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iPad mini to kill the iPhone/smartphone?

ZBoater

ZBoater

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 2, 2007
8,498
1,325
Sunny Florida
Yes, I know it's not a phone, but instead of carrying an iPhone or other smartphone, maybe a really slim dumb phone with a battery that lasts a week?

Then you can just talk on the phone, (remember the days?) and then email/browsing/etc can be done on the mini LTE... Just a thought...
 
I think Apple will do everything it can to discourage the mini from replacing the iPhone. It would be a HUGE compromise!
 
I don't know but I'm still old school and have just a regular phone and don't even text on it as I have texting blocked. I ordered a wi-fi only mini.
 
fsumom said:
I don't know but I'm still old school and have just a regular phone and don't even text on it as I have texting blocked. I ordered a wi-fi only mini.
Click to expand...

That's just crazy talk! ;)

I need access to the Internet with me at all times. I'm spoiled that way. I need Google, and email, and web browsing. Since I carry my phone with me all the time, I find myself trying to do things on the phone I really need the iPad (or a laptop) for. Having it with me always is key. I don't have the iPad with me always.

Not sure if he mini is small enough to change that paradigm. We'll see. But being able to look for something on the web on the spot is something I no longer can live without....
 
The beauty of the smart phone is that you don't need to schlep around multiple devices everywhere you go. IMHO you'd look like a dork going into the store, price checking with any iPad. I can think of many other examples. I have no prob. w/ the iPhone's size and it fits in pants pockets perfectly.
 
fsumom said:
I don't know but I'm still old school and have just a regular phone and don't even text on it as I have texting blocked. I ordered a wi-fi only mini.
Click to expand...

No texting for me either. No silly Facebook, Music/Movies. Just a little e-mail. Do everything else on a nice size computer. WiFi iPad 3rd Generation returned, and may get the iPad 4th Generation. Will not touch the Mini iPad until later next year when, and if the retina display/A5X or better is introduced and 1 GB of storage. ;)

Mini will never, ever replace the iPhone for calls. Just to darn big and those that want it would be such a small minority it will not sell well at all. My opinion, who would want a large mini stuck to ones ear making calls.
 
ZBoater said:
Yes, I know it's not a phone, but instead of carrying an iPhone or other smartphone, maybe a really slim dumb phone with a battery that lasts a week?

Then you can just talk on the phone, (remember the days?) and then email/browsing/etc can be done on the mini LTE... Just a thought...
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I am doing and what I already do. I will be using the mini with the decent screen for browsing and any smartphone related activities, and use a normal phone for regular clear calls.

At present, I have a LG handset that gives me 30 days standby and the call quality is great. I seriously cannot remember the last time I charged it. In addition, I have been using my iPhone 4s with a ipad (tablet) data plan.
 
ZBoater said:
This is a different thread. I'm saying have a phone to just talk.
Click to expand...

It's also convenient. I can operate a flip phone without looking at it.

Granted, what would have been nice is if they enabled the cellular part of the mini and were allowed to use it via bluetooth. However, stuff like that is not what apple does. That's more an android thing.
 
aka777 said:
That's exactly what I am doing and what I already do. I will be using the mini with the decent screen for browsing and any smartphone related activities, and use a normal phone for regular clear calls.

At present, I have a LG handset that gives me 30 days standby and the call quality is great. I seriously cannot remember the last time I charged it. In addition, I have been using my iPhone 4s with a ipad (tablet) data plan.
Click to expand...

Same here!
I've just sold my iPhone 4S, quit The Facebook completely and bought a BlackBerry for receiving and sending a (very) few emails, texts and BBMs.
Battery last for ages.

I've ordered the wifi iPad mini to 'sofa surf'. It won't be leaving the house much, apart from weekends away at hotels that have wifi.
 
While dumb phones may be great for talking they don't sync up to my hands free set up in my truck. Any phone that can't do that for me is a deal killer.
 
This is why I never really got an iPad. If I were to get an iPad Mini, my iPhone 5 will collect dust in the corner while I am at home. And the mini is pretty much small enough to haul around everywhere conveniently. My iPhone will then be tucked away in my pocket and never get any use (except for phone calls and texts). Face it, the iPad is just a big iPhone, and with the mini, that gap is closed even more!

If I had a "dumbphone" or blackberry, I would snatch up an Mini in a heartbeat. But with an iPhone 5, I don't see any use for the Mini (this is just my personal view/observation/experience).
 
ZBoater said:
That's just crazy talk! ;)

I need access to the Internet with me at all times. I'm spoiled that way. I need Google, and email, and web browsing. Since I carry my phone with me all the time, I find myself trying to do things on the phone I really need the iPad (or a laptop) for. Having it with me always is key. I don't have the iPad with me always.

Not sure if he mini is small enough to change that paradigm. We'll see. But being able to look for something on the web on the spot is something I no longer can live without....
Click to expand...

What's crazy is that I ordered it for my 6 year old :).
 
fsumom said:
I don't know but I'm still old school and have just a regular phone and don't even text on it as I have texting blocked. I ordered a wi-fi only mini.
Click to expand...

If my job didn't require 24/7 availability I would do aware with all of that - plus the phone line too. Phones are devices designed to tether you to others and torture you with the noises they make.
 
Probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I HOPE it's going in that direction. Maybe the iPad mini doesn't replace the phone in 2012/2013, but an iPad Nano becomes that in 2014 or 2015. Why? Who is the biggest barrier remaining in Apple's direct relationship with its customers? And when you think of your cell phone, who do you loathe to deal with in the process? The carriers, that's who.
Apple tried to break part of the model in 2007 with iPhone being unsubsidized. But people largely didn't like the price, even when a few months later they dropped the price to $399.
After the iPhone became subsidized in 2008 it took off like a rocket, because people love that carrier crack, and will overpay for service during a two year contract. But the iPad is completely unsubsidized at a great price. That is why Android has such success in phones, because the OEMs hide the true phone cost with the carriers in the form of subsidies, and exactly why they can't compete with Apple in the tablet space. (Yes the Kindle Fire and Nexus7 are now, but that is either at a loss or break even to get people locked into their ecosystems).
Beating the carriers is like cooking a frog. You start it on simmer and slowly ratchet up the heat, and it doesn't realize it. First the App Store. Then iMessage. Then FaceTime. Hopefully in iOS 7 or 8 we will see FaceTime without video (ala phone calls). Why not? They already have a few hundred million devices for calling between themselves.
So, I would like to think Apple will do the 4" form factor for probably another couple of years (change doesn't happen overnight), and we'll see a 5" or 6" in at that time that is the iPad's screen dimensions and runs iPad apps. Just as the iPad started at $499, now the mini at $329, maybe an iNano will start at $249. And all you have to buy is a data plan WITHOUT CONTRACT. The carriers will assume their roles as dumb pipes.
 
Most here don't seem to understand the OP

It seems like some of you don't understand the point of the original poster. I, for one, agree with what he is saying.

The iPad mini now has basically everything the iPhone has including portability. It also has somethings the iPhone doesn't have: a big ass screen and the ability to run real iPad tablet apps. All it is missing is the ability to make phone calls.

So if one has the LTE version of the go-anywhere iPad Mini, then all you really need in addition is a cheap dumb phone for phone calls.

I'm looking forward to, no-hassle from carriers, yearly updates to my iPad mini. Given this, I don't think I'll be upgrading my iPhone 4S for many, many years.
 
Buckeyestar said:
Stop texting while driving.
Click to expand...

I meant to answer calls and hangup. Don't need to take my eyes off anything when using a flip phone.

Never been one (i.e. an irresponsible idiot) to text while driving.

----------
publicfarley said:
It seems like some of you don't understand the point of the original poster. I, for one, agree with what he is saying.

The iPad mini now has basically everything the iPhone has including portability. It also has somethings the iPhone doesn't have: a big ass screen and the ability to run real iPad tablet apps. All it is missing is the ability to make phone calls.

So if one has the LTE version of the go-anywhere iPad Mini, then all you really need in addition is a cheap dumb phone for phone calls.

I'm looking forward to, no-hassle from carriers, yearly updates to my iPad mini. Given this, I don't think I'll be upgrading my iPhone 4S for many, many years.
Click to expand...

Spot on. Nowadays, there are excellent voice and text only prepaid plans out there and they save a fortune.

It's the best of both worlds. To this day, not a single smartphone matches the call quality and battery life of a a good flip phone.

Now we have the iPad mini LTE, which brings the best of a high-speed cellular connection and a usable, light, and extremely portable tablet.
 
I don't think so. Mini is still in the category of tablet. But it definitely has more market share than the bigger iPad
 
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