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AZhappyjack

Suspended
Jul 3, 2011
10,183
23,657
Happy Jack, AZ
@CatherineVeraGat. What you are seeing on those screenshots that you have repeatedly posted in this thread, is the latest recommendations of the iPad Pros by Apple, which is Apple marketing their latest products. If you actually click onto the iPad link on the desktop site or mobile site, you will see that the iPad mini 4 is still available for sale.

Not sure what her deal is. I told/showed her that it was still on the website, but she just re-posted her rant.
 

Ramoncheese

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 4, 2017
4
1
I don't think they will update the iPad Mini.

If you look at Apple's plans, we all know about the coming iPhone 8 with the edge to edge screen. It appears the physical size of that phone will be similar to the current 4.7" iphone, except they are saying because the screen is edge to edge, it will be 5.2"-5.8" in size. My guess is that the following year, in the fall of 2018, they will make a "plus" model of that phone which will have a screen size of over 6". Once the screen size of their iPhone is more than 6", I don't see why someone would need an iPad that is 7.9", and I bet Apple is thinking the same thing.

Also coming in a couple of years will be foldable/flexible displays, so it will become possible to make a larger screen device that folds into a smaller footprint.
Cant wait for that future!
 

JeffyTheQuik

macrumors 68020
Aug 27, 2014
2,468
2,407
Charleston, SC and Everett, WA
I'm in a need of an iPad mini for travel and reading purposes.

My fear is:

-Buying and ipad mini 4 and in a few months, apple anouncing a new faster model.

-ipad mini 4 has an A8 chip which is a 2015 processor and most likely struggle in speed if using ios11 , what about using ios12 or ios 13 in the future?

should i abandon the idea of an ipad mini all together and buy the new ipad 2017?
-Buying the current version and Apple releasing a newer, faster, better one is always a concern, especially after the initial release of a product (iPad example - I got a 64GB one, and soon after, they had the iPad 2) However, since this is a mature product, if this your greatest fear, get it at the end of October. By then, it will either be updated (iPad mini 5) or discontinued.
If it is discontinued, they'll be much cheaper, as no stores will want the inventory.

-Another person answered your IOS 11 question. Apparently it works well on it. (whew!)

- I look at the mini and the 9.7/10.5 and the 12.9 as separate items with a common denominator. One may be great for one person, and not work out so well for another. I wanted a 12.9in one for flying, and someone said that it won't fit in the flight deck of a 777. Well, I went out to a 777 that we had handy with a cardboard cutout of a 12.9in iPad, and it did fit, but it covered up too much of the other non-essential items, like the window, radios, engine levers, and wouldn't fit on the yoke. Oh well... A 9.7 or 10.5 worked fine, but I'm not rated on a 777. Still working on the Cessna 172 rating. (note: if you're a smart-aleck to someone that works in a factory that makes airplanes, they can give it right back... ) :)

So, my advice to you is to take a look at what you want/need, and go from there.
 
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Osty

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2008
561
518
Melbourne, AU
I jumped and bought the Mini 4 128gb to replace my Mini 2 32GB. I love the form factor for reading and writing on the go and nothing else in the current line up appealed for this purpose. The new iPad (9.7) doesn't have the screen I want and the 10.5 is too large and too expensive for my needs.

The Mini 4 has more than met my expectations and so I'm glad I did it. Now I don't have to sweat about Apple killing off the form-factor I prefer in a tablet. Since it's an accessory device and I look after my stuff, I can easily imagine I'll get 4-5 years out of it.
 
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Ramoncheese

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 4, 2017
4
1
-Buying the current version and Apple releasing a newer, faster, better one is always a concern, especially after the initial release of a product (iPad example - I got a 64GB one, and soon after, they had the iPad 2) However, since this is a mature product, if this your greatest fear, get it at the end of October. By then, it will either be updated (iPad mini 5) or discontinued.
If it is discontinued, they'll be much cheaper, as no stores will want the inventory.

-Another person answered your IOS 11 question. Apparently it works well on it. (whew!)

- I look at the mini and the 9.7/10.5 and the 12.9 as separate items with a common denominator. One may be great for one person, and not work out so well for another. I wanted a 12.9in one for flying, and someone said that it won't fit in the flight deck of a 777. Well, I went out to a 777 that we had handy with a cardboard cutout of a 12.9in iPad, and it did fit, but it covered up too much of the other non-essential items, like the window, radios, engine levers, and wouldn't fit on the yoke. Oh well... A 9.7 or 10.5 worked fine, but I'm not rated on a 777. Still working on the Cessna 172 rating. (note: if you're a smart-aleck to someone that works in a factory that makes airplanes, they can give it right back... ) :)

So, my advice to you is to take a look at what you want/need, and go from there.
Best advice! will do that, Can wait to October to decide! thanks!
 
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576316

macrumors 601
May 19, 2011
4,056
2,556
Mini 4 is running iOS 11 Public Beta just fine, to be honest

Really? I think PB1 has noticeably slowed my iPad mini 4. But it is early in the beta so there’s no saying whether it will improve or not.
[doublepost=1499298433][/doublepost]
Have you used with any of Apple's Bluetooth keyboards? If so how do you find them? I ask because I'm looking to get another keyboard for my mini 4

Logitech Keys-To-Go is an excellent Bluetooth keyboard that is the perfect size and form to pair with the iPad mini. Keyboard battery lasts forever, haven’t charged mine since Christmas. This is my setup for university lecture notes.
 
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Osty

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2008
561
518
Melbourne, AU
Logitech Keys-To-Go is an excellent Bluetooth keyboard that is the perfect size and form to pair with the iPad mini. Keyboard battery lasts forever, haven’t charged mine since Christmas. This is my setup for university lecture notes.

Thanks mate - I saw that model on the Apple store for $80AUD - quite cheaper than the Magic Keyboard and with iOS specific keys - but it had a few 1-star reviews that concerned me. Nice to get your positive take on it because I'm strongly leaning towards that particular model as my portable writing board.
 

576316

macrumors 601
May 19, 2011
4,056
2,556
Thanks mate - I saw that model on the Apple store for $80AUD - quite cheaper than the Magic Keyboard and with iOS specific keys - but it had a few 1-star reviews that concerned me. Nice to get your positive take on it because I'm strongly leaning towards that particular model as my portable writing board.

Ignore that one negative review. The keyboard is excellent for short bouts of typing, you can get up to normal speed on it very easily and it has a nice fabric, wipe clean finish. It reminds me of those original Microsoft Surface keyboards. It’s a great, affordable buy. Can’t recommend enough.

I’ll add that I haven’t charged mine since I got it at Christmas and it still shows full battery!!
 
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Osty

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2008
561
518
Melbourne, AU
Ignore that one negative review. The keyboard is excellent for short bouts of typing, you can get up to normal speed on it very easily and it has a nice fabric, wipe clean finish. It reminds me of those original Microsoft Surface keyboards. It’s a great, affordable buy. Can’t recommend enough.

I’ll add that I haven’t charged mine since I got it at Christmas and it still shows full battery!!

Thanks - really appreciate the advice, mate. A board that's portable, durable and comfy enough for short-medium writing sessions on the go is exactly what I want out of it. I'll pick one up on pay day :)
 

onepoint

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2010
859
569
USA
Have you used with any of Apple's Bluetooth keyboards? If so how do you find them? I ask because I'm looking to get another keyboard for my mini 4
Unfortunately I have not. Only the Smart Keyboard with my iPad Pro 12, which I love.
 

pika2000

Suspended
Jun 22, 2007
5,587
4,903
I'm in a need of an iPad mini for travel and reading purposes.

My fear is:

-Buying and ipad mini 4 and in a few months, apple anouncing a new faster model.

-ipad mini 4 has an A8 chip which is a 2015 processor and most likely struggle in speed if using ios11 , what about using ios12 or ios 13 in the future?

should i abandon the idea of an ipad mini all together and buy the new ipad 2017?
If you don't have an iPad mini yet, then get it. Simply because there's no other choice.
Apple won't release a new mini this year since they already "refreshed" it by axing the 32GB model.
I think the mini 4 should be able to handle iOS13 alright, mainly because it has 2GB of RAM. Slowdowns on the A8 are mostly noticed on the iPhone 6, which only has 1GB of RAM. I also think we might see better longevity on the A8 (akin to the old A5). The A8 is now being used on many Apple devices, from the iPod Touch, Apple TV, to the new HomePod. So I doubt Apple would drop support for it that quickly (the HomePod was just announced).

Having said that, I currently have a mini 2, and will not upgrade to the mini 4, since I don't believe getting an almost 3 generation old processor is worth it at this point.

And yes it sux that Apple created this "fragmentation" in the iPad lineup. I missed the days of the iPad Air + mini 2 (both having the same A7) where the choice is simple, do you want bigger or smaller screen.
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,274
Best Buy frequently has the mini 4 128GB on sale for $299. If you like the form factor, that's a fairly decent deal. Heck, $299 is Apple's out of warranty replacement cost for the mini 4.
[doublepost=1499311925][/doublepost]
And yes it sux that Apple created this "fragmentation" in the iPad lineup. I missed the days of the iPad Air + mini 2 (both having the same A7) where the choice is simple, do you want bigger or smaller screen.
That was the exception rather than the rule likely because A7 is the minimum they can get away with for retina in that form factor given A6X was too large and power hungry.

2012
iPad 4 A6X
iPad mini A5

2013
iPad Air A7
iPad mini 2 A7

2014
iPad Air 2 A8X
iPad mini 3 A7

2015/16
iPad Pro A9X
iPad mini 4 A8

While the HomePod has A8, it doesn't need to drive a 2048*1536 display.
 
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PBMB

macrumors 6502
Mar 19, 2015
331
135
Logitech Keys-To-Go is an excellent Bluetooth keyboard that is the perfect size and form to pair with the iPad mini.
What about the lag someone talked about previously? Do you notice anything or typing is natural and fluid in your case?
 

kazmac

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2010
10,104
8,659
Any place but here or there....
I love the Mini 4...but do hope Apple releases another Mini with Pencil Capabilities. It does not need all the Pro bells and whistles. I'd rather not see this iPad go the route of the dinosaur, it's perfect for on the go and I still miss mine. Holding out for $199 or $249 sale on the 128GB before I get another one though.
 

Lucky11

macrumors member
Mar 30, 2011
31
33
Los Angeles
The iPad mini is a nice gym piece.

Plus for us healthcare professionals it's great how it fits in a white coat. Too bad apple seems to be abandoning it.
 
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psac

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2009
931
772
I jumped and bought the Mini 4 128gb to replace my Mini 2 32GB. I love the form factor for reading and writing on the go and nothing else in the current line up appealed for this purpose. The new iPad (9.7) doesn't have the screen I want and the 10.5 is too large and too expensive for my needs.

The Mini 4 has more than met my expectations and so I'm glad I did it. Now I don't have to sweat about Apple killing off the form-factor I prefer in a tablet. Since it's an accessory device and I look after my stuff, I can easily imagine I'll get 4-5 years out of it.

I did the same thing a few weeks ago. Traded in my 64gb mini2 for $150 (Best Buy promo minimum guarantee still underway) and bought the 128gb mini4 for $299 (sale is over unfortunately) for net $150 + tax. Great deal, the mini 4 is REALLY nice so far!!
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,312
8,326
I guess updating the iPad mini is too much of a bother for old Tim.
He's too busy scraping dimes off counters with that one fingernail he grows extra long for just that purpose.
As you may recall, Steve Jobs opposed the iPad Mini and it took a lot of convincing to get him to release it.
 

AZhappyjack

Suspended
Jul 3, 2011
10,183
23,657
Happy Jack, AZ
As you may recall, Steve Jobs opposed the iPad Mini and it took a lot of convincing to get him to release it.

What is your point? Jobs also opposed/poo-pooed the Apple Pencil and the iPhone screen larger than 4"... and he never endorsed the 12.9" iPad, either.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,312
8,326
What is your point? Jobs also opposed/poo-pooed the Apple Pencil and the iPhone screen larger than 4"... and he never endorsed the 12.9" iPad, either.
I was responding to a knee-jerk anti-Tim Cook message. I like the iPad mini but apparently after the first version it hasn't sold as well as the others, likely because it has been crowded out by larger phones.
 

007p

macrumors 6502a
Mar 7, 2012
992
662
I don't really see why they can't just upgrade the chip in it every couple of years. The design is brilliant at the moment, almost as good as the new 10.5 inch pro.

A phone will never be a replacement for it. For one the phone is the wrong aspect ratio, and its also twice the price. Maybe if they released an 'iPod touch plus'.

There comes a point where you no longer want cellphone ability (Phone calls/SMS) on a certain sized device. Currently there's a lack of devices between 6-9" for that. Why pay twice the price for functionality you are never going to use?

There's a lot of things coming in iOS 11, that an A9 would definitely be more useful than A8 now. Lack of full ARKit support and HEVC playback with the A8 comes to mind....
 
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sracer

macrumors G4
Apr 9, 2010
10,408
13,293
where hip is spoken
I don't really see why they can't just upgrade the chip in it every couple of years. The design is brilliant at the moment, almost as good as the new 10.5 inch pro.
The reason why they don't do it is that many of Apple's customers want others to see that they have Apple's latest.

I've heard that claim before but never believed it, until... the iPhone SE. There were a significant number of complaints about the SE looking exactly like the 5S... how it looked old even though it had nearly all of the internals of the 6S.

When Apple doesn't change the external design for a new gen of phone, they'll introduce a new color that is exclusive to that new gen... as a way to offer those customers an option of showing off that it's the latest.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,274
The reason why they don't do it is that many of Apple's customers want others to see that they have Apple's latest.

I've heard that claim before but never believed it, until... the iPhone SE. There were a significant number of complaints about the SE looking exactly like the 5S... how it looked old even though it had nearly all of the internals of the 6S.

When Apple doesn't change the external design for a new gen of phone, they'll introduce a new color that is exclusive to that new gen... as a way to offer those customers an option of showing off that it's the latest.
Interesting. Where there that many complaints regarding the design (which, imho, is pretty classic and timeless)? Anyway, got the SE for my mom. It was the perfect replacement to her iPhone 5s with bad battery.
 
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