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iPad mini is the iPad mini the last "high-end" device without an M1 chip?

T

TinaBelcher

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Jul 23, 2017
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I'd really love for the iPad mini to have stage manager, but it seems like only M1+ devices have that ability. It's such a bummer. Originally, I bought the mini 6 at launch, but I gave up on it within a month because of jelly scroll. I bought the iPad Pro 2021 model right after, in fall 2021. For the last 12-months,with having a Studio Display, I've come to enjoy the ability of plugging it to my screen and get a full screen. I've considered getting a mini again, if Apple fix jelly scrolling on the 7th... however, giving up on the option for stage manager would be a bummer. I don't use it much, so it's not a must.. but I've come to appreciate it. It's a great option, when I want to expand my iPad screen, seeing my pictures on a big screen ect. Rumors has it that the 7th version will get an A17 chip. That's kind of embarrassing. I know it's not suppose to be Pro, but I do consider the mini to be a high-ish end device compared to that standard "iPad". The mini is the ultimate "digital drawing canvas and notebook" machine on the go.
 
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At this point who knows if they'll just scrap it all together? Not a single mention of it tonight, and next month will just be all about the Mac and M4. Which could probably just have a press release to be honest.
At this point it has been the Apple tablet that's been forgotten about for a long long time now.
 
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No M-chip for the iPad mini, but A18 has 8GB RAM and Apple Intelligence. Stage Manager? No, Apple sees the screen as too small for that, and there is no official keyboard for it for external monitor support... And it won't do a special version of it just for the mini... At that point why not do it for the iPhone?
No M chip does not mean leave it out in the cold, it's just a pure tablet... And many people are fine with that
 
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A series and M series chips have nearly identical single core performance, it’s the multicore that improves in the M chips. But, with those added cores comes the necessary extra power draw to facilitate that top-end.

Given what iPad Minis do well, I continue to think A series chips make sense. The battery hit of extra multicore performance wouldn’t be a good trade off for most users. Your point about Stage Manager with an external monitor is valid though, it would be cool to have that functionality. Maybe they can make it happen with the A18 and all that new RAM? But there’s little chance the Mini will be getting the M4. If that’s a requirement, 11” Pro is the best bet.
 
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Greenmeenie said:
I just want Apple to update the iPad mini already. It’s been over 3 years now. Getting kinda ridiculous at this point. Hoping for an October announcement. 🤞
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same! Cause at this point I’m willing to buy the 6 again, but holding out in hopes for the 7th!
 
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Is iPad mini "high end"? I have one- the 6- and I've never thought of it as "high end." Instead, I think of it as about "average" in the lineup. I value it greatly as it doubles as my phone too (cellular 6 with VOIP app and buds) but "high end" to me would have PRO/MAX tag features & benefits and a good amount of that is not in this mini.

Would there be interest in an iPad Mini 7 PRO? I'd be interested... even towards iPhone PRO/MAX pricing (because, again, my iPad doubles as my phone). But I'm doubting we'll see such a device... until maybe Apple rolls out a Fold/Roll which then might be a combined iPhone and Mini in one device.

My guess is that the rumored 7 will be mostly a spec bump, probably with rotated screen, shifting the "jelly" to landscape view instead of portrait (which is another way people- myself certainly included- commonly orient a mini to do many things, so I don't know what rotation alone would accomplish vs. this particular issue)... but hopefully Apple will step up the screen quality a bit more to make it less noticeable in landscape too. I easily see it but don't really care about it: many other benefits outweigh a few shortcomings. One could hold a blink (eyes closed) for slightly longer or look away for a few seconds when scrolling to miss it entirely.

And I'd further guess more like a Spring release instead of October... but most rumors of late imply coming in the next few weeks.
 
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A18 Pro makes better sense, I think. In my opinion it should be a cheap* device for consumption (books, web, etc), note taking and some gaming and the A18(Pro) is strong enough for that. I think many would appreciate a smaller phone and a iPad mini rather than one large phone.

My personal needs makes no sense for a wider public: An iPad mini with the iPhone Pro camera system.

* well it is Apple after all :)
 
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i have never thought of the iPad Mini as a high end device.
but after i read your post, i wanted to think through why it is that i dont regard the Mini as a high end device.
and i think the reason is that apple itself has been unsure of how to position (marketing-wise) the Mini.

apple decides new product positioning this way:
once launched, would this new product result in net additional bottom line revenue or not, to that product category.
its not so much how many of the new product they sell, as how it might cut into other (higher end) product's sales.
would making the Mini into a higher end device result in a net gain for AAPL?
would it cut into iPad Air sales? would it expand the category as whole for apple? would it sell more services?

the point you mention of possibly using a Mini attached to a larger display is key.
right now they seem to want an average user to buy the iPad Air, making that device being the minimal level of device that can actually be used for most average user computing needs.
leaving the Mini to be a niche device.

i think that apple understands that if they can clean up their strategy to be less muddied about the zone that this device occupies, there is some sort of additional financial incentive to them. but i dont think they are they focused on this right now.

for me, i look at a long term point where an apple Watch and an iPad Mini could represent all that i need from apple.
the Watch is more than capable of taking over from the iPhone for cellular communications/payments/notifications. and the iPad Mini could be the only device i need to view things on a larger screen than the Watch can provide. if that point comes, then how well an iPad Mini could work as a base computer to display on larger screens would be a crucial point.

i think its clear that at least for now, this is not what apple wants, however.
 
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Boil said:
9" iPad Pro (mini) with the M4 SoC would be great...!
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apple has not had success with this strategy.
most recent example: it made a very capable smaller size iPhone. (iPhone 13 Mini). didn't sell well.
another example: iPod Mini.

the Mac Mini naming is a misnomer. the Mac Mini is not a "physically smaller" device. it is simply a headless mac.
 
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jonnyb098 said:
It’s probably gonna get the A18 chip from the iphone 16. Pro devices only get pro chips. But at this point an M2 might make sense too
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Agreed with the A18, it’s a sure and safe bet. I have doubt iPad minis will get any M-series chips, I’m not so confident those chips can run well on anything smaller than a 11 inch iPad Air.

TinaBelcher said:
I'd really love for the iPad mini to have stage manager, but it seems like only M1+ devices have that ability. It's such a bummer.
Click to expand...
Stage Manager is also available on 2018 iPad Pros with A12X/4gb ram. An iPad mini with A18/8gb ram can and should have it.
 
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The iPad Mini is probably a niche market for Apple, but that’s no excuse to ignore keeping it current. Mine has been rendered virtually useless since I’m now locked into an old iOS. Each day there are more apps I can’t update or sites I can’t visit because of this. I don’t want to haul around a bigger iPad nor a monstrous iPhone. I used to subscribe to the saying, “Once you go Mac, you’ll never go back”. I’m not sure about that anymore.
 
The small size of the Mini would probably make it infeasible for M chips—namely battery and thermals. Unless they seriously underclock it or something, but that would be a waste of the chip. I think the best the Mini can have is an A Pro chip.
 
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Funny Apple Man said:
Agreed with the A18, it’s a sure and safe bet. I have doubt iPad minis will get any M-series chips, I’m not so confident those chips can run well on anything smaller than a 11 inch iPad Air.


Stage Manager is also available on 2018 iPad Pros with A12X/4gb ram. An iPad mini with A18/8gb ram can and should have it.
Click to expand...
The iPad Air 4 with the A14 (more advanced than A12X) should have gotten Stage manager as well in line with the iPP 2018, but for some reason Apple didnt implement it.
 
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Funny Apple Man said:
Agreed with the A18, it’s a sure and safe bet. I have doubt iPad minis will get any M-series chips, I’m not so confident those chips can run well on anything smaller than a 11 inch iPad Air.


Stage Manager is also available on 2018 iPad Pros with A12X/4gb ram. An iPad mini with A18/8gb ram can and should have it.
Click to expand...
If the mini came up to 8.5-9” size then stage manager makes a little more sense otherwise it’s just too small to be useful imo. I love it though on my M2 11” pro even though it destroys the battery. Which is another issue. Stage manager on a mini would get like 4 hours TOPS
 
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Since we are placing bets, I am going to bet the Mini 7 has a version of the A17 and not the A18. If they fix the screen orientation controller or whatever it's called to address jelly scroll I will replace mine. If all they did was replace the screen I would replace mine. I sold my 5 as the 6 was on the way and first few minutes I was bummed. I still have it and use it daily but it's been the one thing I dislike from the beginning and I still see it. Everything else about my 6 covers my needs. I hope they retain the exact size too. It does not need to be any bigger.
 
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I think it’ll have the A18, more ram and storage start from 128GB because it’s Apple… WiFi 7, maybe 6E. Probably same screen size, maybe bumped to 6.4”? Jelly scrolling fixed and the video camera, personally I’m undecided if I think they‘ll rotate it or not on the bezels.
 
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