Part Numbers Reveal Apple's Plan for 24 Different 'iPad Mini' Models [Updated x2]

[iAi]

iGot the best iP5 (color & capacity), up to now iHave problem picking the BEST carrier!

Hopefully, picking the BEST in all fronts for the iPad mini is no brainer and not as stressful.

 

[Blue Sun]

I am an owner of the new ipad, and I will be irritated if they already revise the new ipad this soon, and I am stuck with an outdated model, just a few months after I got mine.

Given that the current (and only) cycle of iPad updates is once a year, I will be a little annoyed as well. I know it will not at all affect my device, but the addition of the lightning port and possible dimension changes will rule out many accessories in the future.

 

[MacinDoc]

24 new iPads, 4 new iMacs, new 13" MBPs, the anticipation is about to explode!

I do hope people keep their expectations reasonable.

 

[SeaFox]

Alternatively, there may simply be two different LTE-capable versions in order to support the various carrier networks available around the world, although it is unclear why one such model would be designated "BETTER" and another "BEST".

It's easy. One's on the good carrier partner, and the other is for the carrier partner that sucks (most likely AT&T).

 

[Neodym]

I am an owner of the new ipad, and I will be irritated if they already revise the new ipad this soon, and I am stuck with an outdated model, just a few months after I got mine.

Better sell your iPride NOW, before it becomes unusable on release day of the next posing gadget...

 

[j_maddison]

I'm not a techno-ego-maniac - meaning I don't feel like a better, smarter person based on how many devices I carry around. I'm simple, pragmatic and functional. I carry a simple MacBook Air because it is light and easy to carry, holds a charge for HOURS.

Recently, I've inventoried the devices I have in my bag and pocket. I have the original iPad and an iPhone 4S. And it just hit me. I have too much stuff. The iPad perfectly capable of receiving calls. I have my bluetooth headset on all the time anyway so I am reachable. Why can't Apple just turn the iPad into a Pad that has a phone. Yeah, it may mean that they don't sell as many duplicative devices but it would mean they would keep this customer.

I'm sure there are many others out there like me. We bought Macs (iMac, MBA, and MBP) along with iPad and iPhone. We LOVE how everything integrates. But now, it's all getting a bit heavy - in every since of the word - not to mention expensive. With Windows 8 on the horizon and a SamSung Galaxy Note in reality, life just seems simpler to stop waiting for Apple to get their heads... well, back on their shoulders.

I see the mini-iPad as the last opportunity they have to combine the iPhone and iPad. If that's not the reality next Tuesday, you won't have to worry about me posting here again. I'll be a FORMER Apple customer.

Regards!

What are you going to move to? I"m not aware of any other tablet that makes and received phone calls? Maybe you would find the Galaxy Note 2 functional

*edit, I stand corrected. You might like this idea:

http://www.zdnet.com/4g-ready-asus-padfone-2-heads-to-europe-asia-in-pictures-7000005860/

Alternatively: Why not jailbreak your iPad and run it as a phone if it's such a big issue for you. I believe you can still do that, you used to be able to

 

[lewisdorigo]

However, the yields are not good that the iPhone 5 was initially in limited supply. It isn't just the display. At this point they also need the "laminated touch" since that too is new, nifty, and thinner. Apple has been preoccupied with 'thinner' much longer than 'Retina'. I suspect that thinner trumps Retina. More likely Apple will save "Retina" for the iPad mini 2 (or perhaps named iPad mini 2013 ).

Perhaps not the iPhone 5 display tech, but maybe iPhone 4/4S. Let's not forget that iPhone 5 has a significantly different (and better) screen than 4/4S in more ways than just size.

Since demand for 4/4S will be cooling off now, who's to say they won't repurpose some of that stuff for iPad Mini.

Also; for them to integrate the touch panel into the display, they'd need to build an entirely new display for the iPad Mini, rather than simply repurposing other stuff.

But see you miss the definition of "retina". I would say you would hold an iPad mini about the same distance away from your eyes as the normal iPad - meaning the retina ppi would go to the iPad 3's 264 ppi. It would depend on the aspect ratio (though I think it'll be 16:9) - but that would cause Apple to add another resolution to app developers' toolkit (roughly 1920x1080). Otherwise - a 7.85" iPad with the iPad 3's resolution would be the most ridiculous (and awesome) mobile screen in mass production.

The definition of 'Retina' is "Marketing term invented by Apple to refer to HiDPI displays on it's products".

It doesn't matter about how far away you hold the display (though anecdotally, I hold the Nexus 7 closer to my face than I do the iPad). As long as you can't discern individual pixels at normal usage distance, then it qualifies as "Retina". Apple can use the Retina display from the iPhone 4/4S on an iPad Mini and still call it Retina.

They aren't going to introduce another resolution just for the sake of it.

Apple is already producing the required display for a 7.85" iPad with Retina Dissplay at 2048x1536. Except they've been cutting it at 3.5" and using it for the iPhone 4/4S. They're good at it. They can scale the production. The yield rates are high enough. They don't have to worry about supply constraints caused by iPhone 5, because it uses a completely different display technology.

I think it's entirely reasonable to assume that there will be at least an option of a Retina Display.

 

[jamesryanbell]

You know what would be really great? If they made *anything* - iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini, iPod Touch, etc - with 128GB of storage.

I know so many people who would opt for that without even thinking.

 

[globalhemp]

Apple's serial number format

View the following graphic to learn Apple's serial number formatting:

 

[olowott]

so many options

Nice one apple, you got ur game right

 

[Bigbarneygumble]

Wifi only

I'm not so sure now about this alleged list of models, I have a contact who works for one of the major mobile networks in the UK, they have apparently been told that the networks will not be getting the iPad mini as there is no wifi version?

 

[ThatsMeRight]

Best Better, Good Better ? 24 SKU's !!! ?

So contrary to popular belief, Apple has actually turned into a hybrid monster of Microsoft & Samsung then j/k




Seriously 24 seems ridiculous and surely this is contradicted by the supposed european price leak which did not peg anything like 24 SKU's.

Either way, if Apple do sell a 64GB with Wifi and Retina Display (after my ipad 3 I cant go back for reading text & ibooks - but do want the reduced size) then I'll have a black one on order quicker than a nun rolling down a hill....

Apple would never make that many models, no way.

iPhone 5 (A1428) 16 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1428) 32 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1428) 64 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1428) 16 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1428) 32 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1428) 64 GB white

iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 16 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 32 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 64 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 16 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 32 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1429 (US)) 64 GB white

iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 16 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 32 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 64 GB black
iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 16 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 32 GB white
iPhone 5 (A1429 (world)) 64 GB white

Apple would make 18 models, but 24, no way.

(3 models x 3 capacity possibilities x 2 colours = 18 possibilities)

Apple is rumoured to have 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models and also cellular models. That'll give us:

(4 capacity possibilities x 2 colours x 3 (Wi-Fi vs Cellular (world) vs Cellular US = 24 possibilities).

Or, as suggested, we're talking here about a tweaked third generation iPad + an iPad mini.

2 colour x 3 capacity x 2 models (cellular vs wi-fi) = 12 iPad mini models
2 colour iPad 3 x 3 capacity iPad 3 models x cellular vs wi-fi = 12 iPad 3 models

 

[Traktor]

24 different models sounds very unlike Apple, and no matter how look at it, it crashes with their simplicity "policy".

 

[striker33]

After all the issues with the Retina screens on the new iPad and the new Macbook Pro's, I think I'll skip this.

I'll come back to Apple when some money driven douche isn't running the company.

And yes, I'm aware that many other companies have money driven leaders, but some of them don't achieve success by overworking factories to such an extent that quality products are a rarity.

 

[polaris20]

After all the issues with the Retina screens on the new iPad and the new Macbook Pro's, I think I'll skip this.

I'll come back to Apple when some money driven douche isn't running the company.

And yes, I'm aware that many other companies have money driven leaders, but some of them don't achieve success by overworking factories to such an extent that quality products are a rarity.

What issues with the iPad?

 

[greenmeanie]

Looks like I will be buying a IPAD mini for every student soon for our school system.

 

[skunnykart]

What issues with the iPad?

Some people are getting a yellowish hue on their retina ipads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3810949?start=0&tstart=0

I did not notice it at first and was really happy with it for months but I started to notice it after I came across this news! But I am still not bothered by it. It still looks stunning compared to ipad 2 and 1 display even with the slightly yellowish tinge.

 

[polaris20]

Some people are getting a yellowish hue on their retina ipads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3810949?start=0&tstart=0

I did not notice it at first and was really happy with it for months but I started to notice it after I came across this news! But I am still not bothered by it. It still looks stunning compared to ipad 2 and 1 display even with the slightly yellowish tinge.

Ah, interesting. We've deployed probably close to a hundred and I've not seen it, but I guess that's still obviously a very small number compared to how many have been sold.

 

[skunnykart]

Ah, interesting. We've deployed probably close to a hundred and I've not seen it, but I guess that's still obviously a very small number compared to how many have been sold.

Well to be honest with you, I didn't notice it until I came across the news.
And even when you look at some of the "evidence" (photos) that people upload showing the yellowish hue, it really doesn't look as devastating as people make it out to be.

Like I said, it still looks stunning.

It looks a bit like the "warm" colour pre-settings on your LED/LCD TVs which is slightly yellowish on my TV, compared to "cool" which looks blueish and "movie" which looks fairly dark and reddish.