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Why have a bigger iPhone and an iPad Mini?

petvas

petvas

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 20, 2006
5,479
1,809
Munich, Germany
Many people using Android big smartphones, do not bother getting a tablet too. The main reason seems to be that the functionality is overlapping and the screen advantage isn't that important.
I wonder, how would iPad Mini owners think after getting a bigger 4,7" screen iPhone? Would they still use both devices or will the difference be so small that the iPad Mini will be neglected?

I believe this is one of the risks for Apple, especially since no one else really sells so many tablets..
 
Why have a bigger iPhone and an iPad Mini?

Is .7" a big enough difference between what we have now to totally negate the iPad mini?

I don't have a mini but I couldn't see myself saying "if the iPhone was fractions of an inch bigger I wouldn't need the 8" screen"
 
petvas said:
Many people using Android big smartphones, do not bother getting a tablet too. The main reason seems to be that the functionality is overlapping and the screen advantage isn't that important.
I wonder, how would iPad Mini owners think after getting a bigger 4,7" screen iPhone? Would they still use both devices or will the difference be so small that the iPad Mini will be neglected?

I believe this is one of the risks for Apple, especially since no one else really sells so many tablets..
Click to expand...

The iPad mini won't go away. There would still be parents who would get an iPad Mini for their children because they don't want to get them a smartphone with a contract.
 
I am not saying that anything is going away. I just believe that many people got a tablet just because their phone was too small. This doesn't apply to everybody, but I am sure there will be a lot of people feeling like that. Again. I am not saying that I would do that, but when I had the HTC One M8 I didn't really bother using my tablet a lot. I think that happened because the M8 was big enough for me.
I guess we will see what happens when the bigger iPhone comes out.
 
My phone has a 4.7in screen and I have a mini that I use daily. I don't really see a phone (4.7in or 5.5in) replacing my mini. The screen would be too small. I AMLOST think the mini's screen is too small but I really like the form factor so it balances out. It's the perfect size for comfortable use at home where as my phone fits nicely in my pocket. And with a 4.7in screen, I have portability and readability.

However, I know there are some people out there who want one device (to use at home, for work, travel, etc.) and would likely stop using their minis once (if) the 5.5 iPhone is released. So I'm also interested in what will happen this fall.
 
If there is a 5.5" iPhone there is a good chance my iPad mini will be going up for sale. I would prefer to just have 1 device. When I used a note 3 it was big enough for me that I didn't also need a tablet.

This is going to vary from person to person. An iPad mini still provides quite a bit more screen real estate then a 5.5" iPhone would provide.
 
petvas said:
I wonder, how would iPad Mini owners think after getting a bigger 4,7" screen iPhone? Would they still use both devices or will the difference be so small that the iPad Mini will be neglected?
Click to expand...

I have a 4.8" phone and an iPad Mini. I use both. The iPad Mini is larger by a big enough margin that having a larger screen is nice if I don't need the mobility. I often just keep my iPad Mini at home. The iPad Mini also has a longer battery life than my phone. Often, I don't want to use my phone just so I have to worry less about having to charge it again throughout the day.
 
The iPad Mini is still significantly larger than a 4.7" iPhone would be or even a 5.5". If I got the 4.7" iPhone I would still keep my iPad Mini.

Another thing to keep in mind is that iPhones don't run the tablet versions of apps either.
 
petvas said:
I am not saying that anything is going away. I just believe that many people got a tablet just because their phone was too small. This doesn't apply to everybody, but I am sure there will be a lot of people feeling like that. Again. I am not saying that I would do that, but when I had the HTC One M8 I didn't really bother using my tablet a lot. I think that happened because the M8 was big enough for me.
I guess we will see what happens when the bigger iPhone comes out.
Click to expand...
I think while some people might have gotten a tablet for those reasons, most got it for other types of reasons either instead of that reason or at least in addition to that reason.
 
Because not everybody wants all their devices to connect to a cellular network or require a monthly service fee. Consider that the off-contract price of a 16 GB iPhone 5s is $650, while the iPad mini with retina costs $400. Same processor, bigger battery, bigger screen, no monthly payments.

The rumored 5.5" iPhone would likely cost even more than the current 5s, and Apple will likely update the new iPad line to the latest processors, while holding to the current price points.

Even going to 4.7", there are just things that work much better on an 8" tablet screen. No way would the rumored iPhone 6 replace our tablets at home. A tablet is not ideal if you prioritize mobility, just as an iPhone is not ideal for tasks at home.

It's the same reasoning why there are separate iOS app optimizations for smartphones and tablets. It's about optimizing what works best for a given form factor. Most of the apps that my daughter uses on her iPad mini are barely usable on my iPhone. And going to 4.7" doesn't change anything, because the tablet optimization just makes for a better app and better use of the screen space.
 
I was thinking the same thing…. why have a bigger iPhone when you have an iPad. I like the size of the current iPhone and the 4s. If I need to use something bigger which is mostly videos and gaming I go to the iPad. I think it looks silly with a huge phone next to your head. People sitting next to you can see what you are doing.
 
Especially if you also have a laptop and a desktop, a bigger size phone starts eliminating the need for a tablet. If you use your tablet as a laptop replacement, then this is not the case of course.
I have a 13" rMBP and an iMac, so I am not sure about keeping the iPad Mini, as soon as I get the iPhone 6.
 
Samsung has 5 inch phones and 7 inch tablets. However, because of the different screen ratios, the tablet looks bigger.
 
The likes of Samsung do make tablets too though. There will be people who buy the iPad Mini who don't perhaps own an iPhone. I will own an iPhone 4.7" and an iPad Air, so its all about choice.

You can't stop one product just because a fraction of people might end up buying both and the perceived opinion is there is no need.
 
I wonder if some of you guys actually own iPads. If so you'd know the aspect ratio is different.

iPhone 5.5" and iPad mini.

3epa2u6u.jpg


People will get the iPad because it's bigger.

EDIT: Measuring that, I believe that Mini isn't accurate and should actually be BIGGER then shown.
 
cynics said:
I wonder if some of you guys actually own iPads. If so you'd know the aspect ratio is different.

iPhone 5.5" and iPad mini.

Image

People will get the iPad because it's bigger.
Click to expand...

It might be bigger but the difference isn't that big. I believe most people would choose the Air instead.
 
It's a big enough difference for me. I'll be getting a 6 in the fall and likely upgrade my original iPad Mini when the next update comes around. It may not be a massive difference in size like going to an Air would be but certainly enough for me to make it worthwhile.
 
petvas said:
Many people using Android big smartphones, do not bother getting a tablet too. The main reason seems to be that the functionality is overlapping and the screen advantage isn't that important.
I wonder, how would iPad Mini owners think after getting a bigger 4,7" screen iPhone? Would they still use both devices or will the difference be so small that the iPad Mini will be neglected?

I believe this is one of the risks for Apple, especially since no one else really sells so many tablets..
Click to expand...

As Sarah Jessica Parker once said in "Sex and The City", a girl can use half an inch. In other words, size matters for some, and would therefore need the iPad mini for whatever its purpose would fulfill.
 
I'd get a bigger iPhone and an iPad mini in a heartbeat. (I have both an iPhone 4 and iPas mini)

The iPhone does things an iPad can't do for me and an iPad mini does some things for me the iPhone can't.

I don't like the Air because it's too heavy for me coming from the mini, so the mini is perfect and I've had it since December 2012. Hoping to replace it with the third version this year though, it's definitely showing its age already.

Moral of the story, they work with each other to what they need to do for me in order for me to keep both.
 
Here's a more interesting question with a possible 5.5" iPhone soon to be released:

"Who has stopped using their tablets after getting a large smart phone?"

I'll go first: Me.
 
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