iPad mini appears in Media Markt inventory in cellular and WiFi flavors, $250-650

[iEvolution]

Storage is the cheapest spec to increase and one of the cheapest components in the entire device, yet it is the sole determining factor in the model's price. Going from 8gb to 16gb should not be a $100 premium.

Agreed..but look at the iPod Touch. Here we are 3 years later in a post flash memory price crash yet Apple continues to charge $400 for 64GB (which can be had for 1/3rd of the price it was in 2009). Apple has been milking capacity prices for the last few years so its possible they would do the same thing here.

This all makes total sense to me. It's SOP for Apple these days.

It's like the old iPod touch (and current 'free on contract' iPhones), offer 8 gig as an almost unusable entry point. They'll market it with the Cloud and Airplay, but know most people will eventually upgrade to a more profitable model.

What's disappointing is they are trying to shake $349 for a 16 gig device when Nexus does it for $100 less and are heavily rumored to be releasing a 16 gig $199 model and $249 32 gig model shortly.

If it's between a 16 gig $199 Nexus and a $349 iPad, that will be a very easy decision.

Yeah but Apple has that reputation as being a "premium" contender and the less than knowledgable general public would pay the premium for the Apple brand.

As far as the OP post goes I have a hard time they would intersect capacities between the small and big models as it would effectively cut into the larger models sales. I think 16GB and 32GB max considering its supposedly a entry point device.

To be honest, this screen shot would be very easy to fake.

 

[xofruitcake]

What's disappointing is they are trying to shake $349 for a 16 gig device when Nexus does it for $100 less and are heavily rumored to be releasing a 16 gig $199 model and $249 32 gig model shortly.

If it's between a 16 gig $199 Nexus and a $349 iPad, that will be a very easy decision.

But would you pay the extra for an Ipad mini knowing that it will be $100 less for Nexus? It is a no win situation for any manufacturer (including Samsung and Apple), when Google intentionally drive everyone to loss money by pricing their product to loss money. Google and Amazon will win the low end tablet war by losing bucket of money. The real question is how many user is willing to pay up for IOS device.

 

[Eadfrith]

So it's the iPad 2 Mini

 

[Abazigal]

If someone wants to buy the 8gb version, who are you to tell them they shouldn't even have the option?

Basically all 7" tablets have an 8gb version available.

They also had the option for consumers to further expand that storage with sd cards. Apple products offer no such flexibility. If you later realise that you run out of storage space, your only option is to sell your current device and buy another one. How many consumers have perfect knowledge of just how much space they are going to need before they purchase a computer?

For instance, I got a 64gb ipad, but in hindsight, the basic 16gb model would have served me just as well.

 

[KandyKane]

How intriguing.
If it's only $249/349 for an 8Gb model, I might pick one up for the days when I already have to carry a lot of things to Uni. My textbooks are less than 200MB and I don't need to store media on it as that'd be on my iPhone/iPad 3rd Gen.
Or maybe I'm trying to justify buying something I don't need again

 

[PDFierro]

"The company's internal documentation shows a choice of 3G or just WiFi."
yes the screen shot just says cellular. These really might just be iPad2's in a smaller form factor.

I don't think that means it will be 3G. There are international markets where there is only 3G right now, so maybe only 3G over there.

To me, "Cellular" means 4G LTE and then 3G in markets where there isn't 4G. At least that's how Apple labels it.

I can't see why Apple would put just 3G. The Mini could use the new low-power LTE chip that is in the iPhone 5.

 

[duggram]

Jim Dalrymple confirmed in the comments section on his site that the iPad Mini will not have a retina display.

Who is Jim Dalrymple? All I could find is that he is a journalist connected to MacWorld. Where does he get his prognosticating credibility from? Does he get insider information that he doesn't have an NDA to keep confidential?

 

[Tigger11]

Who is Jim Dalrymple? All I could find is that he is a journalist connected to MacWorld. Where does he get his prognosticating credibility from? Does he get insider information that he doesn't have an NDA to keep confidential?

Jim is a longtime Apple Advocate, that currently runs the The Loop (www.loopinsight.com), but that he was Editor at Large for Macworld. He gets his prognosticating credibility from never being wrong, every Nope or Yep on the subject of a Mac Event has been correct since he has been doing that. He says Yep we are getting an iPad Mini announcement on Oct 23, its going to happen, bet on it, and make money from the silly people, thats what I do. As for the Insider information, the general guess is that Jim gets his info Yep or Nope from someone in Apple, whether its official or unofficial, I have no idea, but until and unless he's wrong sometime in the future, its a safe bet that a Yepped event is going to happen and a Nopped event is just a rumor.

 

[jrswizzle]

Can someone do the math for me (or post if you've already done it) and tell me what the PPI for the rumored resolution (1024x768) of the mini would be?

I know the 2 is in the 160ish range and the 3 is 240+ correct? I could do the math, but still haven't quite woken up

EDIT: So I googled (imagine that) - iPad 2 = 132 ppi, iPad mini = 163 ppi, Nexus 7 = 216 ppi, iPad 3 = 264 ppi. That wouldn't cut it for me as I already cringe when looking at my Nexus 7/wife's iPad 2 versus my iPad 3.

 

[PDFierro]

can someone do the math for me (or post if you've already done it) and tell me what the ppi for the rumored resolution (1024x768) of the mini would be?

I know the 2 is in the 160ish range and the 3 is 240+ correct? I could do the math, but still haven't quite woken up

edit: So i googled (imagine that) - ipad 2 = 132 ppi, ipad mini = 163 ppi, nexus 7 = 216 ppi, ipad 3 = 264 ppi. That wouldn't cut it for me as i already cringe when looking at my nexus 7/wife's ipad 2 versus my ipad 3.

163. I don't see the big deal. Some say they won't buy it if it doesn't have Retina. Sure it's better, but it's not like you're getting a horrible screen. But if you cringe at anything non-Retina, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[jrswizzle]

163. I don't see the big deal. Some say they won't buy it if it doesn't have Retina. Sure it's better, but it's not like you're getting a horrible screen. But if you cringe at anything non-Retina, then I don't know what to tell you.

Thanks for the number - and sure I agree. For me it would be a toy - no real new use case, simply buying just to have one. Sure it would take its place in my daily mobile device usage (reading, church, basic browsing) but seeing as I don't own a laptop (save the clunker work Dell) I won't sell my iPad 3 as it is still the best size for documents, emails, and other "work".

But even with a nicer form factor, if I had a non-retina iPad mini and an iPad 3 to choose from for browsing the web on the couch or taking with me to church or to the coffee shop to read, I'd be torn. Give me a retina quality iPad mini, and the choice is obvious.

 

[PDFierro]

Thanks for the number - and sure I agree. For me it would be a toy - no real new use case, simply buying just to have one. Sure it would take its place in my daily mobile device usage (reading, church, basic browsing) but seeing as I don't own a laptop (save the clunker work Dell) I won't sell my iPad 3 as it is still the best size for documents, emails, and other "work".

But even with a nicer form factor, if I had a non-retina iPad mini and an iPad 3 to choose from for browsing the web on the couch or taking with me to church or to the coffee shop to read, I'd be torn. Give me a retina quality iPad mini, and the choice is obvious.

I agree in that case. If you already have the iPad 3 and don't mind carrying around something bigger because of the better display, then that's an easy choice.

For me, I don't have an iPad. I pre-ordered the 3 but held out for this reason. So an iPad Mini would be my-take everywhere device, regardless of retina or no retina.

 

[Night Spring]

The iPhone 5 screen is much more legible than the 4/4S because of the improvements in color and brightness/contrast. It makes me feel like an iPad mini would actually be as usable as the iPad 3 if it had the iPhone 5 screen. However, if the mini has the same screen as the iPad 2, then that would be a significant drop in legibility compared to the iPad 3. It would be very interesting to see what Apple comes up with -- IMO, the screen has to have some improvement over the iPad 2, or else it'll look like a "me too" device following other 7" tablets to the market.

 

[Breaking Good]

The iPhone 5 screen is much more legible than the 4/4S because of the improvements in color and brightness/contrast. It makes me feel like an iPad mini would actually be as usable as the iPad 3 if it had the iPhone 5 screen. However, if the mini has the same screen as the iPad 2, then that would be a significant drop in legibility compared to the iPad 3. It would be very interesting to see what Apple comes up with -- IMO, the screen has to have some improvement over the iPad 2, or else it'll look like a "me too" device following other 7" tablets to the market.

I agree with you Night Spring.

I would really like to see Apple come up with an "entry level" 7" tablet to compete with Google and Kindle. However, I'm looking for an "iPad 4" in a 7" size as a Smartphone alternative.

I'd like an iPad Mini with an A6 chip, Retina display, 4G LTE and 64GB of storage. I would buy that and then upgrade my iPhone 3GS that I bought used to an iPhone 4S (which I would also likely buy used).

The iPhone 5 is a very nice phone, but I would be fine with a 4S to do the phone stuff (talk and text) and then the iPad Mini to do the rest of the SmartPhone stuff.

If Apple doesn't come out with a "iPad 4 Mini" in its initial role out, I will probably buy a Google Nexus 7 and wait until the next full-size refresh to see that that brings.

 

[MacPat333]

Too much!

I would hope and like to see the lowest spec iPad mini for US $ 199.00! That would be a killer price and people would buy them in bundles.

US $ 249.00 somehow seems to much for a small 8GB WiFi model!

It should be US $ 199.00 for the 8GB and US $ 249.00 for the 16GB models!

Support me and maybe Apple will do that (I highly doubt it unfortunately)...

 

[GoodBoy]

It should be US $ 199.00 for the 8GB and US $ 249.00 for the 16GB models!

Well said. Capacity price difference should be at most 50$, not a 100$ ripp-off! Especially that flash storage is so cheap these days. Apple seems to think most people are stupid and do not know this.

 

[Night Spring]

US $ 249.00 somehow seems to much for a small 8GB WiFi model!

Well, not if it has the specs suggested by Breaking Good:

I'd like an iPad Mini with an A6 chip, Retina display, 4G LTE and 64GB of storage.

Say, A6 chip with Retina display, wifi only, 8GB storage starts at $249. Or even $299. I think there will be a market for such a "high end" 7 inch tablet. Apple has never gone after the low price markets -- remember how they refused to make netbooks when everyone thought they should? Then they finally came out with the 11 inch Air, which is a kind of "high end" netbook. Why shouldn't they repeat the same strategy with the mid-size tablet?

 

[Redbeard25]

When has Apple had four tiers for any product?

I think the graphic might be all placeholders. :-\

 

[Breaking Good]

Well, not if it has the specs suggested by Breaking Good:



Say, A6 chip with Retina display, wifi only, 8GB storage starts at $249. Or even $299. I think there will be a market for such a "high end" 7 inch tablet. Apple has never gone after the low price markets -- remember how they refused to make netbooks when everyone thought they should? Then they finally came out with the 11 inch Air, which is a kind of "high end" netbook. Why shouldn't they repeat the same strategy with the mid-size tablet?

Night Spring - I don't think my post was very clear. I was quoting specs for a top end model. I would expect a top end model to be priced fairly close to what the iPad 3 currently sells for.

I can't see Apple pricing a 7" model with an A6 chip and a retina display at $249.

 

[Tigger11]

I think the graphic might be all placeholders. :-\

I think the graphic is a placeholder or a hoax as well. I can't imagine Apple is going to have 24 options (and thus SKUs) for the iPad mini. They have 24 now for the Ipad (18 for the New iPad and 6 for the Ipad 2 they are still selling), doubling that just sounds like a nightmare for everyone. Also given the cost difference to Apple between an 8GB unit and a 16 GB unit is less then $8, I just don't see producing 6 extra models makes alot of sense there. If I was producing/pricing the mini I would do:

$249 32 GB Wifi
$299 64 GB Wifi
$399 64 GB Cell

Which would give you 6 or 8 Skus depending on whether we end up needing two varieties of SKUs for cell (as we currently do for all iPads).

 

[pandamonia]

100 Euros for 8GB more memory!?

 

[jbimler]

It's just shocking to me that the entry price for an iPad Mini would be $50 less than an iPod Touch...

Why is this such a hot talking point? Two different markets.

 

[PDFierro]

Night Spring - I don't think my post was very clear. I was quoting specs for a top end model. I would expect a top end model to be priced fairly close to what the iPad 3 currently sells for.

I can't see Apple pricing a 7" model with an A6 chip and a retina display at $249.

You were quoting specs for the top-end model, but there would be no hardware differences in all the models besides 4G and storage space. No way would an A6 and retina sell for $249, you said so yourself.

 

[mrkjsn]

Storage is the cheapest spec to increase and one of the cheapest components in the entire device, yet it is the sole determining factor in the model's price. Going from 8gb to 16gb should not be a $100 premium.

THIS. 4th gen iPod touch cost $50 for 16GBs and this mini pricing pegs it at $100 for 8GB I sure hope this is not the case as I'm planning on picking one up for my 7 year old. I need something that can store a bit more for his movies and the idea of paying $100 for 8GB on principle alone would force me to find an alternative for him. In a time where one could pick up a 64gb flash card for a mere $25, it's ridiculous to me that Apple would set this kind of price differential. I'm okay with the idea of paying a premium for Apple products as I do feel they are superior, but it would be an insult to charge that much for 8GB.

 

[tivoboy]

not going to happen

$249 32 GB Wifi
$299 64 GB Wifi
$399 64 GB Cell

Which would give you 6 or 8 Skus depending on whether we end up needing two varieties of SKUs for cell (as we currently do for all iPads).

this just isn't going to happen, sorry.