New iPads Expected in First Half of 2019, Including iPad Mini 5 With Similar Design as iPad Mini 4

[Martius]

I still don't get what's the problem with releasing 3 sizes of a similar product.

Xs Mini / Xs / Xs Max
iPad Mini / iPad / iPad (Max) Plus

The iPad Pro naming scheme is just nonsense, because it runs similar iOS as the base iPad. I know the MB and MBP also run the same macOS, but that's a little different case...

Of course, the bigger device, the more space to implement some extra features. Ok, why not? Xs Max could have Pencil support, 3 cameras. Bigger device = bigger battery. Etc.

 

[BBCWatcher]

I concur: an iPad mini refresh needs at least an A11 processor. Other incremental improvements would be helpful: bump up to 7mm thickness (for a bigger battery), a smaller bezel (8.x inch display), USB-C (with reverse "emergency" charging of an attached iPhone or Apple Watch), splash resistance, spec bumped cameras, Apple Pencil support, 32GB and 128GB storage capacities, possibly Haptic Touch (like the iPhone XR), possibly wireless charging, and "Hey Siri" support without being plugged in.

 

[iName]

I just want a regular iPad that looks like the new iPad Pro without all the bells and whistles. That new design is gorgeous but i don’t write/draw/create like that to justify the price.

 

[Baymowe335]

Ooooh really? LOL

Correct.

 

[rmoliv]

Wait for a price increase...

 

[Shanghaichica]

I can see the sfarting price 599 for 32 gb and then ....jumps up to 128 gb for 799 and so on...that price illusion tactic.

For an A10 chip and non laminated display?

 

[Zxxv]

If the Mini 5 is simply a Mini 4 with updated processor, w/Apple Pencil 1 support, and priced under $300... Boom!

under $300

haha haha

Takes a breath

hahahahaha

Oh

My sides!!!

Are splitting!

hahahahahahahahaha

Can’t breath!

Under $300

ha

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Keeping the home button? USB C vs Lightning?

Apple needs to just switch or not. Differing gestures and cables across my iDevices is annoying and shows no signs of improving in the future.

 

[nviz22]

Well yeah, but then so far only the 2018 iPad Pros support USB-C, do you really think that won't start showing up more moving forward? Are you suggesting that lightening and first gen pencils are going to be the 'cheap' alternative differentiating the lower tier iPads from Pros? I suppose that could happen. I was thinking Apple would standardize.. like when they moved forward from the 30 pin connector to lightening. Once they started to transition, all devices got lightening.

Should Apple standardize its products? Yes. Will they? Remains to be seen because they could make another iPod, include new products with TouchID, and use Lightning.

Apple used to be very simple, elegant, and top of the line. Now, there is so much fragmentation.

 

[MacBH928]

The more Apple releases fragmentations of their iPad product line and make it confusing... the harder it makes it for me to upgrade my current iPad...

 

[jonplackett]

This is symptomatic of my unenthusiasm with Apple right now. They have one track of products that is exciting (iphone X, ipad pro, macbook pro), but way too expensive for me to care about, and another track that is cheap, but not even that cheap (macbook, iphone8, ipad) and totally uninteresting, using outdated processors, old designs, old screens. I won't buy into either of these approaches.

What happened to the middle road here? Is it now stupid to expect exciting updates and not-ridiculous prices like we did from iphone 3g to iphone 6s? For now I'll just keep my money and current devices which work well enough.

 

[78Bandit]

under $300

haha haha

Takes a breath

hahahahaha

Oh

My sides!!!

Are splitting!

hahahahahahahahaha

Can’t breath!

Under $300

ha

Why not? The iPad is already priced at $329 ($299 with education discount). Similar specs with a smaller screen should make $299 or under a realistic target.

 

[dgdosen]

.... So they're releasing the 2016 ipad mini?

 

[Mac 128]

Well yeah, but then so far only the 2018 iPad Pros support USB-C, do you really think that won't start showing up more moving forward? Are you suggesting that lightening and first gen pencils are going to be the 'cheap' alternative differentiating the lower tier iPads from Pros? I suppose that could happen. I was thinking Apple would standardize.. like when they moved forward from the 30 pin connector to lightening. Once they started to transition, all devices got lightening.

The Lightning Pencil is going to be around for a while, because there are a number of Pencil supported ipads on the market, currently being sold for at least another product cycle. Releasing what appears to be an intermediary mini will likewise support that standard, because it’s the cheapest option and it works with the vast majority of iOS products already on the market. Add to that the mini is widely used in businesses and by professionals who already have a Lightning infrastructure and third party Lightning accessories, so moving away from Lightning wouldn’t be good news, at least not without a major redesign, which we don’t appear to be getting.

Then there’s the whole consumer product side of it. The mini, more than the iPad, would benefit from wireless charging, like the iPhone, as well as waterproofing. So there’s a world where it gets wireless charging, and eventually the Lightning port goes away when wireless data speeds are able to replace cables for most purposes. Maybe they’ll change to USB-C then depending on the needs of the mini base. Or maybe they’ll push the cloud model with something like the SmartConnector serving as an optional hard wired connection for hose who absolutely have to have it.

 

[jagolden]

God, I absolutely loved my iPad Mini 2. The size/form factor were perfect for just so many things. The portability was, of course, excellent, and great for most reading on.
Unfortunately as my eyes get older I moved on the a 12.9P Pro. I love this also as the extra screen acreage allows me to spread out and see more of what I’m doing with photo manipulation and while writing logs and journals.
Using the pencil with Affinity Photo and Designer is a dream.
I hope the new Mini will offer pencil support (even though I’m not as enamoured with Pencil 2 as much as I like Pencil 1). If it does, I would be tempted to buy it as a secondary iPad.

One of the things I really like about the 12.9 is the ability to show a full page in portrait view. I have digital copies of three old magazines I still love to read, Creepy, Errie, and Famoir Monsters of Film.and and they fit perfect on the 12.9.

 

[Spock]

The strategy isn't always to sell the most units possible.

I disagree.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

$229 iPad mini and it will sell out.

Ehhh I doubt if it looks anything like the old 4 it won’t. These outdated models are “YAAAAAWN”s

Then again what did we expect? Apple had 4 years to design The air and the Mac mini but still came out with the same friggin core design. Did Jonny Ive retire or something?

 

[dominiongamma]

The more Apple releases fragmentations of their iPad product line and make it confusing... the harder it makes it for me to upgrade my current iPad...

Why is it confusing? The Apple site even has a compair other ipads tools to help. I don’t own any iPads yet and I didn’t find it hard to understand.

 

[JLD94]

I know my wife will want one to update the mini 4 she has.

I understand they want to milk the R&D for the first pencil, but it would be nice if they would update things to the latest connectors & accessories. It's obviously a money grab but what can you do....

I am wondering what they will do with storage. Will they stay at 32 and 128, or will it likely go 64, 128, 256 like the Xr?

 

[Jim Higgins]

This will please a lot of people. Let's hope they don't fold like a hot Mars bar the moment someone picks them up...

At the same 6.1mm thickness there should be no BendGate for the Mini 5.

 

[Zxxv]

Why not? The iPad is already priced at $329 ($299 with education discount). Similar specs with a smaller screen should make $299 or under a realistic target.

Have you not been paying attention lately?

The last iPhones were cheap but they raised prices on the new ones. The last ipads were cheaper but they raised prices on the new ones.

The last Mac mini’s were... are you seeing the pattern yet

 

[44267547]

The more Apple releases fragmentations of their iPad product line and make it confusing... the harder it makes it for me to upgrade my current iPad...

It’s not that difficult to understand, and I think the term ‘fragmentation’ is commonly mis-used. Apples iPad lineup consist of more entry-level and then the ‘Pro’ line, which is the more expensive version, it’s not really that difficult to differentiate what the user wants, especially when they have a comparison tool on their website. Consumers generally already know what they want from their iPad, depending if it’s more for media consumption or work related, and/or both.

 

[DiamonDecoden]

good news. I think at this point, they have to support gen 1 pencil as to be consistent across the board.

 

[Plutonius]

Apple, when the iPad Mini update comes out, surprise us with an iPod Touch update.

 

[enc0re]

All I want is a (slightly gimped) iPad Pro with a 7.9" 4:3 screen. Instant buy. I'll give Apple $500-600 for that depending on the storage provided. I would pay even more if they could make it thinner and lighter for easier one hand holding.

What we'll get instead looks like the nightmare scenario. Not only will they keep the mega-bezels and Touch ID, they'll make the screen worse in the name of cheap.

I want premium, not cheap, Apple! Why can't you make a high end device that has a small, thin, and light form factor?