iPad Now iPad=mini=iPhone? What's the point?

[sl33pyhead]

So now the three products are identical except for size and a fingerprint scanner?

Originally at the very least the iPad was faster than the iPad mini as it was larger. Now they're all on the same processor. Is the only difference screen size now?

I felt that bigger should equal faster. As you get closer to the size of a laptop I'd expect more power. At least let me truly multitask or be able to run apps side... With the new architecture shouldn't we have seen something that can do...more?

 

[haruhiko]

There is no "originally". The first iPad was weaker than the iPhone 4. First gen devices are always crippled and if it sells well then Apple will step up the spec and design in the 2nd gen c.f. iPad 1 vs iPad 2.

Also, why do the iPad mini users have to suffer on performance just because they prefer a smaller device? the A5X/A6X processors in iPad 3/4 was due to the lack of graphical performance in the A5/A6 chips. The iPad 3 is now famous for the lacking hardware to drive the 3M pixels.

 

[mcdj]

What's the point of what? Having 3 devices of varying sizes? Having 2 tablets and a smartphone? The iPad Mini and Air don't make phone calls lest you forget.

Forget your consumer level knowledge. It's not how things work. Some of the finest audiophile stereo amps in the world are 50W. You'd think a 500W amp would blow it out of the water. Maybe from a volume standpoint, but that's about it. It's not always about brute power...it's what you do with the power you have.

Efficiency and scaling are Apple's forte.

 

[Davidkoh]

There is no "originally". The first iPad was weaker than the iPhone 4. First gen devices are always crippled and if it sells well then Apple will step up the spec and design in the 2nd gen c.f. iPad 1 vs iPad 2.

Also, why do the iPad mini users have to suffer on performance just because they prefer a smaller device? the A5X/A6X processors in iPad 3/4 was due to the lack of graphical performance in the A5/A6 chips. The iPad 3 is now famous for the lacking hardware to drive the 3M pixels.

Right now its like iPad Air buyers will subsidize the iPad Mini 2. Putting the same hardware in a smaller exterior is (as Ive said in the video) harder and thus requires more engineering (=extra cost). The cost of such devices have always been higher than their bigger counterparts if the hardware were to be on par.

With this update the cost of engineering for the iPad Air must have been spectacularly low. They had already fitted the same SoC and all in the iPhone, so fitting it in the much bigger iPad must have been a walk in the park.

I feel the iPad Air is a lot less than Apple could have made it if they put any effort into it. My guess is they want to release a bumped version in spring.

 

[sl33pyhead]

Right now its like iPad Air buyers will subsidize the iPad Mini 2. Putting the same hardware in a smaller exterior is (as Ive said in the video) harder and thus requires more engineering (=extra cost). The cost of such devices have always been higher than their bigger counterparts if the hardware were to be on par.

With this update the cost of engineering for the iPad Air must have been spectacularly low. They had already fitted the same SoC and all in the iPhone, so fitting it in the much bigger iPad must have been a walk in the park.

I feel the iPad Air is a lot less than Apple could have made it if they put any effort into it. My guess is they want to release a bumped version in spring.

Well said. Where I was headed.

 

[haruhiko]

Right now its like iPad Air buyers will subsidize the iPad Mini 2. Putting the same hardware in a smaller exterior is (as Ive said in the video) harder and thus requires more engineering (=extra cost). The cost of such devices have always been higher than their bigger counterparts if the hardware were to be on par.

With this update the cost of engineering for the iPad Air must have been spectacularly low. They had already fitted the same SoC and all in the iPhone, so fitting it in the much bigger iPad must have been a walk in the park.

I feel the iPad Air is a lot less than Apple could have made it if they put any effort into it. My guess is they want to release a bumped version in spring.

Yes I agree. If they can put the same spec on the mini but for $100 less why is the big iPad $100 more? They're the same except the big one is easier to make. I think cost-wise both of the devices are similar. Apple is earning less on the iPad mini. If I don't need a bigger screen I must have chosen the mini. But I usually throw some PDFs to the iPad to read so I think I have to bite the bullet and pay for the big iPad.