Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Retina iPad Mini 2 Reportedly Coming Alongside iPad Air 2, New Smart Cover and Case Colors
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Waddaya reckon the 'It's been way too long', is referring to if not the Mac mini?
----------
That's Mr Kuo to you.
Up until yesterday I was thinking of a Retina Air but many "sources" think we won't see it.
I'm thinking of a Mac mini now
The lack of leaks surrounding then Mini Retina 2 tells me there won't be an update to it this year, like the iPod touches, it was made for people who can't afford a real iPad and as such its current specs are good enough for another year.
"iPad nano" Coming?
Where's the new iPod touch? It's due for an update, too. Here are some issues Apple could consider:
1. Should the new iPod touch be renamed to the "iPad nano"? Not unless the screen is enlarged, and I don't think that's likely this time around. I think Apple will stick with the tried and true 4.0 inch display.
2. A 128GB model ($399) would be appreciated to placate the iPod classic enthusiasts.
3. What internals should it use? A 64-bit A7 (iPhone 5s, but probably with a lower clock speed) seems like an appropriate minimum specification level since this iPod touch may have to last as long as 3 years before the next update, and I think support for 64-bit instructions will be a clear dividing line for iOS in the future.
4. It doesn't seem likely that Touch ID and Apple Pay NFC will be included.
5. The camera might be improved a bit, probably to match the iPhone 5c's camera (8 megapixels, LED flash).
6. 802.11ac support is possible but I think unlikely.
Where's the new iPod touch? It's due for an update, too. Here are some issues Apple could consider:
1. Should the new iPod touch be renamed to the "iPad nano"? Not unless the screen is enlarged, and I don't think that's likely this time around. I think Apple will stick with the tried and true 4.0 inch display.
2. A 128GB model ($399) would be appreciated to placate the iPod classic enthusiasts.
3. What internals should it use? A 64-bit A7 (iPhone 5s, but probably with a lower clock speed) seems like an appropriate minimum specification level since this iPod touch may have to last as long as 3 years before the next update, and I think support for 64-bit instructions will be a clear dividing line for iOS in the future.
4. It doesn't seem likely that Touch ID and Apple Pay NFC will be included.
5. The camera might be improved a bit, probably to match the iPhone 5c's camera (8 megapixels, LED flash).
6. 802.11ac support is possible but I think unlikely.
I'm also one of those few looking forward to see a iPod Touch/6G, esp. with 128GB memory but (contrary to your prophecy) with a 4.7" display.
For once I'll be happy after a keynote. All I want is
1. 2GB
2. Better battery
3. Touch Id
4. 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
I'd imagine all four are 100% guaranteed at this point.
1. 2GB
2. Better battery
3. Touch Id
4. 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
I'd imagine all four are 100% guaranteed at this point.
I wasn't joking , I only thought calling it iPad mini 3 would be better than " the second generation retina iPad mini"
I have my fingers crossed for consistency across the board with certain specs and features. Ever since i got my hands on an iPhone 6 Plus I've been picking up my Mini expecting the dock to move to the right side when in landscape. And I've been pressing the home button thinking the iPad has Touch ID.
This, at least 2GB of RAM and storage starting at a more realistic 32GBs would be WONDERFUL.
This, at least 2GB of RAM and storage starting at a more realistic 32GBs would be WONDERFUL.
The battery will likely be same since they are thinning the profile out and possibly increasing the resolution. Otherwise those are a sure thing.
Couldn't agree with you more ! I bought a mini but after a couple of days I just couldn't stand the difference in color gamut vs the Air.
I guess that's why I said "I guess".
But I don't care about install base estimates based on very vague browser usage numbers. They say nothing about the future marketability of form factors. I'm myself using an iPad 3, which I wouldn't have bought, if the imaginable Retina iPad mini with full-RGB would have been available back then.
See, even you would prefer the smaller form factor. And you are not alone. I canceled an already paid for iPad mini order because of 65% color gamut. For my part the imagined iPad mini that is for every bit a smaller iPad Air does not yet exist and current numbers can not tell the truth about its popularity. Only the gut can make an estimate.
And if it does not have any feature differentiation? Besides size, weight and price. That's exactly my point! My gut says in this case 70% will buy the Mini. Now if Apple choses to differentiate its lineup with more pixels and more memory only in the larger iPads, that's another story. And a story I don't want to hear.
Yeah, even _if_ the Air 2 gets @3X/HD resolution (that Im about 50/50 on at this point), Id say its very unlikely the rMini 2 changes from @2X. The PPI is too high when you factor in sourcing the displays, the GPU resources needed in the more thermally constrained smaller FF, and the resulting unnecessarily high PPI given the aforementioned downsides.
Have you been doing it by hand? Holy smokes
This stuff blows my mind. touch id is huge and coupling it with Applepay is going to be big. Here is a tipping point. Sure, we have seen the pieces before. As revolutionary as the original iPhone was, the people who say it had all been done before are right. Apple knows how to bring things together. Some people call it innovation, but that word has been abused to meaninglessness. Just call it a game changer.
Touch ID warrants an update all by itself.
Having used an iPhone 5s for a year and now a 6 Plus, I really want my iPad to have the exact same experience. Unlocking, iTunes/AppStore purchasing, 3rd Party Apps locked with Touch ID, and Apple Pay (for online and in-app shopping).
All the things Touch ID is good for are reason enough for my iPad Air which is eligible for AT&T NEXT Trade In to be exchanged for the new version.
Another reason all by itself would be the A8X, which means a much faster graphics engine, which is about the only thing the iPad Air lacks by using the same A7 as iPhone 5s.
Haptic feedback will be major! Sadly that will be years away.
It will open up a whole new market in the visually challenged area where people rely on braille to read.
Imagine being able to feel textures rather than just smooth glass. Imagine having individual objects on the display vibrate when you touch them, such as in games, rather than have the entire device vibrate.
Man that technology is going to be so cool and as first mentioned it will be very practical too.
I don't think I could wait that long to upgrade. Heh heh.
2gb of RAM in Air 2 and I'm upgrading.
Though I agree the ram on the iPad should be 2gb, my air does everything fine with 1gb, I don't use safari so that might be why
----------
I am pretty sure the A8X is only because the display will be 3x the resolution and like the iPad 3 it probably will be inferior in graphics due to this display res bump.
The ipad air graphics are plenty excellent for me, after having an A5X iPad 3 it was a night and day.
I'm wondering. I know it is nitpicking, But; my ocd is wondering who came up with putting retina in front of the device names. Apple doesn't call them like that.
It is a Macbook Pro -/ iPad Mini with retina display. And so on, not a retina iPad mini or retina Macbook air. I was just wondering. It is a product name. Like there is no iTouch either. You just don't call it a 911 Porsche, when it is the other way around.
Just my two-pennies..
It is a Macbook Pro -/ iPad Mini with retina display. And so on, not a retina iPad mini or retina Macbook air. I was just wondering. It is a product name. Like there is no iTouch either. You just don't call it a 911 Porsche, when it is the other way around.
Just my two-pennies..
I agree - I have mini retina and it's virtually identical in performance and has better PPI than Air (though Air has a better screen as far as color reproduction -- easier to see when you compare blues and reds). It's perfect size for kids but doesn't compromise too much. Not the same as a 6+ -- there still a huge difference in how one would use those devices.
Yeah, even _if_ the Air 2 gets @3X/HD resolution (that Im about 50/50 on at this point), Id say its very unlikely the rMini 2 changes from @2X. The PPI is too high when you factor in sourcing the displays, the GPU resources needed in the more thermally constrained smaller FF, and the resulting unnecessarily high PPI given the aforementioned downsides.
Have you been doing it by hand? Holy smokes
Yeah, me and Pythagoras go way back.
Well, my gut feeling is that the ratio of devices sold will reflect the usage numbers out there, which are held up to be very accurate in the case of iDevices. If there is parity in the feature list, then I expect the sales mix to be about 75% iPad Air and 25% iPad Mini, like it was last year, when there was feature parity. (while the low gamut of the Mini was something that you and I care about, the general consumer public is not so discerning.)
You and I are a minority. We just have to face that and accept it. I do wonder though, once I receive my 6+ if I might rethink the size.
I use my iPad rMini professionally at my desk as a second screen, and in meetings for presentations and illustrations, on my commute for games, newspaper and books, in the bed at night to relax, on the couch as an extra TV (Formula 1 live timing, watching a second Premier or Champions League match simultaneously on the smaller screen), at the breakfast table as a newspaper replacement, etc. It is my personal computer in a most literal sense. I haven't used a laptop at home in a private capacity since I got my wife and I iPad 2's at launch to replace our old clunky Windows PC's. Haven't looked back or missed it once in that time. We got a Mac mini as our home media hub at the same time with an ATV connected to every TV. I have my MBA for the intense work.
In my use case, my iPad is not only very much a personal laptop replacement, and goes with me everywhere, it is also a productive and useful compliment to my workhorse MBA. I have it on my person almost as often as my iPhone, with the exception of weekends. That's why I enjoy the smaller form factor. But as you can see, my use case is extensive and not typical, and most likely doesn't represent the vast majority of consumer use. I just wonder how much a 6+ might actually replace some of my uses, or if I will always reach for the iPad when it is available?
The thing is most people don't realise how capable a device the iPad is. It differentiates itself from the iPhone simply by the much better app experience it delivers, even on apps that are also made for iPhone. People that say that the iPad is just an iPhone with a larger screen, and say that the 6+ negates the usefulness of the iPad, whether it be the Mini or the Air, either just don't get it, or have a very limited use case for the device. I could never use an iPhone in the same way I use my iPad both at home and in the office. The screen is just too small physically, and the screen real estate in terms of points is also too small.
My point is, that the main reason I love the smaller form factor so much is because the portability is unmatched. It isn't even noticeable in my laptop briefcase slid in next to my MBA. It is also easier to type on as my thumbs reach every key without stretching when in landscape. But on the other hand I look at my wife's Air and think about how nice the bigger screen is.
If there is feature parity it is going to be a tougher decision, but if the Air has a feature advantage, there is no contest, and it either shows Apple's intentions for the future of the smaller form factor, or simply means that giving feature parity was just not economically feasible for them this time around. It will be interesting to find out in the coming weeks. I usually order immediately, but I am going to wait for the iFixit and Anandtech teardowns this time to see what is up inside of these things for things like RAM, clockspeed and especially screen quality to make a decision.
Last edited:
