I have done a lot of thinking about this issue. I used to (actually still do) read a lot on my 27" iMac and 11" MBA without any issue. Any textbooks for school I can get an ebook version for I do, as well as keeping an eye out for good deals for fiction/non-fiction books on Kindle. So I read probably a book a week or more on my computer.
However since using my iPhone 5 for 6 months now, I have really started to notice the lack of retina on my computers, that when reading books the text is just simply fuzzier (and this on the two highest DPI of Apple's non-retina computers).
I imagine the issue is similar with the iPad mini, and why Apple would be desperate to get a retina version out. However, margins are already pretty tight on the mini, much lower than usual for an Apple hardware product (even though it is much higher priced than the competition). So Apple will not want to cut margins any further. This will cause a problem, because a retina mini will no doubt cost more - bigger battery, more expensive screen, etc.
Added to that, Apple would like to get a basic iPad closer to the cost of their competitors. So here is how I think Apple will price the iPad mini going forward:
Retina iPad mini (gen 2): $349
iPad mini (gen 1) : $249
What this does is gives them some breathing space on margins for the retina iPad. It increases the price a little, and they can do that by marketing it as the premium mini, with retina display (which is already a premium brand for Apple). For those that complain about that price, there is the original mini. It now has the standard Apple $100 discount for previous generation items, and is much more competitively priced compared to the competition. But Apple does not have to discount it by the full $100 (30%!) in less than a year in order to do that, hopefully maintaining the already "slim" margins they have on the mini and not decreasing them any further.
What do you think?
However since using my iPhone 5 for 6 months now, I have really started to notice the lack of retina on my computers, that when reading books the text is just simply fuzzier (and this on the two highest DPI of Apple's non-retina computers).
I imagine the issue is similar with the iPad mini, and why Apple would be desperate to get a retina version out. However, margins are already pretty tight on the mini, much lower than usual for an Apple hardware product (even though it is much higher priced than the competition). So Apple will not want to cut margins any further. This will cause a problem, because a retina mini will no doubt cost more - bigger battery, more expensive screen, etc.
Added to that, Apple would like to get a basic iPad closer to the cost of their competitors. So here is how I think Apple will price the iPad mini going forward:
Retina iPad mini (gen 2): $349
iPad mini (gen 1) : $249
What this does is gives them some breathing space on margins for the retina iPad. It increases the price a little, and they can do that by marketing it as the premium mini, with retina display (which is already a premium brand for Apple). For those that complain about that price, there is the original mini. It now has the standard Apple $100 discount for previous generation items, and is much more competitively priced compared to the competition. But Apple does not have to discount it by the full $100 (30%!) in less than a year in order to do that, hopefully maintaining the already "slim" margins they have on the mini and not decreasing them any further.
What do you think?
