iPad mini iPad mini 2 coming in the spring!

[sweetbrat]

what do you say the percent of people saying "it won't happen in the spring" own an ipad mini right now?

...i say 100%

Really? Because several of the articles that have been posted about the retina screen are saying that production will ramp up later in 2013. So it's not just people that own them. No one can say for sure what Apple will do, but there are some hints, and guesses can be made. There's no reason at this point to be convinced that a retina Mini will be released in the spring. And no, I don't own one.

 

[TJ5921]

what do you say the percent of people saying "it won't happen in the spring" own an ipad mini right now?

...i say 100%

And 100% of people who are saying it will be in the spring don't have a mini. Nothing real impressive about your analogy.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I think Apple is also looking at changing to the lightning cable faster than we may think as well and get all there devices to take the same cable. In doing that they may have to break there cycles some and release earlier than expected. It really does them no good and big hassle to customers to deal with separate cables. It's just not a neat and clean solution like Apple designs for. I may just buy a Mini just for the convenience of traveling with one cable. May sound silly but my guess they want to get away from the older connection. I have a IPad 2 so for us folks the Retina may not be such a need with the Mini and they may just get rid of this model all together than work on getting the 3 next out of there inventory. My bet this is up there crawl space as customers do not like having discontinued products and getting the older connection out is a priority plus they are making a lot of money on these new lightning cables not too mention future accessories on it.

 

[Jman13]

Yeah because they didn't just do that recently to the iPad 3? They had no qualms angering iPad 3 owners.

They have a even bigger reason to upgrade the mini since it's running 2011 hardware.

Thing is...doing this to the mini is a MUCH bigger deal than doing it to the iPad 3. The 4th gen iPad is a speed bump over the 3rd gen. That's it. (oh, and a new connector). If they just put the A6 in the iPad Mini, some people would be miffed, but not too many. I mean, it's just a speed bump. But putting in a MASSIVE display upgrade 5 months after release of a brand new product line? That would piss a LOT of people off, and it would be understandable.

I fully expect the Mini to be upgraded to Retina next year, but in the fall sometime (maybe even the summer)...but if they did it in April? That would be frustrating, simply because I, like many people, am willing to get the mini now and use it for a year or so until the Retina version is available...then maybe I'll upgrade, maybe I won't...but if they release it in March or April...well, I probably just would have waited.

The same can't be said for the iPad 3, where the BIG upgrade happened in the spring, and now the 4th gen just has a speed bump.

 

[mattopotamus]

And 100% of people who are saying it will be in the spring don't have a mini. Nothing real impressive about your analogy.

Really? b.c i don't have one and would say it won't be the spring

 

[mireille]

Why not the spring? Why would folks assume that apple would keep to releasing most if their product so close together in the fall? And they made a point to release the mini weeks after the iPhone release in order to keep media attention solely on the iPhone.

 

[mireille]

And 100% of people who are saying it will be in the spring don't have a mini. Nothing real impressive about your analogy.

I have a mini , but not in such denial of the possibility of a spring/summer release.

 

[poloponies]

I have a mini , but not in such denial of the possibility of a spring/summer release.

It's not just the display that needs to be replaced, the GPU and battery do as well. It's unlikely that they have a battery that will weigh what the current one does and is still capable of driving a higher-res display for the same length of time. And it's less likely that Apple's willing to go heavier on the iPad Mini at the moment. Spring seems unworkable and besides, the rumor mill is saying fall - you're the one guessing at spring.

 

[TJ5921]

Really? b.c i don't have one and would say it won't be the spring

ok that has nothing to do with what I said?? I said PEOPLE SAYING IT WILL BE IN THE SPRING are those who DON'T OWN A MINI.

----------

I have a mini , but not in such denial of the possibility of a spring/summer release.

It's not denial it's being logical.

 

[mireille]

It's not just the display that needs to be replaced, the GPU and battery do as well. It's unlikely that they have a battery that will weigh what the current one does and is still capable of driving a higher-res display for the same length of time. And it's less likely that Apple's willing to go heavier on the iPad Mini at the moment. Spring seems unworkable and besides, the rumor mill is saying fall - you're the one guessing at spring.

And you're guessing that's it is in the fall. No offense, but only apple knows when it will be released. It seems a bit ridiculous to make strong assumptions on a fall release. You need to be open to other possibilities, spring, summer or fall and make your purchases with that in mind.

 

[mireille]

ok that has nothing to do with what I said?? I said PEOPLE SAYING IT WILL BE IN THE SPRING are those who DON'T OWN A MINI.

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It's not denial it's being logical.

You're confused.

Opinion does not equal logic.

 

[Shelley Smith]

Don't know whether to get one!

Hi All

New to MacRumors, well posting anyway and not sure whether to get a mini.
What would you advise? I have an Ipad and Iphone 4 already so can't really justify it but then... Christmas is coming.


Love to hear your views.

Thanks
Shelley

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Why not the spring? Why would folks assume that apple would keep to releasing most if their product so close together in the fall? And they made a point to release the mini weeks after the iPhone release in order to keep media attention solely on the iPhone.

A huge fall product drop like we just had is probably unlikely again soon. Apple needs to spread product launches out more for the greatest impact to the product and Apple's bottom line. It's easier for people to buy more Apple products if they are released in different quarters than all at once.

But I do think a spring refresh is too soon for the mini or the regular iPad for that matter. Apple will devour its remaining "good will" if, after trotting out a somewhat gimped mini at a not cheap price, releases the one we wanted all along 5 months later. It will confirm Apple rushed out a less than Steve Jobs approved product just to get quick holiday cash.

As I said in an earlier post I can't see a mini refresh until June at best -- perhaps at WWDC alongside some new pro Mac. Then iPhone in Sep, iPad in Oct. Mac speed bumps as updated Intel chips become available throughout the year, and maybe some all new product to fill iPad's old spring slot soon after CES ends.

 

[mattopotamus]

ok that has nothing to do with what I said?? I said PEOPLE SAYING IT WILL BE IN THE SPRING are those who DON'T OWN A MINI.

Did you even read what I said? I DON'T have a mini and DON'T think it will be the spring

 

[Jetson]

I don't buy it at all, for several reasons:

1) it would piss off a lot of new mini owners

2) it would be in the middle of a refresh cycle (the iPad is on a yearly refresh, the mini is an iPad). The iPad 4 was an anomaly and reset the yearly refresh to Autumn, when the iPhone and iPod Touch are released.

3) a retina resolution of 2048x1536 in the mini would require an update to the iPad 4, for one reason, a resolution of 2048x1536 in the mini would be an iPad 4 in a smaller form factor - it would essentially kill off a lot of sales of the iPad 4 (a more expensive device, with more profit).

It will get an improved resolution, but it'll get one in a year (at the soonest) when the iPad 5 is released - they will not release an updated iPad 4 in the the Spring and an updated mini at that time with that screen resolution would render it obsolete, or expensive for what you get. They won't do that.

Next Autumn will be very exciting. The Spring will be exciting, but I think we'll see other Apple innovations, none of which will be the iPad.

I remember similar reasoning about why Apple would NEVER release an iPad Mini

 

[jclardy]

Apple could blow us away and use the same res as iPad 3/4, put an A6X, 2GBs of ram 32, 64 and 128GB of storage in it. Now that would be awesome!!

Yeah...never going to happen. Kill your profit margins, then have no where to go because everybody is happy. What do you release the year after that?

IF the mini gets retina in the spring I am 95% sure it will be with an A5X. Otherwise they will be asking $180 more for a larger screen and outdated body design on the 4th gen iPad, and I doubt they will continue a six month full size iPad cycle.

You guys have to realize something...Apple is reaching a point where hardware innovations won't come from speed bumps and display upgrades. There is a critical point where the iPad will be "good enough" for most everybody. At that point Apple will have to add some new groundbreaking tech that will make everyone want one (Something like a tactile touch display.) Or they will need to create a major update to iOS that requires faster hardware to support. But until that point Apple will be milking the yearly hardware upgrade cycle with incremental upgrades.

Look at it this way - the full size iPad had its internals upgraded. Next year it will see a small spec bump, but the main thing will be a new thinner, lighter design.

 

[Breaking Good]

I personally believe we will see an iPad mini 2 in the spring. The reason is that Apple wants to move the current mini down to a $279 price point which will put it in the competitive range of the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire.

Also I don't see 128GB iOS devices coming for awhile. As Apple tries to maintain its price points, which it can't do if it puts 128GB of flash storage in it. Once flash storage becomes much cheaper, then maybe. I don't foresee 2GB of RAM in an iOS device until the OS advances enough to demand it.

I could see Apple bumping memory to 32GB, 62GB and 128GB in 9.7" iPad as a way to justify the price difference. They could also go to 2GB of RAM and start offering a OS X "lite" version on the full-size iPad which would be an alternative to Microsoft's Surface tablet which is supposed to run Windows 8.

I see Apple moving the full-size iPad into position to be a true laptop replacement and the iPad mini becoming the tablet standard.

At the same time, look for the MacBooks to become touch screen enabled.

 

[Dan14]

Not gonna happen. I bet my iPad Mini 1st gen on it!

 

[poloponies]

And you're guessing that's it is in the fall. No offense, but only apple knows when it will be released. It seems a bit ridiculous to make strong assumptions on a fall release. You need to be open to other possibilities, spring, summer or fall and make your purchases with that in mind.

I'm open to possibilities, physics, on the other hand, is not. The current battery can't handle a greater load and maintain the same life at the same size. So unless they have a higher capacity battery in the pipeline that isn't thicker/heavier, the next upgrade will come later rather than sooner.

 

[TJ5921]

Did you even read what I said? I DON'T have a mini and DON'T think it will be the spring

Exactly and it has nothing to do with what I originally posted. I'm clearly talking about individuals who THINK IT WILL BE IN THE SPRING. IMO the majority of people on here believe it won't be for at least a year.

 

[tomegun]

So for those that think a Mini with retina will not come out until the fall of 2013, what product is Apple going to release in the spring? Do you think that Apple is going to go a full year without releasing a portable device - laptop, phone, tablet? Even if they release a TV or Mac Pro those aren't products that will have people lining up to buy. They recently release the new iPhone, iPad 4 and Macbook Pro with retina.

I think releasing a Mini with retina will piss some people off, but I don't think they are going to charge the same price for it as for the Mini that was just released. I think it will be slightly less $$$ than the iPad 4 with similar specs.

Is it really smart for a company that who's stock price just went down 20% to stand pat for a year?

 

[WilliamLondon]

I personally believe we will see an iPad mini 2 in the spring. The reason is that Apple wants to move the current mini down to a $279 price point which will put it in the competitive range of the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire.

I could see Apple bumping memory to 32GB, 62GB and 128GB in 9.7" iPad as a way to justify the price difference. They could also go to 2GB of RAM and start offering a OS X "lite" version on the full-size iPad which would be an alternative to Microsoft's Surface tablet which is supposed to run Windows 8.

I see Apple moving the full-size iPad into position to be a true laptop replacement and the iPad mini becoming the tablet standard.

At the same time, look for the MacBooks to become touch screen enabled.

Sadly, I can't agree with even one of your predictions.

They just upgraded the iPad 4, they aren't going to upgrade it again for a year. And they are *not* going to put OS X "lite" on a tablet, not in the next year (if ever). They may in the future do more to merge iOS and OS X, but it wouldn't be till something like an OS XI, which would be a *huge* change and a major revision to both OSes.

They are simply not going to reduce the price of the mini, and the reason is that they've had NO problems selling them at the current price, lowering the price isn't going to do anything but reduce their profit margins, and that's not Apple.

There was a purpose to their upgrading the iPad to the 4, but there would have been no reason to upgrade it if an upgrade was imminent - launching a new product is expensive, which is why Apple tries to limit the number of new product launches. So, if no upgrade to the iPad (4) is forthcoming in the Spring, why in the world would we expect them to release a new mini with the same resolution as it's larger brother? We'd then see a mini and iPad 4 with the same resolution, which means they'd have to realise reduced margins on the mini or raise the price of the mini, which then you'd see the mini and iPad 4 at essentially the same prices, with similar functionality and features and specs, but in different form factors - that makes absolutely no sense.

What they will do is upgrade just before the holidays next year, along with the iPhone, iPod Touch and both iPads. Maybe by then they'll figure out how to put a retina display in the mini, keep it's price point and battery life and size the same. As for the full sized iPad, it'll have to have as big a jump as the mini, but to what I'm not sure - exciting times ahead!

 

[justinf77]

I have a mini and I'm HOPING for a new retina mini to come out in the spring. The mini has become one of my favorite devices ever and a retina screen would make it absolutely perfect.

 

[smiddlehurst]

And you're guessing that's it is in the fall. No offense, but only apple knows when it will be released. It seems a bit ridiculous to make strong assumptions on a fall release. You need to be open to other possibilities, spring, summer or fall and make your purchases with that in mind.

No, sorry, don't accept that for a moment.

Yes, guesses are just that, guesses but they can be fairly informed guesses. As I said in an earlier post a retina mini will almost certainly need BOTH a reduction in power consumption of the screen and a process shrink on the processor (along, ideally, with a more powerful GPU so they don't need quad core graphics) in order to come anywhere near the power available in the iPad Mini battery. The other alternative is a radical increase in battery capacity in the same form factor and that sort of technology improvement would almost certainly be reported on in advance. That's why the spring refresh to retina is such an unlikely situation as it seems almost impossible that all of that would line up by late January (at the latest) in order to meet production targets for a March launch. Guesses may be guesses but product cycles are ultimately driven by the available technology and that's the safest indicator of what we can expect when.

As for purchase decisions with regards technology it's really very simple. Buy what you want when you want it accepting that it will potentially be replaced the very next day. So long as it was actually something you wanted then there should be no problem using it even with an improved version on the market.

 

[MacinTosh.0]

My hunch is that they will release an updated (possibly Retina) version in August at the end of summer/ right before school starts. It's a semi-perfect scenario since it will go past the speculated 6 month cycle analysis. So this means we would see a refresh in about 9 months.

This is just my hunch of course.