Now that I think about it, this Mini vs. Air thing is really promising for future potential multi-screen size iPhones. My biggest fear with Apple going to larger screens for the iPhone, especially phablet sized screens of 5"+, is that they'd put the best stuff in that phone, with weaker specs and such for the 4-4.5" device. The fact that the Mini and Air have the exact same internals and only differ in size makes me hopeful that if next year's iPhone release is a 4.3" iPhone 6 and a 5.3" iPhone 6+, that they'll share everything but the screen and body.
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iPad mini iPad Mini at $399? Really??
- Thread starter gentleman00
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here's what you started off with.....I have job. I can buy the new iPad mini. 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.
"With Americans still recovering from the economic recession, and many still unemployed, one might expect Apple to keep the price point of iPad Minis at $329 or lower"
Apple doesn't make products for people without jobs or people without money. I would think if you're jobless or having money issues...an iPad should be your last worry. Yet, Apple should cater to these people and make a cheap model bc of their lack of money?
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These articles are always so funny that people think this is reality. There are a lot of people that have been saving for an iPad or finally bought one. They aren't going to upgrade for years...they don't care about the latest and greatest.
Once these new people have iPads...who else is going to buy them besides some of us on Macrumors who upgrade every year? You can't have high volume numbers constantly....it can be hit or miss depending on the upgrade cycle of users.
Apple has never given in and just made stuff cheap bc of other competitors or bc of the "economy".
Another rant about the 16 GB base model: Apple repeatedly markets the iOS iPad experience as the best because of the number of high-quality apps available. And they are high-quality TABLET apps, and not just blown up phone apps. Only issue with this is those high-quality, made-for-retina tablet apps eat up a lot of space.
It's not like the Kindle Fire, where the whole point is to download books and instant video via the Amazon store and not much else. Or the Nexus 7, where the apps are often designed for the phones. Apple apps eat up so much flash storage space.
So again, to have a reasonable array of games, a little photo collection, and some albums, you easily want 32 GB.
16 GB entry for phone is totally fair. 16 GB for an ipad is a joke. So again, the $399 mini/$499 Air price point is a bit deceptive, because any tech savvy person who knows how iPads work will want 32 GB and you have to pay $100 extra.
It's not like the Kindle Fire, where the whole point is to download books and instant video via the Amazon store and not much else. Or the Nexus 7, where the apps are often designed for the phones. Apple apps eat up so much flash storage space.
So again, to have a reasonable array of games, a little photo collection, and some albums, you easily want 32 GB.
16 GB entry for phone is totally fair. 16 GB for an ipad is a joke. So again, the $399 mini/$499 Air price point is a bit deceptive, because any tech savvy person who knows how iPads work will want 32 GB and you have to pay $100 extra.
since it is a portable device and the price is lower is obvious to choose the mini now....lighter, smaller and cheaper than air... what else?
I thought you were saying there was no real differentiation between the two devices and I responded that the size is the difference. Since they basically have the same specs just choose the size you want.
Ahhhh. You're one of those people who can't handle any negative talk around here. Lots of your kind popping up lately.
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Who are you to tell people what they can and cannot buy based upon their employment status? You sound like a tea party scumhole right now.
Not so much negative comments as critical comments. You can be an Apple fan, but that does not mean you have to drink the Kool-aid each and every time Apple bumps up the specs on a product and calls it revolutionary or evolutionary.
distemp said: "Ahhhh. You're one of those people who can't handle any negative talk around here. Lots of your kind popping up lately."
I could give a flyin' f*&$ about negative comments. I just don't see someone whining about what Apple did for pricing on the Mini w/ Retina and trying to pass it off that they should act as a charity for those that could only afford a Mini at the $329 price point.
I could give a flyin' f*&$ about negative comments. I just don't see someone whining about what Apple did for pricing on the Mini w/ Retina and trying to pass it off that they should act as a charity for those that could only afford a Mini at the $329 price point.
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Expressing an opinion is not the same as whining. We don't live in a totalitarian state. Everyone has a right to their opinion. But for some, like yourself, it is far too easy to label those whose opposing viewpoints you can't tolerate as "whiners."
With Americans still recovering from the economic recession, and many still unemployed, one might expect Apple to keep the price point of iPad Minis at $329 or lower. But profits and greed still dictate over innovation. Very few will buy an Apple Mini for $399. Eventually, Apple will be forced to lower the price of the Mini, especially in this market with so many alternatives to the iPad. And, yes, this is from someone who owns an phone, ipad, imac, and macbook air.
Ok, don't think you're whining, fine. As you have said everyone has different opinions, and that was mine.
But looking at your first post, you say things like very few will buy a Mini at $399. My opinion is that it will sell very well at this price point. This is the first fully featured iPad released at that price. Forget the screen size difference for a minute!
Profits and greed still dictate over innovation...come on, really? Imagine taking this new Mini back to January 2010 when the iPad was announced. In 3.5 years they have come so far. I don't see this evolution driven by greed. Profits are due to Apple releasing, on a yearly basis, a product people want.
Eventually Apple will be forced to lower the price of the Mini. Well, very sound logic, they already have, it's called the $299 1st gen Mini.
With Americans still recovering from the economic recession, and many still unemployed, one might expect Apple to keep the price point of iPad Minis at $329 or lower. But profits and greed still dictate over innovation. Very few will buy an Apple Mini for $399. Eventually, Apple will be forced to lower the price of the Mini, especially in this market with so many alternatives to the iPad. And, yes, this is from someone who owns an phone, ipad, imac, and macbook air.
Apple isn't targeting those with third world problems..
It is, however, how luxury goods manufacturers have made millions. Not everyone wants to compete for the lowest denominator.
Clint
Sure, but they certainly exploit cheap overseas labor, as do many other tech companies, to maximize their profits. You might careless, but then again, most hardcore Apple loyalists don't see the erosion of the manufacturing sector of the US economy and the disappearance of the middle class as a major issue in this country.
Sure, but they certainly exploit cheap overseas labor, as do many other tech companies, to maximize their profits. You might careless, but then again, most hardcore Apple loyalists don't see the erosion of the manufacturing sector of the US economy and the disappearance of the middle class as a major issue in this country.
I guarantee you are wearing some clothing that was manufactured using some of that cheap overseas labor. I know I am and I know you as well as everyone on this forum owns multiple electronics (including parts in your car) that were made using that same labor. We're all guilty and we still live day to day guilt free.
You seem to forget that the original iPad got the Retina display and stayed at the same price. What makes the mini so "special" that it warrants a price hike under the same conditions?
I thought the same thing during the release...but really, it is the same tablet as the Air, just a smaller body. So $100 off vs. $170 off is fair. The $329 price point was perfect for the first gen Mini as an introduction into where they are going with the iPad lineup. It had many compromises and now you'll have to pay $70 more to get a fully realized (retina and all) iPad Mini.
I don't think it's the display as much as it is the internals. Upgrading the chipset used to the latest and greatest is probably causing the price difference. I wonder if they thought about putting the A6X in there or not, or if maybe just giving it the A7 allows them to eliminate production of the A6X for iPads altogether, saving money/assembly lines, with just a small price increase.
You said it
Man, you head is definitely on straight.
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You really know what your talking about. I own a small business, I do what I do because I ENJOY doing it. My paychecks and profit is the benefit that I need. I am sick and tired of this class envy stuff. Thanks for the post.
Man, you head is definitely on straight.
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You really know what your talking about. I own a small business, I do what I do because I ENJOY doing it. My paychecks and profit is the benefit that I need. I am sick and tired of this class envy stuff. Thanks for the post.
The price isn't so much the problem it's the hubris that's the problem given the fact that the competition is offering equal or better specs for much less. As others have said the iPad pricing has basically stayed the same while getting better internals and the same was expected of the next generation mini.
Instead Apple decides to keep the iPad 2 instead of dropping it for the iPad 3 or 4. Eventually this kind of stuff catches up with companies. I was all set to buy a mini retina and just got turned off by their actions. So i'll just convince myself that my 2 year old iPad 2 is still current.
Instead Apple decides to keep the iPad 2 instead of dropping it for the iPad 3 or 4. Eventually this kind of stuff catches up with companies. I was all set to buy a mini retina and just got turned off by their actions. So i'll just convince myself that my 2 year old iPad 2 is still current.
I really hoped the mini 2 would've been 349 at the most, even with the retina. 399 and it at least should've been 32gb standard. Lol at no camera upgrade. Even though it looks stupid sometimes, people do use the camera on the ipad. The 4s has a 8mp camera and that was what 2 years ago?
I think the main thing is the 16gb still being there. And how it's 100 to get 16 more gb.
I think the main thing is the 16gb still being there. And how it's 100 to get 16 more gb.
With Americans still recovering from the economic recession, and many still unemployed, one might expect Apple to keep the price point of iPad Minis at $329 or lower. But profits and greed still dictate over innovation. Very few will buy an Apple Mini for $399. Eventually, Apple will be forced to lower the price of the Mini, especially in this market with so many alternatives to the iPad. And, yes, this is from someone who owns an phone, ipad, imac, and macbook air.
I know it's so cheap for what you get eh?
What makes you think all the new gen products have to cost the same as the old one did? Components don't depreciate at the same rate over the same time.
The fact that the cost to produce the retina 2 years after the release was the same as the non-retina screen the same as that year. Price of components go down over time. Read the report that the new retina minis will be scarce until 2014? Do you know why? they weren't ready to release the retina mini this year, it was a rushed addition because of market competition, and the extra cost apple is paying they will pass along to you. Also for the first time the iPad mini has the same internals as the current gen iPhone.
Apple is in the business to make money, do you think they are selling the first gen iPad mini's at $300 and taking a loss? As components become cheaper to produce, they can reduce the price. will they? not always, but because the screens and components of the first gen iPad mini are cheaper to produce, they can reduce the retail price without affecting their profit margins.
The price of the new retina MacBooks went down, so does that mean they put in worse components than before? Did the price of the same retina screen go change after a year of production?
Learn how business work and the price hike would make sense to you. They can't keep prices the same "just because," whether you think the components and additions are "worth" it or not doesn't affect the actual cost to make them, nor apple's margins...