can dig it up anymore, but I posted links and discussed back when the info was current. This isn't one of the sources I was thinking about, but it's data showing the Mini 4 outselling other tablets, including the Air 2, on Black Friday 2015. I'm interested in seeing where people are getting the idea that Minis aren't selling.

http://info.localytics.com/blog/the-ipad-mini-4-and-saturday-dominate-black-friday-weekend

Edit:
Oh, and there's this: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...d-pro-jumps-in-at-12-percent-survey-data-says

So seriously, where are people getting this notion that the Mini is the iPad line that isn't selling?
 
Channan said:
Again, it was last updated when the 12.9" Pro was released and that has not been updated yet either, and the iPad Air 2 went a year and a half (more time than since the iPad mini 4 was updated) before being updated itself.
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LOL... maybe if you repeat this a fourth time, he may read your point and finally "get" it! :p
 
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Rava said:
The mini size is still great for those of us who don't want big phones. I don't care how close in size the mini is to the plus if I'm never going to buy one. The plus is popular but there are a lot of regular iPhone users. If the mini is dropped I won't buy a larger iPad like Apple want, I'll switch brands. I prefer to make my purchasing decisions based on what features I need, not based on what any company would prefer I buy.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The whole argument that the mini is dead because the iPhone Plus now exists makes such little sense to me. Size wise, they're as different as the 9.7" and 12.9' Pro, or the 13" and 15" MacBook Pros...you get the idea. So it's like saying that we don't need the larger Pro because we have the smaller one and that's close enough, which is kind of silly when you think of it that way. Add in the fact that the iPhone Plus doesn't give you the option to buy it without cellular connectivity capabilities and it places the iPhone Plus and iPad mini in two totally different leagues.
 
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jekjones1558 said:
I have an old iPad mini 2 that I still use and love, especially for reading in bed. I bought a new 9.7 inch iPad Pro and I rarely use it. I would love to think that Apple will continue to offer upgraded models of the smaller iPad design but I don't see any rumors or talk of updates. Are the days of iPad mini numbered?
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They'll probably treat it like an iPod. Its there but not focused on.
 
joeblow7777 said:
I honestly don't know if I can dig it up anymore, but I posted links and discussed back when the info was current. This isn't one of the sources I was thinking about, but it's data showing the Mini 4 outselling other tablets, including the Air 2, on Black Friday 2015. I'm interested in seeing where people are getting the idea that Minis aren't selling.

http://info.localytics.com/blog/the-ipad-mini-4-and-saturday-dominate-black-friday-weekend

Edit:
Oh, and there's this: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...d-pro-jumps-in-at-12-percent-survey-data-says

So seriously, where are people getting this notion that the Mini is the iPad line that isn't selling?
Click to expand...
Wow , you're citing data that's over a year old as your argument!? Everything you linked is from 2015. So yeah my analysis still stands.
 
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