Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad mini iPad minis in this next September release?
- Thread starter Yebubbleman
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Who is it targeted for, if not general consumers?
Now having seen the new Air unveiled (with no iPad mini update), I can see the appeal; though they bumped the price up by $100 and narrowed the gap between it at the 11" Pro. I'm sort of in the market for one of those two, and the lines are admittedly blurred; but I don't know if it's enough to sway me in the Air's direction. I'm glad they helped narrow the gap between the two speaker systems; watching video in landscape mode on any other full-size iPad (where the stereo speakers are only on one side of the iPad) is not a great experience. It's tolerable on something small like an iPad mini. But it really isn't on anything larger. I guess I'd need to see a performance comparison that compares A12Z to A14.
Last edited:
I think Apple would have had me with the new Air if they had begun taking orders for it yesterday. The vague “available in October” gives me time to think, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to wait for the refreshed Mini next year. Not sure why it couldn’t have been announced alongside the Air, but maybe they had too many products already this Fall. It’s okay. My Mini 5 works perfectly, so I’m going to hang onto it until the Mini 6 launches. I guarantee that I’d regret it if I didn’t wait for that redesigned Mini. I’m already impressed with the Air. I’m prepared to be doubly impressed by the next Mini.
The mini's headphone jack is crucial to me. The home button is also super useful. But then again, I use iPad minis as an Infotainment system in the car, so having those functions is pretty useful. If Apple kept the mini the same and just updated the processor to A14, I wouldn't hate that. Then again, if they go full iPad Pro on it, give it quad speakers (or even just the landscape stereo speakers that they gave the Air, and keep the same size but drop bezels to increase screen size, that could be pretty cool.
I'd rather they rumor an iPad Pro-inspired iPad mini redesign down the road than discontinue it outright like we all were fearing prior to the current mini's launch a year ago.
Although Apple sells the Mini to general consumers, the target are the vertical markets... doctors, nurses, warehouse workers, restaurants, POS terminals, pilots, etc. This is why the pricing of the Mini is not consistent with the rest of the iPad lineup, why the Mini is on a slower update cycle, the chassis experiences little change, and continues to have the highest ppi screens by far of any iPad.
These markets aren't interested in quad speakers, pro-motion display, FaceID, and the other features found on the mid-to-high end consumer iPads.
After Tuesday's Event, I was pretty bonkers for the Air. The A14, all screen display, landscape stereo speakers, and color choices is just about everything I want in a modern Air. But what I really, really want still is the Mini version of the Air. That $499 missing price tier just makes it that much more obvious. I also feel that pricing the mini above the iPad will finally clear up a lot of the inconsistencies in the lineup. Apple should just rebrand the mini as the Air mini and call it a day.
I was totally read to drop down some cash next month, but these few days having some time to think, I think I'm going to wait for the new mini as well.
Last edited:
I am not discounting what you are saying about vertical market appeal, but if they aren't interested in those features, then why also stick a relatively advanced Air equivalent A-series chip in there? Surely, the mini can get by with something closer to what the iPad has?
Also, I would argue that the Mini is just as consistent with the iPad Air, if not faster. The iPad mini was released first in 2012, and has only had a one year head start from Air, but has consistently remained two versions ahead of the Air. I would say the mini is keeping quite abreast with the iPad Air in terms of updates.
Most Minis have been behind in terms of the chip they use though, 2 and 5 being the exceptions.
The Mini launched with the A5, at the same time as the iPad 4 got the A6X.
The chips in the Air and Mini 2 were identical in 2013, but in 2014, the Air 2 got the A8X while the Mini had to wait an extra year for the standard A8. (I get that the X thermals are not suited to the Mini and at the time the Air was the flagship, possibly why there was a gap for the Pro in the first place.)
The Mini 5 with the surprise of it getting the A12 will do vertical markets well for many years, but for personal use there does seem to be growing demand for a Mini closer to the Air/Pro. With the screen likely to go to 8.5”, it may also appeal to those that find the new base screen size too large. I wonder if we may see two Minis sold concurrently again.
The Mini launched with the A5, at the same time as the iPad 4 got the A6X.
The chips in the Air and Mini 2 were identical in 2013, but in 2014, the Air 2 got the A8X while the Mini had to wait an extra year for the standard A8. (I get that the X thermals are not suited to the Mini and at the time the Air was the flagship, possibly why there was a gap for the Pro in the first place.)
The Mini 5 with the surprise of it getting the A12 will do vertical markets well for many years, but for personal use there does seem to be growing demand for a Mini closer to the Air/Pro. With the screen likely to go to 8.5”, it may also appeal to those that find the new base screen size too large. I wonder if we may see two Minis sold concurrently again.