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iPad mini The "I don't like how Apple didn't pay much attention to the iPad mini 4 during the event!"
- Thread starter animatedude
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Apple should be strongly criticized by the tech media for its treatment of the Mini.
I realize the Mini has not been the most successful model (if reports I saw are right). Well, maybe that's because Apple has not made it good enough, especially compared to cheaper competitors?
I've been watching the Mini for 4 generations now, but haven't bought one because as a photographer I need and want a 100% color gamut. This is easy to find in other tablets, including Apple's own 10 inch iPads.
Had they not neglected the Mini and treated it a like a red headed stepchild with inferior components and screen tech (yet still asking high prices), maybe, just maybe a lot more people would buy one. I know I would.
Initial user reports on this very forum suggest they STILL have used a cheapened screen part for the Mini with lower color gamut. AGAIN. After 4 generations. If true, I am personally flabbergasted. I really, really wanted to buy a Mini this year. Now, I'm not sure that's going to happen.
I realize the Mini has not been the most successful model (if reports I saw are right). Well, maybe that's because Apple has not made it good enough, especially compared to cheaper competitors?
I've been watching the Mini for 4 generations now, but haven't bought one because as a photographer I need and want a 100% color gamut. This is easy to find in other tablets, including Apple's own 10 inch iPads.
Had they not neglected the Mini and treated it a like a red headed stepchild with inferior components and screen tech (yet still asking high prices), maybe, just maybe a lot more people would buy one. I know I would.
Initial user reports on this very forum suggest they STILL have used a cheapened screen part for the Mini with lower color gamut. AGAIN. After 4 generations. If true, I am personally flabbergasted. I really, really wanted to buy a Mini this year. Now, I'm not sure that's going to happen.
I just bought another mini. $980. That's all in with taxes, AppleCare+, 128GB, etc. For that kinda money, they coulda spent 5 more minutes on the keynote on it...
I picked up the mini 4 today and to my eye, the color gamut issue does not appear to have been fully addressed. The colors still appear to be muted....a bit on the dull side....purples still shifted to bluish. I've owed two previous generations of the Mini as well as the Air and Air 2, so l'm familiar with the gamut issues of the previous Mini's. I'm going to do a direct comparison with my wife's Air 2 when I get back home tomorrow (i.e. Traveling). This should be a good test. If the Mini's display falls short of the Air 2 in terms of color and clarity, I'll likely return the Mini. We'll see!
If you think about it, Apple gave zero attention to the iPad Air 3.
Brain-meld!!! I thought the same thing!
In all seriousness though, Apple shafted the now traditional iPads for their new favorite toy. I think the pro looks cool, but what about the millions of regular and mini iPad fans? :/ not cool Apple... *sigh... Not cool.
Kal
they were making a sales pitch for the iPad pro, and 3D touch, they knew they didn't have to "talk up" the mini 4 as most people know what it will be and apple knew it didn't need promoting I think
there is not much to say about the mini 4 other than its basically a miniature iPad air 2, so they wanted to try and make the case for the iPad pro
That's called demand. If there is no demand, there is no demand. So, instead of blaming Apple for not giving much credit to a declining market segment, just be happy that you finally got your update. I don't see the problem.
Do you bring out your iPad around on your commute?
After doing so, you will see that Mini is not just miniaturized Air. The smaller form factor gives much easier usage experience especially using one hand. Personally I do not feel that the smaller screen is noticeably distracting although Air's bigger screen really does give better viewing experience. And Mini is not a big iPhone. There is a difference in iOS experience between iPad & iPhone, otherwise ipad might encounter horrible sales since its first launch.
well, one could argue that as you have gone ahead and purchased it anyways, they really didn't need to spend any time on selling you it at all..
I think that's exactly right. Apple wants you to think of the Pro as revolutionary. There's no way around the fact that the Mini 4 is evolutionary. Nice, but incremental.
Yeah this turned me off too. After the specs came out, I realized the update was actually pretty decent (besides the A8 over A8X or A9), but I was left feeling really underwhelmed after the presentation.
And isn't it Apple's fault that the Mini isn't selling great? I'm pretty sure I remember the Mini 2 selling really well when it came out. The Mini 3 of course did terribly because there wasn't an update really. If Apple focused on the Mini line for both specs and marketing it could be a great seller again, but they don't want it to do as well as the Air or the Iphone 6s.
And isn't it Apple's fault that the Mini isn't selling great? I'm pretty sure I remember the Mini 2 selling really well when it came out. The Mini 3 of course did terribly because there wasn't an update really. If Apple focused on the Mini line for both specs and marketing it could be a great seller again, but they don't want it to do as well as the Air or the Iphone 6s.
You need to think consumer-wise. To the average consumer there's no visibly significant difference between the Mini 3 and the Mini 4. In contrast, the iPad Pro is obviously something very different, literally a new product category.
It all comes down to marketing. We need to remember not everyone is a tech spec whore.... most people just see something and judge it immediately by its appearance.
It all comes down to marketing. We need to remember not everyone is a tech spec whore.... most people just see something and judge it immediately by its appearance.
The Mini 4 is visibly different than the Mini 3 though, it's lighter and thinner like the Air 2 is compared to the Air 1. Apple could have really pushed that in their marketing, but instead they brushed over it. I also don't that's completely true, since Apple makes a lot of products that look and feel the same as previous iterations. Visibly the 'S' series of Iphones is similar to the line it came after, yet they still seem to do well with consumers.
It does make sense that they spent a lot of time on the Ipad Pro. It's their new product, and they want to create a market for it. But they should be careful not to neglect their old products in the process. They could have spend 2 minutes talking about the Mini 4 and it would have been fine. Considering how long they spent on the Pro, they could have spared a little bit of time. Instead there were several news articles after the event about Apple almost forgetting to talk about the Mini 4. That's very telling, and suggests to their fanbase that it's a product they don't care about. If Apple doesn't care about their own product, why should anyone else?
Thinner and lighter are not "innovations" that are easily marketable, especially since it's already been done with the Air 2. In contrast, things like 4k, live photos, force touch sound a lot more innovative than saying "thinner and lighter" - i.e. basically a rehash of of Air => Air 2.
When you add the AppleCare, the keyboard, the pencil and the tax, you're pushing $1500. I'll be getting one though. I just like to whine.
On the happy side Apple gave me $115 for the Mini 2 I just got from AT&T for $99. It could be worse.
If I get the pro I would only use it for entertainment like the regular iPad
So the 32gb base model would be enough for
No pencil or keyboard
So the 32gb base model would be enough for
No pencil or keyboard
Heh... For customers like you they should have made an iPad TV / console edition. No offense, just an observation on the market segment you represent.
I used to be very skeptical about the mini until I was going on an international trip and figured it would be a good addition to hold maps and tour guides. I ended up falling in love with the mini! I gave away my iPad Air and used it primarily and decided that I should upgrade to the 4, but only after thinking about it for a couple days after the event.