I don't think that's much of an issue with the ipad's battery life. I don't disagree with you, consumers most likely are ok with just having a phablet for most occasions.
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iPad mini We want an iPad mini 5 thread
- Thread starter Jacoblee23
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I don't think that's much of an issue with the ipad's battery life. I don't disagree with you, consumers most likely are ok with just having a phablet for most occasions.
Yup. Forget surfing on a Plus. The very reason I own this iPad is the result of a 6+ not being able to do the job. When I bought this iPad (iPad Air 2 POS) I was not able to decide whether to get the Mini or the ‘big’ one. The guy in the Apple store said they get far more people returning Minis for these than returning these for Minis, so I bought this one. I dislike it immensely. IMO it’s too large and cumbersome. My friend has a Mini 4 and it just reaffirms I made a mistake. Nevermind the size, this is a POS to boot. Can’t wait to replace it. This is the first time I have ever developed a wandering eye, but I dislike MS and Android even more than this iPad, so I guess I’m stuck with it. Please bring on a Mini 5.
S
I am anxiously awaiting a new iPad mini. I absolutely love my 4 and am praying for an update. The regular iPads are just too big and a plus size phone is NOT the same as an iPad. I would be happy with just upgraded internals at this point.
Apple just update the A8 to A11 with 4GB RAM! Leave everything the same. Quick and easy solution! 18% of all iPad sales! With this update, sales could double, triple from just current Mini users!
I personally think that iPad Mini does not serve its purpose anymore.
My logic is that Apple has created the iPad Mini in a response to the growing popularity of 7 inch Android tablets. I mean, many of you probably remember how popular back then those were.
The thing is that market slowly changed, and mid sized tablets have declined in popularity due to the phones getting bigger and bigger. And rarely anyone wanted a 7 inch tablet together with 5.5-6 inch phone.
You see the state in which tablet market is in today. Only iPad still has significant sales, and all other tablets are almost forgotten.
In my opinion, iPad Mini is a relic which was created to appeal to the market that doesn't even exist anymore.
My logic is that Apple has created the iPad Mini in a response to the growing popularity of 7 inch Android tablets. I mean, many of you probably remember how popular back then those were.
The thing is that market slowly changed, and mid sized tablets have declined in popularity due to the phones getting bigger and bigger. And rarely anyone wanted a 7 inch tablet together with 5.5-6 inch phone.
You see the state in which tablet market is in today. Only iPad still has significant sales, and all other tablets are almost forgotten.
In my opinion, iPad Mini is a relic which was created to appeal to the market that doesn't even exist anymore.
I have a 2018 iPad and still want an updated Mini for several reasons (mostly so I can give my mom the 2018 and retire her iPad 2).
I dislike the + phones (have a 7+) and the screen is still too small for me, while remaining super awkward to use. I prefer smaller phones, these days I think the Apple Mini sized products are my desired sweet spot. So I hope the iPad Mini and the iPhone SE get updates.
The 7.9 iPad mini has something like 80% more screen area than the 7+. I don’t care if the x+ looks close at 6.5. It’s not. Different aspect ratio too. The mini is a whole different category. Hope they update it. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy it. Those of us who see the value will pick one up.
Granted, there are still people like you out there who would like to purchase it. But, there really need to be more of you for Apple to bother.
Oh I’m not demanding one. They will do what they want. I do think it’s a decent sized market. And how much work would it be to keep the exact same body, forget pencil and simply beef up the processor and chassis? The iPod Touch still sits in the lineup.
What I do see Happening is a bezelless 9.7 with faceid and pencil next year . Chassis just slightly bigger than the mini. The mini branding goes away leaving us with
iPad (9.7 bezelless, smaller chassis )
ePad (9.7 bezelled Touch ID, current chassis)
iPad Pro ... pick your size.
That's asking a bit much. They probably wouldn't upgrade it beyond the 6th gen non-Pro model, which is the every-man's iPad, so to speak, but an A10 with 2 GB of RAM would be fine for now.
I gave you a "hesitant" thumbs up.
I agree with all that you said except for... the popularity of 5.5-6 inch phones have contributed to the demise of the iPad Mini. I do believe that for some, phablets have eliminated the need for something like the iPad Mini, but there are far too many use cases for which the Mini is the proper device and a phablet is not.
Although I was highly hopeful, I'm now, sadly, highly doubtful that Apple will produce a follow-on to the Mini 4.
I think the take-away for Mini fans is... Apple doesn't listen to emails to Tim Cook. They don't listen to posts made in their support forums. They only listen to the sound of money going to competitors who offer the thing that they want. The mindshift needs to be: having something that suits my needs (barely or mostly) is better than waiting and hoping for something that may never appear. Us iPad Mini fans owe a debt of gratitude to those people who bought 7" Android tablets in sufficient quantities for Apple to take notice. Without them, we never would've had an iPad Mini.
Ideal iPad line up:
* 8.5” (instead of 7.9”) bezel-less iPad mini Pro with pencil support & face ID
* 11” iPad Pro bezel-less and with face ID
*12.9” iPad Pro bezel-less and with face ID
*low cost 9.7” regular iPad with pencil support
Make it happen Apple
* 8.5” (instead of 7.9”) bezel-less iPad mini Pro with pencil support & face ID
* 11” iPad Pro bezel-less and with face ID
*12.9” iPad Pro bezel-less and with face ID
*low cost 9.7” regular iPad with pencil support
Make it happen Apple
Almost agree. Why add a new screen size? I see them taking the low cost iPad and lopping off the beZels. Chassis will be slightly bigger than the current mini. I believe another poster did the math a while ago.
No 2GB of RAM is not adequate because Apple has go to multiple screens and capturing 4K images and video. Has to be at least 4GB. Remember, 8K cameras and video are being use in commercial production now like movie making and medicine.
Yes, but that's what the Pro is for. Let's face it, the mini was never intended to be the powerhouse of the lineup. Even the non-pro 9.7" model has 2 GB of RAM and still does most of the things that the Pros can and certainly fits the needs of most consumers.
I was thinking that over the weekend when I put a book I was reading on my laptop over to the mini and realized there's still no newer version of the hardware out there. The device I have won't last forever and I find it very handy for toting books around, even if I use my iPhone and iPad Pro a lot for other applications. For some reason the mini strikes me as perfect for one-page views of books, and for a few games I like, so it always ends up in my totebag when I travel.
...not to mention that the iPad Mini 4 has the highest pixel density (by far) of any iPad (Pro or non)... that makes it perfect for reading.
A nice thought, but given that it seems that Apple doesn’t care about the mini line at all anymore, the best we can even hope for is a modest spec update to keep it from going completely obsolete. Odds against a pro model are about 1 in 10 million!
I've thought about doing this before. My anxiety is that with voice calling: cellular voice still works even with low bars in 2G, but VoIP needs a 3G connection with decent signal at a minimum.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Yeah, in my situation, my "phone" is mostly used as a mobile computer. I really don't make or take that many voice calls on it. So I don't notice the 2G issue because of the lack of heavy voice usage. The vast majority of the time, I'm in a wifi zone and calls come in or go out with great quality.
As I mentioned, my setup is not for everyone... but it works great for me and costs next to nothing. If anything, I'm sort of kicking myself for not making this change several years ago. I got the Obihai device a few years ago and it basically sat on a shelf waiting to be tried. Former provider Comcast Voice kept giving me a "triple play" deal when I threatened to cancel each year that made it "good enough" to stick with them. And then they finally pushed back, so I switched.
As a side note: they had the bulk of the billing in "Voice", so my now "double play" bill plunged. And when the introductory price there was about to expire, they seemed to take me more seriously that I'd drop their service since I had dropped Voice. Reupped on "double play" at introductory rates again. Net: Cheap broadband and television (feed), free phone service. It doesn't feel much different than before, maybe even better... but I pay a lot less. Score (a rare) one for a consumer (in 2018).
As I mentioned, my setup is not for everyone... but it works great for me and costs next to nothing. If anything, I'm sort of kicking myself for not making this change several years ago. I got the Obihai device a few years ago and it basically sat on a shelf waiting to be tried. Former provider Comcast Voice kept giving me a "triple play" deal when I threatened to cancel each year that made it "good enough" to stick with them. And then they finally pushed back, so I switched.
As a side note: they had the bulk of the billing in "Voice", so my now "double play" bill plunged. And when the introductory price there was about to expire, they seemed to take me more seriously that I'd drop their service since I had dropped Voice. Reupped on "double play" at introductory rates again. Net: Cheap broadband and television (feed), free phone service. It doesn't feel much different than before, maybe even better... but I pay a lot less. Score (a rare) one for a consumer (in 2018).
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I would take any update at this point to the mini.
I find the form factor ideal for reading as it most closely mimics a average size of a book.
It is amazing how much demand there is for this product - whether iPad or Android - in a number of niche markets that in aggregate means good sales. The pilot that posted previously notes it is the perfect kneeboard and yoke size.
Recently exposed to off-road and expedition vehicle community and there is a huge use of this size tablet to display maps and such. Mounting a full size iPad in a vehicle to display info, custom maps, etc. is not very practical. But even a + size phone is too small and usually requires being handled to see details.
Another point about the tablet market trends: One reason the Android market cooled on tablets as a whole was there were just too much garbage put out in the clone market and developers didn't or couldn't design for every size and configuration. But there has seemed to be continued demand for the mini sized Android. But Apple only seems to want to compete with the Surface offerings from Microsoft.
I find the form factor ideal for reading as it most closely mimics a average size of a book.
It is amazing how much demand there is for this product - whether iPad or Android - in a number of niche markets that in aggregate means good sales. The pilot that posted previously notes it is the perfect kneeboard and yoke size.
Recently exposed to off-road and expedition vehicle community and there is a huge use of this size tablet to display maps and such. Mounting a full size iPad in a vehicle to display info, custom maps, etc. is not very practical. But even a + size phone is too small and usually requires being handled to see details.
Another point about the tablet market trends: One reason the Android market cooled on tablets as a whole was there were just too much garbage put out in the clone market and developers didn't or couldn't design for every size and configuration. But there has seemed to be continued demand for the mini sized Android. But Apple only seems to want to compete with the Surface offerings from Microsoft.
My husband and I would both buy one instantly. I've had several iPads since the original, and the Mini is my favorite. My husband never even wanted an iPad before the Mini because they were too big.