I am starting to believe that, despite what is being said in public, Apple fears the mini. It fears that if the mini gets the attention it deserves, it will eat up many sales that could/would go to the more expensive models. Apple pushes hard into the scene the big iPad brothers. A smaller and less expensive model, which will likely have lower benefit margins as well, is undesirable in this context.
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iPad mini Buy an iPad mini 4 before it gets discontinued?
- Thread starter Ramoncheese
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You do realize Apple just released a $329 iPad 9.7?
Reckon the reason we don't have a mini at that price point is because the fully laminated display on the mini 4 is more expensive than the display used on the latest "budget" model iPad. Alas, while the weight increase with the thicker display is negligible on a 1lb device, it's gonna be a very noticeable weight gain on the mini.
That's a good point (weight increase)...I'd still love a pencil capable mini for my commute (which I will keep wishing for, you never know.)
The only complaints about the design were that is is an OLD design.
The only reasons why I came back to an iPhone (I went from a 4 to an Android-based Sharp Aquos Crystal) was because of the SE and the price. It IS classic and timeless IMO as well.
The mini is my favorite iPad size for casual consumption, which I think is where iPads shine brighter than any other device. But I don't think Apple agrees with me about the mini. It's a bit of an oddity in Apple's iPad lineup. It's the only iOS device size that doesn't have its own pixel resolution. It was released after the 9.7 with a simply shrunken 9.7 UI. It really seems like it has always been an afterthought. Now that Apple is pushing the iPad Pros, demoting the 9.7" iPad, keeping around only one model of the mini, the future of the mini is very questionable. It's a real shame.
What would be great is if Apple took this chance to rethink the small tablet and give it the proper attention it needs. I'd love for it to be even smaller. Something more like 7" 3:2 (iPhone original aspect ratio) so that it's easily graspable. A little bigger than a phablet, for someone who doesn't like big phones. And give it its own optimized resolution and UI. Wishful thinking, I know.
What would be great is if Apple took this chance to rethink the small tablet and give it the proper attention it needs. I'd love for it to be even smaller. Something more like 7" 3:2 (iPhone original aspect ratio) so that it's easily graspable. A little bigger than a phablet, for someone who doesn't like big phones. And give it its own optimized resolution and UI. Wishful thinking, I know.
I'd love to see a Mini 5 / Mini Pro. I just bought a 10.5" Pro for work and while it is nice, it has just been sitting in my bag. I still far and away prefer the form factor of my Mini 2 for daily use. If the Mini goes away, I'll buy a Mini 4 (or two) and enjoy it as long as I can. While I don't play any games, the performance of my Mini 2 still seems more than sufficient for my purposes.