I'm interested how many 6 plus users would think having a mini is pointless if you already have an air for example
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iPad mini The Future of the iPad mini
- Thread starter Yebubbleman
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Ipad Mini 3's just doesn't look as good vs. the Mini 2 which can be had for $100 less.
I'm wondering if the Ipad Mini's purpose was just a way for Apple to snag some marketshare away from Android and other competing tablets in that screen size range. I've met a couple of people in person who say the Ipad was too big, but the Mini was just the right size. For one of them, it even fit right into her purse! On one hand, Apple could afford to keep the Mini going. OTOH, Apple was never one to maintain that many product lines at one time.
I'm wondering if the Ipad Mini's purpose was just a way for Apple to snag some marketshare away from Android and other competing tablets in that screen size range. I've met a couple of people in person who say the Ipad was too big, but the Mini was just the right size. For one of them, it even fit right into her purse! On one hand, Apple could afford to keep the Mini going. OTOH, Apple was never one to maintain that many product lines at one time.
I think we will see a substantial upgrade for the Mini in the fall. I will buy one and be happy with it for probably 2 years. The rMini 2 is my go to/take with me device. I have an Air, but use it only to read sheet music when I preform - the rest of the time it lives by the throne as the mini tags along with me.
In 2 years, if the Mini is not upgraded again (assuming it it upgraded this fall) I will worry about what to buy, but till then.. ie the next 2.5 years, I will be a happy mini user.
In 2 years, if the Mini is not upgraded again (assuming it it upgraded this fall) I will worry about what to buy, but till then.. ie the next 2.5 years, I will be a happy mini user.
That's only really applicable if you're going for a 16GB iPad mini. Otherwise, you can only get a 32GB mini 2 and you can only get a 64GB mini 3 and a 128GB mini 3. And frankly, for that choice to only be applicable to the worst capacity (a terrible deal at even the 16GB mini 2's price point), I don't think that choice matters as much, because it's not really much of a choice. But yeah, again, the mini 3 was an ominously weak update to that line.
It's looking like it. Then again, to keep it one gen of hardware behind when the second generation mini showed that they didn't need to do that paints a worse picture than was painted when the second mini came out.
I bought a mini 3, figuring that I could stomach and justify an upgrade to a mini 4 from a mini 3 better than I could a fully decked out Air 2 to an Air 3. Also figuring the relative ambiguity of the product's future given the ominously lackluster update it just had.
Seems like moving the mini into the iPod Touch category of less features/less power/substantially lesser price would not be a bad idea at this point. With bigger iPhones the Mini doesn't sit in such an obvious niche between a 3.5" device and a 10" device any more. It's already 2/3 of the way to this goal, but the price is still simply too high. I think if Apple were to market this device more clearly as an alternative to e-readers and not a powerhouse device, and price it accordingly, the Mini could go on and continue to have a place in the lineup.
I really hope not. I love the size of the mini but wish it were on par with the internals of the Air. Some of us want the capability without the additional bulk. I think I'll be disappointed though, wishing for a significant update to my 2nd gen mini
I think we have one more significant upgrade coming to the Mini's. I sure hope so anyway.
Again, one more release isn't something I'm ruling out. But it does seem like the 7'-8.4" tablet market is dying if not totally dead and it wouldn't surprise me if Apple followed suit. If anything, it's great that they're taking as long to exit this party as they are.
I'm kind of the opposite. I'm a mini retina owner who thinks having a 6 plus is pointless, because my mini goes with me everywhere, and I would prefer it to the iPhone for anything where screen size makes a difference. On the other hand, the 6 plus isn't large enough and doesn't necessarily have the right software for things I use my mini for (primarily reading pdfs).
While it would be nice if the current version of the mini matched the specs of the current Air, I'm happy if it's a year or so behind and runs the current OS reasonably well. It's definitely currently fast enough for what I need to do.
Alright, the iPad mini 4 is officially out of the bag, sporting an A8 and is even later to the A8 party than the iPod touch. My prediction is that this is Apple's last new iPad mini and that it will be sold for a good two to three years before it is replaced with nothing. Next calendar year, the iPad mini 2 will be dropped from the lineup and the iPad mini 4 will get a price cut and be the new entry level model for the iPad line at large. The year thereafter, if it isn't dropped, it'll get another price cut (maybe to start at $200 or $250) and maybe a reduction in the models being offered.
What say you all, in light of (a) the announcement of the iPad mini 4 and (b) the way in was announced (as an afterthought to Phil Schiller's presentation on the iPad Pro)?
What say you all, in light of (a) the announcement of the iPad mini 4 and (b) the way in was announced (as an afterthought to Phil Schiller's presentation on the iPad Pro)?
I don't think it was an afterthought, I think they were trying to cram too much into too little time. I also see this being the start of the "one generation behind" Mini. Maybe they'll even move the Air to just being the normal A chip and leave the X for the Pro.
6plus and mini(2) owner...
I'm sure most everyone who has both, myself included, uses their phone more often.
I do, however, like the mini more - It's my favorite non-laptop device. I see myself getting this new mini and eventually moving down to a smaller iPhone. I like the 6plus fine - but it does get in the way sometimes. If I ever want to see something bigger (like a PDF), I usually use the mini. IMO, the 6Plus is no mini.
In the long run, I don't think the tablet market is dead... I just think they're more obsolescence-immune than a phone. I mean I've had that mini2 for a couple of years, and it's great. My 6PLus is less than a year old, and I'm already thinking about new LTE coverage with tmobile on a 6s.
I'm sure most everyone who has both, myself included, uses their phone more often.
I do, however, like the mini more - It's my favorite non-laptop device. I see myself getting this new mini and eventually moving down to a smaller iPhone. I like the 6plus fine - but it does get in the way sometimes. If I ever want to see something bigger (like a PDF), I usually use the mini. IMO, the 6Plus is no mini.
In the long run, I don't think the tablet market is dead... I just think they're more obsolescence-immune than a phone. I mean I've had that mini2 for a couple of years, and it's great. My 6PLus is less than a year old, and I'm already thinking about new LTE coverage with tmobile on a 6s.
Best actual combination for my tastes:
-iMac retina 5k for homework (video editing, pro use...) [a mac pro is too much for me].
-12 inch macbook for casual use ( torrents, office, portable use)[macbook air is an old machine and macbook pro is too heavy]
-ipad mini 4 (for reading magazines, newspapers, comics, surfing the web) -[best size ipad for me]
-iphone 6/6s plus (all remaining uses...)[love watching films on its 1080p screen before sleep]
-apple watch sport(workout, for keeping iphone 6/6s plus in your pocket)[I adore it]
-iMac retina 5k for homework (video editing, pro use...) [a mac pro is too much for me].
-12 inch macbook for casual use ( torrents, office, portable use)[macbook air is an old machine and macbook pro is too heavy]
-ipad mini 4 (for reading magazines, newspapers, comics, surfing the web) -[best size ipad for me]
-iphone 6/6s plus (all remaining uses...)[love watching films on its 1080p screen before sleep]
-apple watch sport(workout, for keeping iphone 6/6s plus in your pocket)[I adore it]
They need an AyX series A chip in the iPad Air, or at least one caliber higher than the standard Ay processor where y is the generation number. Even the A7 in the original iPad Air is not the same as the A7 used in the mini 2, mini 3 and iPhone 5s. I could see them skipping on the A9X for this next season of iPads and putting in A10X for the 2016 versions of the iPad Pro and the iPad Air. But if we're thinking of this as a marketing move, it would make sense to not update the iPad Air, position the iPad Pro as being both faster and more desirable over the Air 2 in terms of specs for its introductory year. In which case, next year, it becomes more sensible for them to be more in line with each other. That being said, if we're talking marketing again, Apple could complicate the line further by having the following line-up:
12.9" iPad Pro
9.7" iPad Pro
9.7" iPad Air
7.9" iPad Air
The iPad mini line would transition into the iPad Air line given their similarities and it would mirror the marketing of the MacBook lineup. As for why there'd be two 9.7" iPad models; the latter would have support for that keyboard and Apple Pencil (a premium feature not needed by every 9.7" iPad customer, but still wanted by some). The differentiation between Air and Pro lines would also mimic that of Samsung's lines.
No one said that the "tablet" market was dying. The topic was whether or not the "7.0 to 8.4-inch tablet" market was dying. Again, I'd argue that there's more evidence to support that it is dying rather than that it isn't. I think at one point (Mid 2012 through Early 2014) that smaller segment of tablets were more popular and were the topic of contention in terms of popularity among the smaller manufacturers. That was why Apple entered that market with the iPad mini. However, with most other brands pulling out of that market in favor of phablets and larger 8.9 to 10.1 inch tablets, there's less of a market for the 7.0 to 8.4" tablets. I think Apple will be late to leaving that party. But it's already apparent that with the iPad mini 3 being what the iPad mini 2 should've been out of the gate and the iPad mini 4 arriving a year after it should've, it's clear that Apple doesn't see the iPad mini as anything more than a cheap entry point into the line. The iPad mini 2 was the only iPad mini released with a processor that was current at the time. All other models have been a year or more behind. Terrible, but Apple has no incentive to rectify that now.
I think "air" term is going to disappear sooner than later. The 12" Macbook has been the first step of the end of Macbook Airs (no retina screen and no force touch), so in the future the line-up will be:
-Macbook (12" and perhaps other sizes) -------Macbook pro (2 sizes)
About ipads, the line-up will be:
-iPad mini
-iPad
-iPad pro
While I have no clue as to the future of the "MacBook Air" branding, you'd have to imagine that Apple branded the 9.7" iPad "iPad Air" knowing full well that they'd have mini below it and Pro above it. I'd imagine that they continued to do this going on three years in a row with the intention of it being a lasting thing. As for "MacBook", that's a wild card moniker. It first was replaced by the 13" MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air line. Now, it's likely that the "MacBook" line is poised to replace the "MacBook Air". One never knows, Apple might discontinue what we know of as the "MacBook Air" systems today with the successor of what is currently called the "MacBook" and then said successor might be called "MacBook Air".
I think they've realized people don't upgrade tablets faster than phones and switched to a 2 year cycle. This seems especially true if they end up not releasing an Air 3 this year.
So next year we'll get a new Air 3 and maybe Pro (because it's a new market), and either no upgrade for the mini or some trivial update like adding rose gold. Then the following year will be back to the mini with nothing for the Air. Apple will be able to keep the Mini behind the Air in quality with this strategy will still producing bigger upgrades every 2 years.
Of course I'm sure they'll keep reassessing their strategy. So any of this might change if one of the tablet lines starts to sell really well. But I don't think it's in their best interest to discontinue any of their lines for now, since they'd stand to lose customers who value form factor over specs.
So next year we'll get a new Air 3 and maybe Pro (because it's a new market), and either no upgrade for the mini or some trivial update like adding rose gold. Then the following year will be back to the mini with nothing for the Air. Apple will be able to keep the Mini behind the Air in quality with this strategy will still producing bigger upgrades every 2 years.
Of course I'm sure they'll keep reassessing their strategy. So any of this might change if one of the tablet lines starts to sell really well. But I don't think it's in their best interest to discontinue any of their lines for now, since they'd stand to lose customers who value form factor over specs.
To clarify, I don't think they're going to discontinue the iPad mini for at least another two years. Even if it is on the chopping block, the mini 4 is brand new now. It'd stick around for at least another year (past next fall) without updates before it was culled altogether. That said, it's occupying a market with diminishing interest from consumers (as evidenced by diminishing competitor products), and facing direct cannibalization from the iPhone Plus and other Phablets.
That said, your theory as to why there wasn't an update to the iPad Air makes sense; though, it still seems flagship enough for them to put out regular updates. Then again, the first iPad Pro sort of requires having hardware that stands out compared to the iPad Air to instill that sort of sense that it is superior (even if they both sport similar specs in generations thereafter) as that sense will still last even after the differences are less marked. Yay for marketing. Though I wish Apple had a focus on marketing that didn't impede their ability to pump out good products WHEN THEY ARE READY (rather than when it makes marketing sense to release them).
In light of recent iPad Air 3 rumors, I think that one of two things will happen:
1. Apple will release the iPad Air 3 with support for the smart connector and Apple Pencil, as rumored. As well as a smart-connector, compatible keyboard case designed for it. The lineup will look like the following:
- iPad Pro (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Air 3 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, and then the same with cellular)
- iPad Air (16GB, 32GB, and then the same with cellular - replacing the price-points currently held by the iPad mini 2)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
(iPad mini 2 gets discontinued.)
OR:
2. My previous prediction of Apple forking off the 9.7" tablet will end up somewhat coming true and the 9.7" tablet being introduced will not be an iPad Air 3, but rather a 9.7" version of the iPad Pro (which is effectively the same thing in all respects other than marketing). The lineup will look like the following:
- iPad Pro 12.9" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Pro 9.7" (32GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Air (16GB, 32GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB and the nthe same options with cellular - as it stands today)
Unsure of how iPad mini 2 would shake down in all of that. I'd guess that it'd stick around until the fall when Apple would announce an iPad Air 3 and an iPad Pro 2, triggering the discontinuation of the iPad mini 2 and the original iPad Air leaving the line-up looking something like this:
- iPad Pro 2 12.9" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Pro 12.9" (32GB, 64GB, 64GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Pro 2 9.7" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Air 3 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
Really though, if I had to hedge bets, I'd say that my first prediction is way more likely than my second one.
Either way, with a forthcoming 9.7" iPad in the pipeline gaining features from the iPad Pro that simply wouldn't be as ergonomic or practical with the mini and with the Air and Pro and with those features seeming to be the future of Apple's idea of what iPad's identity is all about, I'd say, again, that the clock is ticking for our friend the iPad mini.
Sort of sad really. iOS has never been great as a productivity OS. Certainly not anywhere near as good as it is as a consumption OS. And the iPad mini would seem to be the ultimate iOS device for consumption (better at watching videos than any iPhone or iPod touch, even the Plus phones). Way more portable, and versatile, especially when you get a cellular model than either the Air models or the Pro models. Oh well.
1. Apple will release the iPad Air 3 with support for the smart connector and Apple Pencil, as rumored. As well as a smart-connector, compatible keyboard case designed for it. The lineup will look like the following:
- iPad Pro (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Air 3 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, and then the same with cellular)
- iPad Air (16GB, 32GB, and then the same with cellular - replacing the price-points currently held by the iPad mini 2)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
(iPad mini 2 gets discontinued.)
OR:
2. My previous prediction of Apple forking off the 9.7" tablet will end up somewhat coming true and the 9.7" tablet being introduced will not be an iPad Air 3, but rather a 9.7" version of the iPad Pro (which is effectively the same thing in all respects other than marketing). The lineup will look like the following:
- iPad Pro 12.9" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Pro 9.7" (32GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad Air (16GB, 32GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB and the nthe same options with cellular - as it stands today)
Unsure of how iPad mini 2 would shake down in all of that. I'd guess that it'd stick around until the fall when Apple would announce an iPad Air 3 and an iPad Pro 2, triggering the discontinuation of the iPad mini 2 and the original iPad Air leaving the line-up looking something like this:
- iPad Pro 2 12.9" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Pro 12.9" (32GB, 64GB, 64GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Pro 2 9.7" (32GB, 128GB, 128GB w/ Cellular)
- iPad Air 3 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad Air 2 (16GB, 64GB, and then the same options with cellular)
- iPad mini 4 (16GB, 64GB, 128GB, and then the same options with cellular - as it stands today)
Really though, if I had to hedge bets, I'd say that my first prediction is way more likely than my second one.
Either way, with a forthcoming 9.7" iPad in the pipeline gaining features from the iPad Pro that simply wouldn't be as ergonomic or practical with the mini and with the Air and Pro and with those features seeming to be the future of Apple's idea of what iPad's identity is all about, I'd say, again, that the clock is ticking for our friend the iPad mini.
Sort of sad really. iOS has never been great as a productivity OS. Certainly not anywhere near as good as it is as a consumption OS. And the iPad mini would seem to be the ultimate iOS device for consumption (better at watching videos than any iPhone or iPod touch, even the Plus phones). Way more portable, and versatile, especially when you get a cellular model than either the Air models or the Pro models. Oh well.
I'm sorry, but I just don't see it. The mini does a couple BIG things for Apple:
- It's the lowest cost iPad.
- It helps Apple maintain a notable presence in the mini/ebook market (against Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and, more recently but to a lesser extent, Windows 8/10 8").
That may sound silly to some people, but it is very true. Not only is it more portable, it is easier to use when laying in bed or walking around. I can type on the ipad mini the exact same way I do on my phone, two thumbs in portrait mode.
Whats your source?
If the Mini is the most important and popular iPad of all then the recent update would had at least made some sort of difference in the decline of iPad sales.
IMO, the Air line is the most important & popular... Due to the screen real estate. With these phones becoming bigger in size... the Mini is beginning to get squeezed out.