Supply Chain Hints Suggest Retina iPad Mini Could Debut in Second Half of 2013

[iEvolution]

meh, LG for the displays? No thanks.

I think Apple is really going to regret this campaign to eliminate Samsung as a supplier just because they want to be drama queens.

 

[firewood]

The whole twice-a-year upgrade cycle seems a bit desperate on apple's part. They know that a certain percentage of users will upgrade no matter what, so it seems like they're shipping garbage upgrades just because they're guaranteed a certain number of sales. :/

Most people don't upgrade every year. So this won't be an upgrade. More like a spec bump to keep competitive pressure on any appeal that upcoming Amazon and Nexus tablets have to new buyers. The Mini is currently outselling them and Apple would like to keep it that way.

 

[bushido]

in my dream i own a iPad Mini with a retina display running android with iOS apps ^^

best of both worlds. iOS is just so boring now. nothing much has changed since my first iOS device in 2008 but im not willing to drop my idevices yet either ^^. praying for iOS7 tbh

the hardware is 2nd place for me now. the software needs a overhaul. it was made for an 3.5 device in 2007. time to do something with it on taller devices like the iPad or even the iPhone 5 besides adding an extra row of icons

 

[Eadfrith]

So it could come out anytime this year and analysts could claim they were correct.

 

[dragje]

It's a good sign that Apple might come up with a retina iPad mini, if they make it a phone as well they can state to have a better and 'bigger' phone then their opponent

 

[champ01]

In what way is a retina Mini a "garbage" upgrade? I know lots of people wating on a Mini purchase for just that reason, and I'm one of them. Plus, you don't even know what else it would have.

Simple it could've been included with the first iPad Mini.

But Apple decided (because there are so many unsane people who buy anything Apple sells) to strip the first iPad Mini, sell it at a high price and release a slightly better version a couple of months later. It kinda falls in their new strategy of new products that are almost unrepairable.

Apple once a great company..... now more greedy then ever before.

 

[SoldOnApple]

I've owned iPad 1, 2 and now 3, but I'd trade it for a mini with retina display any day. iPad is just too heavy to hold in one hand and read like a book. Too heavy for my limp wrists anyway.

 

[Chlloret]

Google will come out with a high resolution Nexus first mostly like introduced at Google I/O 2013 in May. Apple will probably be in Oct like last year.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-5...-mini-later-new-nexus-7-sooner-displaysearch/

Damn...if Google really makes the Nexus 7 thinner and stuff, that would be nice. Looks like Google beating Apple again.

Google beating Apple? AGAIN? when did that happen? Apple is a hardware company, Google makes software. Google tried with its Nexus range to make some hardware but did not even come close to Apple. The 10" plastic Nexus had a higher res screen then the iPad4, yes, but first its hardly available, not really atractive and the screen in real life is not even comming close to the iPad. Sales numbers are very low, even when you take the low availability into account.

The nexus7 (some see that as competition to the iPad mini) is smaller in screen size then the mini, quite a bit smaller, but comes in a clunky case also made from plastic. It has a slightly higher res but because it lacks dedicated apps and has a not suitable 16/9 screen, is much more unconftable to use.

I think, nerds aside, people go for the best experience, a good build/haptic and the gadget with the most apps for what they want do do with it. Also, what there friends use, to be "compatible". The iPad mini that I have here, is for my needs the best thing since sliced bread. All the talk that no one can see nothing on that mushy screen, that it is soooooooo last decades tech ect, turned out to be not true. Some of my friends think, the screen is too small and they rather have the big one, but then buy the iPad2 (still on sale) because in daily use the screen ist VERY good and everything works but it is much lighter then the much more expensive iPad4, has better battery life (the number one criteria in a mobile device) is thinner and runs all the apps there want.

If the mini comes with retina, I for one would not "upgrade" my eyes are far beyond seeing the difference (heck, my phone has a res of 240x320 and I can see everything) but I would not trade in the lightness, thinness and battery life just for retina on a 8" screen.

 

[superduperdom]

When the mini joins the Ret pack, I'm in.
The ipad is too heavy though great, and I'm a guy, for kids and elderly folk it must be a real pain. Ultimately battery technology has to move forward, cos that's what's holding everything up, as far as weight goes.

 

[Sol]

I've owned iPad 1, 2 and now 3, but I'd trade it for a mini with retina display any day. iPad is just too heavy to hold in one hand and read like a book. Too heavy for my limp wrists anyway.

True, about books at least but I think the larger model would be better suited for reading magazines and comics. In any case, Apple are constantly making their products thinner and lighter so at some point, the full size iPad will be light enough to hold for a long time.

 

[Lancer]

I'm already saving up to get my first iPad and replace my iPhone 3Gs this year.

 

[ghettochris]

I have a mini, and love it. it is the first tech i've owned that makes me feel like i'm using idealized "star trek" technology. I can notice pixels, but it isn't annoying or bad, but I will gladly upgrade to retina when one comes out. I have played with a few android tablets, and 16x9 just feels stupid in portrait mode, not to mention their build quality sucks and gave me no such star trek feeling.

 

[Lancer]

I have a mini, and love it. it is the first tech i've owned that makes me feel like i'm using idealized "star trek" technology. I can notice pixels, but it isn't annoying or bad, but I will gladly upgrade to retina when one comes out. I have played with a few android tablets, and 16x9 just feels stupid in portrait mode, not to mention their build quality sucks and gave me no such star trek feeling.

I like the idea of having that Star Trek feeling, kinda wish I still had a flip phone :lol:

 

[Chlloret]

I have a mini, and love it. it is the first tech i've owned that makes me feel like i'm using idealized "star trek" technology. I can notice pixels, but it isn't annoying or bad, but I will gladly upgrade to retina when one comes out. I have played with a few android tablets, and 16x9 just feels stupid in portrait mode, not to mention their build quality sucks and gave me no such star trek feeling.

I think retina is for a small device like the mini not important. Much more interesting would be a kind of hybrid display, regular display as we know it for most apps, but a epaper display for reading. Is it possible to put that in one screen? It would prolong battery power by at lest a factor 10, could keep the lightness and thinness of the mini and everyone would be happy.
Retina is out, simply because of the high energy need.

Live long and prosper

 

[toke lahti]

5120 x 2880 (14.75MP) resolution screen being powered by a mobile GPU!

Maybe "retina" should be understood as how it is defined and not just doubling the last year's product's resolution.
I just wish that Apple would adopt 3:2 aspect ratio for all ios devices, which would be sweet spot between reading text and watching still / moving images.

S4 showed what the state-of-the-art-pixel density in 2013 should be. Apple is dropping from the wagon. Even when they finally understood that one size does not fit all. Now they should offer better variety like 3,5" for iphoneLight, 5" for iphoneFlagship, 8" for retinaMini and 11" for ipadFlagship. If they wanted to enhance the compactness of iphone over S4 and others, move from 16:9 aspect ratio to 3:2 would make better user experience in all other areas than video. So how about 1920x1280 with 470dpi?

For imac, I think 4k would be enough for retina definition and releasing new macbooks without fusion drive will be huge fail. Airs can be differentiated from mbp's by having only 1 storage, but mbPRO really should have 2. Hopefully we also get matte retina someday...

 

[jacobss]

No, I'm pretty sure that's your opinion. The iPad mini is way better than the Google Nexus 7. In MY opinion. Because of the App Store.

You're just saying iOS is better than Android.

 

[Breaking Good]

Well... there is that little thing called the App Store

There is also a little something called the Apple Retail Store that most people seem to discount.

If I walk into an Apple Retail Store with a three year old broken device that has that little Apple logo on it, I will walk out with a device that it working. I may (or may not) have to pay for out of warranty service, but the device will be working.

Where do you go to get tat type of service for your Android phone or Windows computer.

Tim Cook talks about the Apple experience. Well, the retail store is part of that experience and it is worth a lot more than having the best display or the fastest processor.

 

[ChrisTX]

In what way is a retina Mini a "garbage" upgrade? I know lots of people wating on a Mini purchase for just that reason, and I'm one of them. Plus, you don't even know what else it would have.

I think he's referring to a non retina April Mini upgrade. In other words, if you're going to upgrade the mini, and you know it will eventually have a retina display just add it now. No one wants to buy an iPad in April, only to have it one upped later in the year. That, and I'm not a fan of Apple putting all of their eggs in one basket. It was better when their releases were spread throughout the year, vs all in one sitting during a fall/Christmas launch.

 

[mackandproud]

The iphone 5 is my first "smartphone."

I expected it to have all of the latest whiz bang features and be absolutely state of the art.

I was rather suprised then, when watching the vid for the 2007 iphone rollout that ios 6 is essentially identical to the original ios.

I don't consider this to be a problem; as a matter of fact, it's a pretty strong indication that ios works pretty darn well if it's remained essentially unchanged since day one.

All I know is that the phone works without the slightest hitch and for that I'm grateful.

in my dream i own a iPad Mini with a retina display running android with iOS apps ^^

best of both worlds. iOS is just so boring now. nothing much has changed since my first iOS device in 2008 but im not willing to drop my idevices yet either ^^. praying for iOS7 tbh

the hardware is 2nd place for me now. the software needs a overhaul. it was made for an 3.5 device in 2007. time to do something with it on taller devices like the iPad or even the iPhone 5 besides adding an extra row of icons

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I really like the size and weight of the ipad mini. A retina display version would be absolutely welcome.

The standard sized ipad seems a bit too hefty and large.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Ritchie says, however, that a Retina display "doesn't sound imminent", suggesting that an April iPad mini would not contain the higher-resolution display. If Apple moves to a biannual release for its tablets, the company could announce an iPad mini in April and a new Retina iPad mini later this year, matching all three predictions.

I don't see the point of releasing and "updated" mini before Retina is available. Right now that is the weakest link, compared to, say the Fire. I doubt too many people would upgrade their mini to a new model also w/o Retina and I don't think people who don't own a tablet would be compelled to either. If they didn't grab the original, a faster proc isn't going to get them all warm and cuddly feeling.

 

[Geminist]

I don't see the point of releasing and "updated" mini before Retina is available. Right now that is the weakest link, compared to, say the Fire. I doubt too many people would upgrade their mini to a new model also w/o Retina and I don't think people who don't own a tablet would be compelled to either. If they didn't grab the original, a faster proc isn't going to get them all warm and cuddly feeling.

When my ipad 3 was unfortunately nicked, I decided to buy the mini as a replacement. I changed my mind after seeing the screen in store.

I'm too used to being spoilt by retina I just cannot bring myself to buy the mini with regular display.

It would be a killer ios device with retina coupled with the light weight.

 

[MRU]

what do u mean by retina mini.??

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i wanna know about ipod 5..

An iPad mini with a screen ppi of 266-300 and a resolution of 2048x1536

Basically same high resolution screen as in the bigger version but with a denser pixel per inch count because its smaller.

 

[inlinevolvo]

5120 x 2880 (14.75MP) resolution screen being powered by a mobile GPU!

Stole my thoughts! Would be amazing though. I saw the new iMac at the apple store and the 27 inch just looked awful to me...i'm so used to my rMBP.

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When my ipad 3 was unfortunately nicked, I decided to buy the mini as a replacement. I changed my mind after seeing the screen in store.

I'm too used to being spoilt by retina I just cannot bring myself to buy the mini with regular display.

It would be a killer ios device with retina coupled with the light weight.

Yes - light! I was honestly disappointed with the iPad 3's weight. It gets heavy after a while. Personally I think the iPad 2 was the best overall package. If the 5 truly does shrink the ipad to the form factor of the iPad mini, we could have a new winner.

 

[SoldOnApple]

True, about books at least but I think the larger model would be better suited for reading magazines and comics. In any case, Apple are constantly making their products thinner and lighter so at some point, the full size iPad will be light enough to hold for a long time.

True also. What I'd really like, is an iPad that is thinner, lighter and with no bezel at all on it, with sensors on the back that detect if you are pressing it with your thumb on the screen for an input, or just to hold it (as there will be similar pressure on the back when just holding it, so it can ignore the thumb on the front). Or maybe a little handle on the back to slip your hand into.

Or even an iPad that's just a tiny screen in front of your glasses, so you don't have to hold it at all.

 

[DakotaGuy]

meh, LG for the displays? No thanks.

I think Apple is really going to regret this campaign to eliminate Samsung as a supplier just because they want to be drama queens.

I've never had any issues with my LG products. I don't blame Apple for giving Samsung the cold shoulder. They stole from Apple to become number one and with the launch of the S4 they are only going to take a bigger marketshare. The faster they can cut them off as a supplier the better.

The iPad Mini is just about perfect. All they need to do is add a Retina display and people will be going crazy over it. I predict many current owners will want to upgrade and they will be able to pull new people in. I predict long lines and a total sell out.