Google's gorgeous hi-res Nexus 7 display illustrates what happens when an Apple logo is slapped on.
The price goes through the roof...
The price goes through the roof...
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iPad mini iPad Mini at $399? Really??
- Thread starter gentleman00
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I upgrade if it's of benefit to me, not investors. They profit if Apple puts out a desirable product at an acceptable price to consumers.
I did not upgrade my iPad 3 to 4 b/c the cost:benefit ratio was too high unlike original to 2 or 2 to 3. I will be upgrading my 3 to Air b/c it meets my desire for a noticeably lighter iPad, is discernibly faster, & improved FaceTime camera.
I'll also be upgrading my mini to retina & have zero issue w/ the $60 price increase b/c the new model is a full featured on par w/ the iPad Air & not last years parts bin like the original mini.
Recession ended a few years ago. Please learn what a recession is.
On topic, the financially challenged shouldn't be buying Apple products which are luxury goods anyway. The iPad especially, it's a pure luxury device that does not perform a vital task like the iPhone or a laptop. It is for those with significant disposable income.
i'd say the obvious is they sell way more retina mini's at 399 than ipad airs at 499.
I actually fully expected a price increase if the Mini did go retina. No one else but Apple uses a 2048x1536 screen, so that screen is gonna cost more even with Apple buying them in the millions. What I didn't expect is Apple putting their latest and greatest chipset in it, making it actually a better tablet than the Air (cheaper, sharper screen, lighter, and every bit as fast) if you're OK with the smaller size which is actually a plus for many.
The surprise to me was that they're keeping the iPad 2 around, especially at $399. I guess the thinking is if the original Mini which has the same guts as the 2 will be around another year, might as well keep the 2 as well. This is good news as far as resale value goes for the Mini and 2.
Do some people really not understand why the Nexus 7 is so cheap, or they really believe Google is a saint? The price comparison is always drawn from the Nexus and rarely from the Amazon Kindle Fire, so it seems people realize that the Kindle is a loss-leader to help you spend money with Amazon. Your business is Google's business. It's how Google makes money. Same idea as Amazon. What do you get in return with Apple's price premium besides the superior quality? The luxury of many retail locations to get support should you need it, just to name one, and I trust that my private info is more safe with Apple than Google to name another.
The surprise to me was that they're keeping the iPad 2 around, especially at $399. I guess the thinking is if the original Mini which has the same guts as the 2 will be around another year, might as well keep the 2 as well. This is good news as far as resale value goes for the Mini and 2.
Do some people really not understand why the Nexus 7 is so cheap, or they really believe Google is a saint? The price comparison is always drawn from the Nexus and rarely from the Amazon Kindle Fire, so it seems people realize that the Kindle is a loss-leader to help you spend money with Amazon. Your business is Google's business. It's how Google makes money. Same idea as Amazon. What do you get in return with Apple's price premium besides the superior quality? The luxury of many retail locations to get support should you need it, just to name one, and I trust that my private info is more safe with Apple than Google to name another.
The new Kindle 7" HDX is garbage. Don't believe me? Just go to BB and demo one and you would not even care to give it a second try.
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The problem folks is the first mini with 16gb for $329 was overpriced given the resolution and specs AND folks still bought it regardless, so Apple says well if that was the case let's give them a second Mini and make it a beast BUT raise the price!!!
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So buy the Air then.
i just came here to say. Bravo sir. Your "armchair-analysis" is astounding. How your own gripe with the price has made you state these wild assumptions on how a product will sell without any thing to back it up....just amazing....
Completely moronic, but amazing none the least.
Not the retina macbook pros, read my other post. It explains about pricing versus time. Notice how the macbook pros are now 200 cheaper, this is likely because the retina screens are now cheaper to produce
Not sure the iPad mini price increase has anything to do with inflation. It does appear to have a lot to do with Apple knowing they can get away with the increase. There was no reason why the mini had to go up in price, not even the inclusion of retina.
But it is how Apple made theirs.
I have an iPad mini that I use for work. A full-sized iPad is too large for me to comfortably bring around (I'm in medicine; the full-sized iPad doesn't easily fit into a white coat pocket, but the iPad mini does). In addition to referencing information, I use my iPad mini to take hand-written notes. Because I lack the retina display, I need to use a thicker brush stroke (I can write less per space) and occasionally I need to "zoom in" to clearly read what I wrote. I anticipate that the retina display will make things easier on that front.The point is why should anyone buy the new iPad Mini at $399 when they can buy the the older version for $299 or the iPad Air for $499. The price point does not make any sense.
Is my use case really so unique? I'm not the only one toting an iPad mini around the hospital, although I may be one of the few who have practically replaced paper notes with it. Regardless, I'll be upgrading for those reasons. I anticipate that many others will be, too.
Laughable part is starting BOTH the Air and Mini at 16 GB. These days a few games and apps, a modest little collection of songs, and some photos and you've used up 16 GB. The $100 price gouge to 32 GB will push most people to actually spend $499 for the mini and $599 for the Air. And flash storage is the CHEAPEST part of the tablet.
Exactly this. Apps for retina devices seem larger. With increasing processor power, the apps will only get bigger. Devs will use the specs to create stunning apps. 16 GB used to be okay but even with cloud services, it is really too little of space. Especially when you close the device off to expandable storage.
The financial crisis which began in 1929 lasted until 1945. Granted that the recent recession was not as severe as the one in 1929, you must be joking thinking that the 2008 recession ended a few years back. This recent one will continue until 2020. Where do you get your news from?
This is getting closer to the heart of the matter. Prices are cost + margin but ultimately, companies choose their prices. Were apple not in the game, google would charge more because what they make would be worth it. But they are 2nd tier and have to push prices (lower them + advertise they are lower) to gain market share. So yes, apple could choose to put all this into the mini and charge 299 and wipe out their margins, but they didn't (and won't).
The only thing surprising here is the surprise. Apple always charges more and try's to make up for it by giving us more. Competitors always give us less and try to make up for it by charging us less. If one company could both give us more and charge less, they would take over. Given that some company hasn't, I can only conclude that doing both is impossible, because doing both would be so immediately and visibly rewarding.
Your analysis makes no sense. The question is how much profit does Apple make from each iPad Mini after subtracting the cost of its production, which includes raw materials ( electronic components), labor costs, and advertising. The costs of raw materials (electronic components) and advertising are constant. The only variable is labor costs. If they are forced to, Apple can reduce the costs of raws materials if they mass produce a product, but that will cut into their margin of profits.
Let's nor forget, if it was not for the Chinese labor force, Apple would not be making as much profit as they would if they produced their products here in the United States.
Look what's inside the Mini 2 as compared to the Mini before you make that generalization (i.e. it's a total redesign, not just a retina screen).
Yes, It's $516 for the entry level iPad Mini Retina here in the UK. Be thankful for what you've got.
It's not so despicable once you think about it. The iPad Mini and the iPad Air are now the same product, besides the size. You get the same screen, same thickness, same processor, same everything in two sizes. For the smaller size to still be $100 cheaper than the large size seems perfectly acceptable. The OG Mini was not cutting edge by anyone's standards, and so the price increase seems appropriate.
I said in a post over a year ago that I would buy a retina mini for $400 to $500 if it matches the guts of the full size model. That day has come but now I'm second guessing that comment only because of the Nexus 7 2013 tablet which is $170 cheaper. When you compare it to the iPad air the retina mini is a better buy unless you need a 9.7" display. If you don't factor in the competition Apple made the right move. But once you throw in other tablets it's a hard decision.
The financial crisis which began in 1929 lasted until 1945. Granted that the recent recession was not as severe as the one in 1929, you must be joking thinking that the 2008 recession ended a few years back. This recent one will continue until 2020. Where do you get your news from?
A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of economic decline. By definition the US has been out of recession for quite a while. Looks like you're confusing it with economic recovery until things get back to how they were in 2007. That's something different. So I'm questioning where you get your news from. But my purpose isn't to derail this into a discussion on economics. Just pointing out the flawed comments by the original poster implying that Apple should make their luxury goods cheaper for people to afford who probably shouldn't be buying them anyway.
Indeed. Assuming someone has two children, not that I have any, and they plan to give them iPad Minis for Christmas, and they are on a budget, they would probably choose the old iPad mini or another cheaper tablet. It's only the geeks who have to have the best and latest, and that group is in the minority.
One is smaller than the other, that's the differentiation. Would you prefer Apple put lower spec guts in the Mini just because you can't see the size should be the main difference between small and large tablets..