iPad mini The iPad Mini is Dead, Long live the iPad Mini

[spinboy]

I think all the talk about the mini being dead is accurate. I just bought one brand new from Apple and it came with iOS 10 on it. Every device I've bought directly from Apple always has the current version of iOS.

I tried to order directly from AT&T and the three-day shipping window came and went then changed to a month. Best Buy, Target, B&H Photo, all the usual suspects had the Wifi version, but no LTE models.

And before anyone rips me for buying one, it's in addition to my Pro and the replacement for my first gen mini, I just like the form-factor of the mini best for reading books so figured I better grab one before they're all but vanished.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I love and still use my ipad mini 2 even tho it has a cracked screen & broken home button. Although i haven't totally given up on an update to the mini, it doesn't look good. It's been almost 2 1/2 yrs since it was last updated. Thats a long time. Plus with rumors of a 6.5" iphone 10x plus coming later this year, perhaps the mini will be discontinued. Apple also plans to radically redesign the ipad pros by getting rid of the bezels like on the iPhone x. So if the screen sizes stay the same, the physical size of the ipads should be getting smaller.

I still think there is room for an ipad mini in the line up. I would love to be able to use the apple pencil on an ipad mini. But will apple really release an ipad mini pro? Probably not. If the pros will be updated in the summer at WWDC like they were last year, perhaps there is hope for one last ipad mini update in March...just to keep it going a bit further. But if NO updates to the ipad mini happen in 2018, i think it'll be safe to say for sure that the mini is dead to Apple.

 

[sracer]

I still think there is room for an ipad mini in the line up. I would love to be able to use the apple pencil on an ipad mini. But will apple really release an ipad mini pro? Probably not. If the pros will be updated in the summer at WWDC like they were last year, perhaps there is hope for one last ipad mini update in March...just to keep it going a bit further. But if NO updates to the ipad mini happen in 2018, i think it'll be safe to say for sure that the mini is dead to Apple.

I agree. Apple mostly likely WON'T announce it's demise officially, but allow it to fade into obscurity. It is possible that it may receive a minor spec bump (2017 9.7 iPad internals) if they extra parts in the parts bin. Sad.
If they were to produce a Mini with iPP 10.5 internals and support for the Apple Pencil, I'd be on it.

 

[Booji]

I recently took an original Mini from a relative - yes it’s pretty underpowered but I now use it as a secondary reader and fell in love with the form factor. Much more useful than the 7” android tablets I have experimented with.

If a release with upgraded specs came out, I’d certainly consider it especially if it had 9.7 Pro performance and Pencil suppport and I hope that Apple keeps up this form factor.

 

[Hellenek]

Any version of the mini 5, even with last year's internals, would sell really well. Apple you listening?

 

[MistrSynistr]

To constantly see Apple so out of touch with it's consumer base can only really mean they are in on the work and do it on purpose to build exceptional demand.

We will see a Mini again I'm sure. They do this too often with all their products. They did it with the SE...acted like their 4 inch phones were GONE, sorry! Did it with the Mac Mini from 2012 to 2014... Mac Pro.....it's part of their business plan.

 

[007p]

To constantly see Apple so out of touch with it's consumer base can only really mean they are in on the work and do it on purpose to build exceptional demand.

We will see a Mini again I'm sure. They do this too often with all their products. They did it with the SE...acted like their 4 inch phones were GONE, sorry! Did it with the Mac Mini from 2012 to 2014... Mac Pro.....it's part of their business plan.

But I’d say they were on the borderline for waiting too long now.

At some point, people will just buy something else, and considering it’s a tablet, it could be a while before they decide to buy something else again.

I know if one doesn’t come in March, it’s as good as dead to me so might as well buy something else.

 

[everythingapplerainbow]

The lowest price of iPad is already 330 (about to drop to 260 next year), then where the heck is the place for iPad Mini?
I’m pretty sure no new iPad Mini next year

 

[jamisonbaines]

following in the footsteps of Mac mini and iPod mini

 

[007p]

The lowest price of iPad is already 330 (about to drop to 260 next year), then where the heck is the place for iPad Mini?
I’m pretty sure no new iPad Mini next year

Slightly above it with a faster chip, thinner, lighter and much better screen?

Smaller things used to cost more...

The mini is still cheaper than the 2017 iPad if you compare same storage capacities and as I said - it has a better screen...

 

[bensisko]

Any version of the mini 5, even with last year's internals, would sell really well. Apple you listening?

Ehhhh.... I don’t think I would agree with that. I’m not sure an “internals updated” mini would sell too well - I think it would have to go the Pro route to sell in justifiable numbers.

 

[007p]

Ehhhh.... I don’t think I would agree with that. I’m not sure an “internals updated” mini would sell too well - I think it would have to go the Pro route to sell in justifiable numbers.

I disagree - the only pro feature people will really be looking for on the mini is the pencil.

Drop the requirement that the pencil will only work on ‘pro’ iPads and give it an internal update. It’s no secret Apple is looking to get the pencil working on more devices, what better place to start than the non pro range of iPads - it’s been a ‘pro feature’ long enough....

Pros will still have promotion and no doubt Face ID as well, let alone whatever else they decide to add.

 

[Channan]

I don’t understand why they can’t just take the current mini, give it an update processor, and sell it as a mini 5. I would buy one. I love my mini 4, but it’s not quite as quick as it used to be.

 

[bensisko]

I disagree - the only pro feature people will really be looking for on the mini is the pencil.

Drop the requirement that the pencil will only work on ‘pro’ iPads and give it an internal update. It’s no secret Apple is looking to get the pencil working on more devices, what better place to start than the non pro range of iPads - it’s been a ‘pro feature’ long enough....

Pros will still have promotion and no doubt Face ID as well, let alone whatever else they decide to add.

I won't argue that adding Pencil support is the biggest part of it, but I would also argue that "gimping" the iPad Mini by not including Promotion, FaceID, and other "pro" features isn't going to lead to strong sales. Apple really should have an on-par release with a new mid-range Pro (like they did with the Mini 2 and the Air).

iPad Pro - available in three sizes!

Pent-up Mini demand will only go so far to sell a new Mini. Pencil support will boost it, but in order to be truly competitive it needs to be a full-on Pro.

I would also express doubt that the Pencil is going to go beyond the "pro" line and make it to the cheap iPads any time soon.

 

[007p]

I won't argue that adding Pencil support is the biggest part of it, but I would also argue that "gimping" the iPad Mini by not including Promotion, FaceID, and other "pro" features isn't going to lead to strong sales. Apple really should have an on-par release with a new mid-range Pro (like they did with the Mini 2 and the Air).

iPad Pro - available in three sizes!

Pent-up Mini demand will only go so far to sell a new Mini. Pencil support will boost it, but in order to be truly competitive it needs to be a full-on Pro.

I would also express doubt that the Pencil is going to go beyond the "pro" line and make it to the cheap iPads any time soon.

I’d obviously love that, but just don’t think it’s realistic.

I also don’t want to wait yet another 9-15 months for the mini to be updated, that will really be too long. Can’t see a mini pro in the next 6 months with Face ID :/

 

[bensisko]

I’d obviously love that, but just don’t think it’s realistic.

I also don’t want to wait yet another 9-15 months for the mini to be updated, that will really be too long. Can’t see a mini pro in the next 6 months with Face ID :/

...unless they develop in tandem with the 10.5 Pro...

It's not as if the technology to do the same things on a smaller device is so out there, it's that Apple doesn't want to do it. They could have made and released a Mini Pro at the same time as they made the 9.7" Pro, but they chose to just give it the Air 2 internals and call it a day.

Honestly, though, if it came down to a choice, I'd rather wait 9-12 months for an iPad Mini Pro than get an "internals updated" mini 5 in 6 months.

 

[AdeMorgan]

I think all the talk about the mini being dead is accurate. I just bought one brand new from Apple and it came with iOS 10 on it. Every device I've bought directly from Apple always has the current version of iOS.

I tried to order directly from AT&T and the three-day shipping window came and went then changed to a month. Best Buy, Target, B&H Photo, all the usual suspects had the Wifi version, but no LTE models.

And before anyone rips me for buying one, it's in addition to my Pro and the replacement for my first gen mini, I just like the form-factor of the mini best for reading books so figured I better grab one before they're all but vanished.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

I have sat back patiently waiting to update my mini 1 as the only thing I really need is the pencil rather than my finger sketching, oh and maybe IOS11. Apple have missed the point as to why so many who love the practicality, it's small enough to fit my board and work shorts whilst giving me a true electronic library and small screen cinema on those economy flights where the only display is for those darned safety videos .... do I buy a 4 or waste my time continuing to wait?

 

[sracer]

I have sat back patiently waiting to update my mini 1 as the only thing I really need is the pencil rather than my finger sketching, oh and maybe IOS11. Apple have missed the point as to why so many who love the practicality, it's small enough to fit my board and work shorts whilst giving me a true electronic library and small screen cinema on those economy flights where the only display is for those darned safety videos .... do I buy a 4 or waste my time continuing to wait?

Good question.... no good answer.

I was holding out for a Mini w/Pencil support to appear this year. IMO, the release of the low-priced 2018 iPad pretty much squashed the possibility of that happening. I already have a Mini 4 so I just continue on, but if I didn't, I'd wait another 6-8 weeks to see if Apple produces an update. If no new Mini is announced, then I'd be very watchful and jump on the next sale on the Mini 4.

 

[AdeMorgan]

Good question.... no good answer.

I was holding out for a Mini w/Pencil support to appear this year. IMO, the release of the low-priced 2018 iPad pretty much squashed the possibility of that happening. I already have a Mini 4 so I just continue on, but if I didn't, I'd wait another 6-8 weeks to see if Apple produces an update. If no new Mini is announced, then I'd be very watchful and jump on the next sale on the Mini 4.

Ok, so wait until October has come and gone ...

I have good news on the mini MAC front before they don't announce an update, fortune favours the brave mid 2011 Quad core i7 owner who is loving an 8>16Gb and 2x2TB SSD drive upgrade. Almost a new machine and still shiny!

 

[ericwn]

Ok, so wait until October has come and gone ...

Wait, what???

 

[JPack]

Wait, what???

Bloomberg and DigiTimes have reported that Apple has no plans to update the iPad mini. There's no credible information that iPad mini will be updated in October or ever.

 

[ericwn]

Bloomberg and DigiTimes have reported that Apple has no plans to update the iPad mini. There's no credible information that iPad mini will be updated in October or ever.

I am asking because it isn’t October yet.

 

[44267547]

Bloomberg and DigiTimes have reported that Apple has no plans to update the iPad mini. There's no credible information that iPad mini will be updated in October or ever.

Just to clarify, Bloomberg being decently reliable, but Digitimes has a extremely sketch track record, and I really ever would use them to indicate as a backup source for any future predictions about an iPad or any Apple Product for that Matter. They basically ‘Mudsling’ rumors/predictions.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I don't think It's going to get updated unfortunately. I love the mini form factor. I've had every mini since the original.

 

[JPack]

I am asking because it isn’t October yet.

You're right, it's not October yet. But to provide context, the "wait until October" idea was from January this year. At the time, there was no info other than Face ID could come to iPad Pro. We now know about the 11" and 12.9" models. No news hinting at iPad mini has come since. In fact, we received negative news from Bloomberg.

At this point, it would be like waiting for SE2 on September 12. It could be announced, but you'd almost have to be religious to believe it.
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Just to clarify, Bloomberg being decently reliable, but Digitimes has a extremely sketch track record, and I really ever would use them to indicate as a backup source for any future predictions about an iPad or any Apple Product for that Matter. They basically ‘Mudsling’ rumors/predictions.

I agree about DigiTimes' accuracy. This time though, DigiTimes posted the news a week before Bloomberg did. For me at least, that's gives them a bit more credibility this time because it's not a regurgitated rumor from KGI/TF or Bloomberg.