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iFixit confirms iPad mini has 512MB RAM, has the exact same A5 chip as the iPod touch 5. http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPad+Mini+Teardown/11423/1

Yep. I saw the teardown. What a beast to assemble / disassemble! Too bad about the processor and RAM, but that's what we expected. If it is anything like the iPod Touch, it will continue to lag behind in future generations as well. It would be really cool to have a retina display, 1GB RAM, A6 or A6x processor in there, even if at a premium premium price.
 
Why because it'll make your current device stop working? You don't have to keep up with Apple's release schedule.
If I bought a Mini and they released a retina Mini in March, yes, I'd be pretty pissed. Mainly at myself for being a dumbass and buying a first generation product.
 
There is a reason why Apple don't list RAM explicitly in their spec. RAM is secondary layer in phasing out products.
...
Ram Hierarchy

iPad 3, iPad 4, iPhone 5 - 1 Gb (Last to be phased out)

iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5,iPad 2, iPad mini - 512mb (Next to be phased out)

iPad 1, iPod touch 4 - 256 (Phased out.)

You've tempered the evidence to fit your theory and that hierarchy is wrong. iPod Touch 4 with 256MB RAM received iOS 6 update as with iPhone 3GS which only has 256MB of RAM yet also was updated to iOS 6. iPod Touch 3rd gen had 256MB RAM but was phased out. Thus Apple has shown RAM isn't necessarily the main determinant when it comes to the upgrade cycle and the hypothesis goes out the window. I'd suspect often times it's just matter of putting enough people to optimize the new version of OS to each device, which can be very time consuming. Of course it's also entirely possible that Apple is just being greedy and want you to upgrade.

There's no way iPhone 4 will last as long as iPhone 4S in updates even though they have the same RAM amount. The RAM amount is important but contrary to your post, Apple has shown that they'd update the machines as they choose regardless of the RAM amount.
 
If I bought a Mini and they released a retina Mini in March, yes, I'd be pretty pissed. Mainly at myself for being a dumbass and buying a first generation product.

If no one buys the first generation, then there might not be a second one. :eek: If a company sees that there is demand, then they will invest more money into the product.
 
that's why i only bought the 16GB iPad mini. its pretty obvious apple will upgrade the 2nd gen iPad mini with retina and A6x chip most likely in June. but for what i need it for right now, an A5 is just fine. so enjoy your new apple product, i know i will :)
 
Reply to the conversation.

You've tempered the evidence to fit your theory and that hierarchy is wrong. iPod Touch 4 with 256MB RAM received iOS 6 update as with iPhone 3GS which only has 256MB of RAM yet also was updated to iOS 6. iPod Touch 3rd gen had 256MB RAM but was phased out. Thus Apple has shown RAM isn't necessarily the main determinant when it comes to the upgrade cycle and the hypothesis goes out the window. I'd suspect often times it's just matter of putting enough people to optimize the new version of OS to each device, which can be very time consuming. Of course it's also entirely possible that Apple is just being greedy and want you to upgrade.

There's no way iPhone 4 will last as long as iPhone 4S in updates even though they have the same RAM amount. The RAM amount is important but contrary to your post, Apple has shown that they'd update the machines as they choose regardless of the RAM amount.

I don't think you quite got the point what I was making. I said "RAM is secondary layer in phasing out products. " I didn't say RAM is the "main determinant". Having updates to IOS 6 is not prove that they are not trying to phase the device out. They are simply keeping some user happy while leting the lack of RAM to cause user to make the decision themselves.

I did not tempered with anything, I listed the device by RAM that was the point of my argument, under the title "RAM Hierearchy". I did not claim it was the only heriarchy that determine life cycles. In terms of RAM iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 3&4, iPad are all on the same boat, that was the point I was making. This is a list base on spec, I don't understand why think I tempered with something. I think you made your own assumption that I was making a list of life cycle hierarchy. There were some deivce missing because I don't have enough experince with them to make accurate judgement.

iOS is a explicit indicator that your device is out of date, not having enough RAM to run is a hidden indicator that you device is out of date. When you run new applications like dead trigger on a 256mb device, regardless of which device, and it just crashes out because it cannot load the application in memory, you will feel your device is out of date.
 
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The math on this is wrong. Even if we take as granted that the cost is $2 (it's more than that) and that they'd sell an extra 200,000 by going to 1GB (almost certainly a huge overestimation), that's an additional $40.5 million in costs for their 20.2 million units. Let's be particularly generous to your numbers and assume that they have managed to get the unit cost down to $230, putting the gross margin at 30% (which tracks with information about the mini falling well below corporate average of 40%) and that a typical 20% overhead applies--in other words, net profit is 10% (reality is probably closer to 5).

What all that means is that for the $40.5 million increase in expenses, they are actually only bringing in an additional $6.6 million in cash by increasing sales. They would need to sell over 1.2 million additional units to make that up--and there's no way that there are that many people out there who would buy one if only it had a little more RAM. A few thousand people, maybe.

At a more realistic $4 and 5%, that's about $81M needing an increase of 5 million units to recoup that cost. That just would not happen.

Whoops. Yep, I got the economics wrong. The gross margin should have been what I used. As long as this device runs fine at 512, then you are probably right that the extra sales wouldn't be sufficient to make up the difference.

Still, Apple often leads its customers. More RAM seems like the right thing to do for this device. I bet every person on this site who is going to buy a Mini wishes it came with a Gig and if it cost $20 more that would be cool with them. And if everyone who is well informed about these devices would make that decision, maybe Apple should have done that.

But maybe it runs just fine on 512. We shall know in a few days.
 
You've tempered the evidence to fit your theory and that hierarchy is wrong. iPod Touch 4 with 256MB RAM received iOS 6 update as with iPhone 3GS which only has 256MB of RAM yet also was updated to iOS 6. iPod Touch 3rd gen had 256MB RAM but was phased out. Thus Apple has shown RAM isn't necessarily the main determinant when it comes to the upgrade cycle and the hypothesis goes out the window. I'd suspect often times it's just matter of putting enough people to optimize the new version of OS to each device, which can be very time consuming. Of course it's also entirely possible that Apple is just being greedy and want you to upgrade.

There's no way iPhone 4 will last as long as iPhone 4S in updates even though they have the same RAM amount. The RAM amount is important but contrary to your post, Apple has shown that they'd update the machines as they choose regardless of the RAM amount.

Nevermind also the significant differences between the a4 chip in iPhone 4 and the a5 in the 4s. Pretty stupid to say the cut off point of support lies solely with RAM.
 
It's so gross to see fellow consumers make excuses for why we SHOULD get lesser specs. Premium pricing for components two generations old and weve got the same people going around worrying about Apples profit margins.

I'm fine with non-retina but with the incredibly overpriced $100 tiers for 16->32->64MB and iPhone 5 cost breakdowns showing 1GB RAM @ $10 and A6 @ $17 then is this product being crippled for profit or for ensuring an upgrade need on the next generation?

Maybe all these Apple defenders should start worrying about what's best for the consumer for once.

Apple fanboys will defend what Apple does to the death, this is why Apple can get away with selling lower specs for a higher price. What pisses me off is i love Apple gear but i have seen it progressively become worse value for money.

Ive jumped ship to the N7 for my tab needs and will be getting the N4 for my phone needs (almost everyone i know that had an iphone has moved to a S3 or will be getting the new nexus.), im sticking with Apple for my laptop and desktop needs as i cant stand windows.
 
torana355/ said:
Apple can get away with selling lower specs for a higher price....

Apple gear...progressively become worse value for money....

im sticking with Apple for my laptop and desktop needs as i cant stand windows.

?
 
Nevermind also the significant differences between the a4 chip in iPhone 4 and the a5 in the 4s. Pretty stupid to say the cut off point of support lies solely with RAM.

Man, talking to some Apple fans is like talking to Political Supporters. They take a part of what I wrote out of context and spin it in their own way, then other just follows the spin.

What I said:

"There is a reason why Apple don't list RAM explicitly in their spec. RAM is secondary layer in phasing out products.

Apple phase out product primary using iOS upgrades and if people are still hanging on to their old products, running older iOS, they won't have enough RAM to run new applications that will need larger amount of RAM."

I was trying to raise awareness of the importance of RAM's role in determining the lifetime of a device.

What I did not say :

the cut off point of support lies solely with RAM.

Support and RAM and independent, apple can choose to cut off your support, and whether they do or not your device may still be out of date if you don't have the ram to run the app you want to use.

Having fast CPU is nice, but for example, if you have a 256mb device, and iOS takes up 100mb, if you try to run an application that needs more than 156mb will always crash regardless if you have a a4, a5 or a a10 CPU from the future. This is a physical fact.

In addition, majority iOS will not run noticably faster with faster CPU/GPU, only some process heavy apps and games can take advantage of the faster CPU.

Buying into the faster CPU and GPU marketing, without paying attention to underlying restrictions like RAM is exactly what apple marketing want you to do.

I don't mind people disagreeing, as long as is something that I said rather than some made up assumption and spin. You are only allow to do that 24/7 if you are a politician.
 
If no one buys the first generation, then there might not be a second one. :eek: If a company sees that there is demand, then they will invest more money into the product.
I think Apple knows that a retina Mini will fly off the shelves. Most people who have decided to skip the Mini have made their decision based on that lack of retina.
 
that's why i only bought the 16GB iPad mini. its pretty obvious apple will upgrade the 2nd gen iPad mini with retina and A6x chip most likely in June. but for what i need it for right now, an A5 is just fine. so enjoy your new apple product, i know i will :)

Don't be too surprised if the next Mini refresh just brings the A6, while we are all teased with the Retina display for a future upgrade. This is why as much as I want a Mini i'm going to wait.
 
I think Apple knows that a retina Mini will fly off the shelves. Most people who have decided to skip the Mini have made their decision based on that lack of retina.

They need to let it fly off the shelves. Hell they should charge 499 for a retina display mini. And let people choose based on size and not based on price. Apple is not going to get a pass on the retina display for mini2.
 
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