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He also thought the app store was a bad idea, but he eventually was swayed. There are emails proving that Steve was coming around to the idea of a 7 inch tablet as well.

Either way, it wasn't released until a year after his death. Steve also let several products die on the vine too, so that trend at Apple hardly started with Tim Cook.
 
Cook doesn't have a baby yet unless he claims the watch. Changing the size is just a size adjustment. I have no issue with the mini 4. BB had a good price for something to toss in the car.
Cook will never be Steve Jobs, IMO the closest person is Scoot Forstall.
 
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I would suggest folks politely write to Mr. Cook and mention their desire for a Mini update. Apple is listening, especially when it comes to their bottom line. If they think they can make $ on it, you never know. I will be sending my email in once my router situation is sorted.

I would also love a Mini Pro with Pencil support I want to draw on the go and the 9.7 & 10.5 iPads are too big for my commute.
 
I would suggest folks politely write to Mr. Cook and mention their desire for a Mini update. Apple is listening, especially when it comes to their bottom line. If they think they can make $ on it, you never know. I will be sending my email in once my router situation is sorted.

I would also love a Mini Pro with Pencil support I want to draw on the go and the 9.7 & 10.5 iPads are too big for my commute.

I support this idea, but realistically, it would probably take quite a lot of emails to convince a company as big as Apple to develop a product that they otherwise didn't intend to.

I haven't given up on the future of the iPad Mini yet though. Apple put out one more iPod touch when people thought they were dead. They also put out a new 4" phone when people thought that form factor was dead. There are no doubt many factors that go into these decisions that we have no way of knowing about. It might turn out that they have a lot of extra iPad mini chassis and A9 or A10 chips, and it will be cost effective for them to put them together and make a Mini 5. I sort of think that's how the 2017 iPad came about. It's basically an Air 1 with an A9 and an extra GB of RAM. How much research and development had to go into that? It's literally a combination of parts they were using in other devices. They could make a Mini 5 just as easily. Pencil support and other "Pro" features would be nice, but all a new Mini really needs is an updated processor. The Mini 4 is still pretty current in every other area.
 
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I'm using my new mini 4 in bed right now and it works GREAT! And I've been using solely a gen 2 12.9" pro. Yes I can see the differences in performance etc, but not enough for me to hate this thing. It's working great.
 
I am finding that each has specific uses. ;)

Oh totally. I was just trying to point out that even though I've been using the newest tech for the last month, I am still able to go back to a mini 4 and have an enjoyable experience. It's actually even better than I had hoped. I feared it would seem even slower than it is. The 2GB of ram definitely helps.

Now I have a nice duo of iPads I can use however I please. I still had my mini 2 before this, but it didn't really get used because it was starting to not be very user friendly.
 
I'm using my new mini 4 in bed right now and it works GREAT! And I've been using solely a gen 2 12.9" pro. Yes I can see the differences in performance etc, but not enough for me to hate this thing. It's working great.

Awesome that this is working so well for you, congrats.

So, if given the option, would you have paid roughly double the price you did to get a Mini Pro? That's basically the crux of my original post.
 
Awesome that this is working so well for you, congrats.

So, if given the option, would you have paid roughly double the price you did to get a Mini Pro? That's basically the crux of my original post.

Definitely not, but that's based on my consumption. I will only get the "pro" uses from the larger tablet. Drawing, spilt screen, laptop replacement stuff, etc.

The mini (for me) is all about searching the web before bed, *cough* bathroom tablet *cough*, playing a game randomly, checking social media, and playing videos I don't feel snobby about needing to be watched on my 12.9". Haha.

I can't imagine using a keyboard or a pencil with this thing. None of what makes the pro a pro, would see a benefit for me on a mini.
[doublepost=1501000278][/doublepost]I should also add, as my signature shows I also have an iPhone 7 plus, and I still see the benefit of a smaller tablet. I don't think they are devices that are similar in size. I play games like clash of clans, but won't at all play it on my phone. I prefer playing on the 12.9" but will also do it on the mini.
 
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I have an Air 2 and a Mini 4 (which I'm using to write this), for day to day stuff I can't really tell that much difference in performance. Perhaps I'm too casual a user?

As it's been out for nearly 2 years now I definitely think it's too expensive at full retail price. Hence why I bought mine slightly used. So as a discounted or used buy I still think it's a great tablet and should still perform admirably for the next 2 years.

I really hope Apple updates the Mini, either as a pro version or otherwise, I would definitely consider it next year as an upgrade to replace both my Air 2 and Mini 4.
 
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I have an Air 2 and a Mini 4 (which I'm using to write this), for day to day stuff I can't really tell that much difference in performance. Perhaps I'm too casual a user?

As it's been out for nearly 2 years now I definitely think it's too expensive at full retail price. Hence why I bought mine slightly used. So as a discounted or used buy I still think it's a great tablet and should still perform admirably for the next 2 years.

I really hope Apple updates the Mini, either as a pro version or otherwise, I would definitely consider it next year as an upgrade to replace both my Air 2 and Mini 4.

Had a general house use iPad 4 that has been replaced with a Pro 12 (2). Also use a Mini 4. For convenient consumption of Kindle, news and articles, the Mini is so much easier. Kind of hard to kick back in bed, on the couch or my comfy chair and consume. Hope they do an update.
 
I have an iPhone 6s+ and an iPad mini 2. I use my phone as a phone. Personally, I like the email on the phone better as I find it faster to check and delete email. My phone was issued by my work, but I think this year when I upgrade, I will go with the 4" or 4.7" size as I am not fond of hauling around a larger phone.

For all my reading, surfing, web consumption, I use my mini. I use it on my commute, when I travel, and at home. I love the mini! I hope Apple continues to provide updates to the mini. I do not want to go with a 9.7" iPad if I do not have to. I don't think I would ever buy the 10.5" or 12.9" iPad Pro. Just seem to big for what I need them for. But if money was not an issue, I might double think buying one. But they are just too much for me right now.
 
Definitely not, but that's based on my consumption. I will only get the "pro" uses from the larger tablet. Drawing, spilt screen, laptop replacement stuff, etc.

The mini (for me) is all about searching the web before bed, *cough* bathroom tablet *cough*, playing a game randomly, checking social media, and playing videos I don't feel snobby about needing to be watched on my 12.9". Haha.

I can't imagine using a keyboard or a pencil with this thing. None of what makes the pro a pro, would see a benefit for me on a mini.
[doublepost=1501000278][/doublepost]I should also add, as my signature shows I also have an iPhone 7 plus, and I still see the benefit of a smaller tablet. I don't think they are devices that are similar in size. I play games like clash of clans, but won't at all play it on my phone. I prefer playing on the 12.9" but will also do it on the mini.

Makes perfect sense, sounds like you've got the perfect mix of devices to cover your usages. Awesome!
 
I support this idea, but realistically, it would probably take quite a lot of emails to convince a company as big as Apple to develop a product that they otherwise didn't intend to.

I haven't given up on the future of the iPad Mini yet though. Apple put out one more iPod touch when people thought they were dead. They also put out a new 4" phone when people thought that form factor was dead. There are no doubt many factors that go into these decisions that we have no way of knowing about. It might turn out that they have a lot of extra iPad mini chassis and A9 or A10 chips, and it will be cost effective for them to put them together and make a Mini 5. I sort of think that's how the 2017 iPad came about. It's basically an Air 1 with an A9 and an extra GB of RAM. How much research and development had to go into that? It's literally a combination of parts they were using in other devices. They could make a Mini 5 just as easily. Pencil support and other "Pro" features would be nice, but all a new Mini really needs is an updated processor. The Mini 4 is still pretty current in every other area.

Re: emails. If one person can make that dent (my request for ongoing new SB movies in iTunes), imagine what many Mini fans might be able to do? You never know. I will send the polite Mini email some time soon.

You make some wonderful points about Apple releasing products that folks speculated were dead. I hope they continue with the iPad Minis, Mac Minis and the SE.
 
I have an Air 2 and a Mini 4 (which I'm using to write this), for day to day stuff I can't really tell that much difference in performance. Perhaps I'm too casual a user?

As it's been out for nearly 2 years now I definitely think it's too expensive at full retail price. Hence why I bought mine slightly used. So as a discounted or used buy I still think it's a great tablet and should still perform admirably for the next 2 years.

I really hope Apple updates the Mini, either as a pro version or otherwise, I would definitely consider it next year as an upgrade to replace both my Air 2 and Mini 4.

Yeah, there really isn't a big difference between those two devices anyways. Isn't it just a one core difference or something?
 
Yeah, there really isn't a big difference between those two devices anyways. Isn't it just a one core difference or something?
A8X may only have one extra CPU core but it has significantly faster GPU. The stutters and lag I encounter on iOS appear to be GPU-related.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9724/the-apple-ipad-mini-4-review/2

77982.png
 
Those are some odd benchmarks. Why is the 5s higher than the 6? For that matter, why is the 6 so much higher than the Mini 4 when they both use an A8?
The difference in the FPS might be related to the resolution of the device that the chip must handle.

If the benchmark was not "onscreen", then you might see results which fall more in line with what you deemed as "non-odd".
 
So, I picked up a Mini 4 yesterday as part of the Best Buy sale to replace a Mini 2. The Mini 2 is on iOS9 and is in perfect condition, but as you would imagine it's getting a little pokey with certain websites and tasks. The Mini 4 seems like a pretty straightforward swap that, after selling the Mini 2, will probably be less than $200 to me. It's a very low-cost move. For reference, I also own an iPhone 6S.

After a few hours of work it's now set up to my liking and I've been using it normally. Is it better?.....yeah, I guess. It's slightly faster for certain things and doesn't refresh pages/programs as often when switching around. Touch ID is nice to have, but going back to the 1st generation of this technology is a letdown. The color accuracy of the screen is better, but it didn't really bother me on the Mini 2. It's slightly lighter, again, a non-issue for me.

In reality, it feels like 3 year old tech, which it is. It's less slow...but still kind of slow. It lags in spots that a brand new device just shouldn't, in my opinion. The A8 really isn't much faster and feels like it will struggle with iOS11. The current jump from the Mini 2 is, in my opinion, quite underwhelming.

This bothers me most because: A) I've used my wife's Air 2 extensively and vastly prefer the Mini size, and B) Despite how cheap this upgrade is, I am willing and able to pay significantly more to get a better product in this size. Apple is attempting to force a changeover to the 9.7" size and I'm not interested. With money as no object, I am using the fastest and best iPad Mini available and it's still kind of slow.

I don't play graphic-intensive games, I don't use an iPad for productivity, and I wouldn't choose to multitask on this small screen. All I'm asking for is a handheld couch web browser with up-to-date specs in 2017. Something that doesn't disappoint compared to a nearly 2 year old iPhone. What the Mini 2 was when it came out, basically. Is this so difficult?

I'm aware that I'm far from the first person on this forum to rant about this topic. Experiencing this gap in the market first-hand, even after reading about it extensively, is still frustrating. It's an absolute shame to see a well-loved product line disappear for no apparent reason. There's a good chance the Mini 4 goes back because I'm not sure it's even worth the sub-$200 cost to switch.

Apple, if you're reading this, please update your product so you can take (and keep) more of my money. Rant over.

ipad mini 4 has the relatively old chip A8 as per iphone 6. of course it will be slower now. You must also acknowledge that mini 4 has been out since two years back. It is two years old device afterall.
 
I just can't bring myself to pay £420 for something from 2015. We don't have the great discounts that you guys have in the US. It's too expensive for something that will most likely only see one more update after iOS 11.
 
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Still hoping for an updated processor in September. A9 would be fine, A10 would be even better.

Given the amount of new features that now require A9 and A10 and the fact that the mini 4 is two years old - they either update this September or next March/April or it's dead.

If they were to put an A10 in it, it would be another good reason for why it costs more than the 2017 iPad aside from the screen and form factor.
 
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Those are some odd benchmarks. Why is the 5s higher than the 6? For that matter, why is the 6 so much higher than the Mini 4 when they both use an A8?
Screen resolution. Same reason the iPad 3 was more laggy than the iPad 2.

iPhone 4.0": 1136 x 640 = 727,040 pixels
iPhone 4.7": 1334 x 750 = 1,000,500 pixels
iPhone 5.5": 1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels (does iOS still render at 2208 x 1242 then downsample?)

iPad 7.9" and 9.7" (non-retina): 1024 x 768 = 786,432 pixels
iPad 7.9" and 9.7" (retina): 2048 x 1536 = 3,145,728 pixels
iPad 12.9": 2732 x 2048 = 5,595,136 pixels

Here's a comparison with the iPhone 6 Plus. So yep, those people who notice that their 6 Plus lags/stutters more than the iPhone 6 both of which have A8 and same amount of RAM, they're not just imagining it.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/6

68000.png


iPhone SE

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10285/the-iphone-se-review/2

81640.png
 
If they gave the mini the 10.5 makeover, they would make a whole lot of money. Pencil support, promotion, same PPI as bigger size and smaller bezels, resulting in a bigger screen size, it would be a massive transformation.

JUST NOT PROTRUDING CAMERA!!! PLEASE!!!
 
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Still hoping for an updated processor in September. A9 would be fine, A10 would be even better.

Given the amount of new features that now require A9 and A10 and the fact that the mini 4 is two years old - they either update this September or next March/April or it's dead.

If they were to put an A10 in it, it would be another good reason for why it costs more than the 2017 iPad aside from the screen and form factor.

I don't believe Apple will be updating iPad mini in September. It wouldn't make sense for them to provide any updates for the iPad mini alone, when they just had the conference back in June that was primarily about the iPads. The iPad mini could be likely updated within 2018 somewhere.
 
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