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iPad mini When do you expect an actual updated iPad Mini?
- Thread starter Janichsan
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would expect the mini to be always given lower specs than the big iPad to differentiate. There's been 3 iteration of iPad Mini and from the pattern, last year looks like the anomaly.
12vElectronics
macrumors 68040
Yeah I never expected last year's retina Mini to have the full A7 and feature set from the full-sized Air. And I think Apple made a mistake releasing that model because it probably cannibalized the crap out of Air sales and it also raised people's expectations from that model when Apple seems to be happy leaving it as a second tier product rather than another flagship model. The mistake I think they made this year wasn't leaving the A7 in the iPad Mini 3, but in not lowering the price back to the $329 of the original Mini, or maybe $349. $399 is too high of a price if the internals are going to be a generation behind the $499 Air X models.
Agree on the pricing strategy. iPad Mini has equal performance with iPad Air, that's why they can justify the increase in pricing. This year they only add gold color and touch ID and they expect us to pay the same price. Not gonna happen. If Apple is to position iPad Mini as lower tier tablet compared to Air, then they have to adjust the price as well.
Anyway, having 5 tablet lineup is so not Apple. Simply too many to choose.
S.B.G
Moderator emeritus
Yes, that's very unlike Apple, especially in the iDevice line. My only guess would be that they want to deplete their stock of the older Mini's or something.
cannono
macrumors 65816
I think they are letting the gap come back between mini and iPad full. At one point, mini was a little weaker, but when Air came out, they made them matched specs. I think they are trying to bring back the gap where mini is a spec class behind full size again.
But with how lame people think the mini announcement was this year, they may not stick with that plan.
But with how lame people think the mini announcement was this year, they may not stick with that plan.
A letdown in expectation (or in other words, disappointment) always brings greater impact than the reverse. People expect iPad Mini 3 to at least have A8/X cpu and improved retina display on top of touch ID. That's the bare minimum. The rest is still tolerable.
Chupa Chupa
macrumors G5
Next fall, no question. There will be no interim updates or new "pro" model before then. First half of the year will be all Apple Watch all the time. Apple will nothing to distract from its promotion as it's new product. Broadwell laptops will ship early summer to be ready for the school season. That takes us to the usual fall events.
mangomind
macrumors 6502a
I agree. The fact that Apple did just update the iPad mini, with touchID, means that we'll have to wait a year for the next iPad updates. The only time Apple updated released a new iPad within a year was in 2012, which was because Apple was selling the flagship iPad with a CPU over a year old. They had to update it as soon as possible with a new processor, especially to run the new retina display. Apple also wanted to switch the yearly release schedule to the fall for increased sales. I don't ever see Apple holding two separate iPad events in a single year again.
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Vaga8ond
macrumors member
With the addition of the iPhone 6+ put the iPad mini in a difficult position. It's that center product that can cannibalize two products the 6+ and the iPad. I think it was a mistake to come out with the mini w/o retina as it made it an inferior product compared to the competition. It will be interesting to see what apple's future is for the product. Personally I would much rather have a mini than the regular iPad because I think it has much better value and I like the smaller form factor, makes it much more easier to tote around for taking/editing pictures and video. Will be looking forward until next October to see what they do with it.
mangomind
macrumors 6502a
Apple is making no mistakes.
It is amazing for Apple to cannibalize the iPad mini 3 with the iPhone 6+. That way consumers pay $750 every two years instead of $400 every four years.
It is amazing for Apple to cannibalize the iPad mini 3 with the iPad Air 2. That way consumers pay $500 every four years instead of $400 every four years.
Apple said it is not afraid to cannibalize its own products. And it looks like it is in their best interest, profit-wise, to cannibalize the iPad mini. And that's why Apple didn't update it much this year. It wants to squeeze it from both sides with the iPhone 6+ and the iPad Air 2!