iPad mini 17th October release ?

beer enigma

http://news.sky.com/story/992088/ipad-mini-launch-date-rumoured-for-october

This is looking like 2/3rd of the size of the iPad - not quite sure what the market is for it though

bop1977

I cant see where this will fit into apples range. You have the itouch at€329 the iPad 2 at €399 and the iPad at €479.

Does it mean they will kill off the iPad 2?

JoeA3

Seems pointless to me, particularly now that the iPhone and touch have larger (slightly!) screens now. I'm sure Apple will find a niche for it though!

cuilteanna

I would consider it. I'm getting rid of my iPad, but a smaller version that would fit in a handbag and be comfortable to hold could convince me to just switch. Yes, the iPod touch is both of those things but my eyes aren't great and I struggle with the iPhone at times so a medium size screen might be good.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

T-K-O

Urrghh

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

T-K-O

To be honest you cannot give an opinion about apple / android without being branded a fanboy.

Every device I owe is from Apple. I have a sweet little setup with my phone / imac / apple tv and ipad but recently I feel like a cow that has been milked once to often.

My ipad 2 was close to €700 and within months they made the device obsolete. I have a 27 inch cinema display, an expensive monitor that lays idle most of the time thanks to apple locking the hardware to certain products.

The products are still cool but more so than ever Apple are coining it.

beer enigma

cuilteanna wrote: »

I would consider it. I'm getting rid of my iPad, but a smaller version that would fit in a handbag and be comfortable to hold could convince me to just switch. Yes, the iPod touch is both of those things but my eyes aren't great and I struggle with the iPhone at times so a medium size screen might be good.

And that's exactly the answer I got when I asked the question at home, so maybe for handbags & business folders where the iPad is too cumbersome and the iPhone too small.....

Dades

The current iPad is also pretty heavy.

I assume the with the mini they'll be striving to make it light enough to hold in one hand for longer than a minute.

Kenno90

The only reason for them to release a mini is the cost. Any thing higher than 300 and it wouldn't seem worth it

bop1977

Kenno90 wrote: »

The only reason for them to release a mini is the cost. Any thing higher than 300 and it wouldn't seem worth it

But at that price you undercut the touch. I can see a need to compete against the nexus 7 but something in the apple range must give for this happen.

squonk

I guess the iPad 2 will go. Personally speaking I liked that there was a cut price iPad out there that wasn't the latest and greatest but wasn't a slouch either. I think a Mini, while nice, is small as well. How certain are we that this is happening though and that they won't end up just announcing an iMac refresh? I know there's parts being leaked but they're only rumours for now.

Dades

I don't think they'll be getting rid of the iPad 2.

Not everyone in the cheaper end of the market wants a mini screen to go with the mini price I'd have thought.

murpho999

T-K-O wrote: »

To be honest you cannot give an opinion about apple / android without being branded a fanboy.

Every device I owe is from Apple. I have a sweet little setup with my phone / imac / apple tv and ipad but recently I feel like a cow that has been milked once to often.

My ipad 2 was close to €700 and within months they made the device obsolete. I have a 27 inch cinema display, an expensive monitor that lays idle most of the time thanks to apple locking the hardware to certain products.

The products are still cool but more so than ever Apple are coining it.

Sorry but they released the iPad 3 a year later and your iPad 2 is not obsolete, as you can still buy one and I assume yours still works.

You don't have to buy every product they release you know?

curly.bert

I'm gonna go out on a limb and speculate that the Mini will be a Kindle competitor, as in a dedicated e-Reader. This is based on a few observations:

1) Apple have been trying to get into "reading" for years. Exhibit A - iBooks
2) One of the reasons Amazon's Kindle is so successful is that the content is plentiful and easy to get. With the iBookstore and Newsstand, Apple are the only company who can compete content-wise
3) The iPad regular is deadly but it can be awkward to read on, especially at night. My missus' Kindle is a much nicer reading device.
4) A mini reading device would not cannibalise iPad sales. It would also clearly distinguish it from the iPod Touch.

The mini in this scenario would have a limited App set and perhaps an e-Ink screen, as opposed to colour backlit LCD.

Of course, this pure speculation. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

curly.bert

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I'll certainly agree with you regarding the eInk and battery life.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

curly.bert

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Dropbox is your friend

NetNinja

Mini Ipad, Maybe it will be a Newton :pac:

Dades

It's not an e-reader unless it has an e-ink screen and there's no way in hell Apple are releasing a mini iPad with an e-ink screen.

They could claim its a reader like Amazon do with the kindle, but tbh they'll just sell it as a smaller, lighter, cheaper iPad, which is what it is.

Copper_pipe

Hope this is true, might treat myself for my birthday price pending

DubDJ

These rumours have been around since before the original iPad was released. And every year they turn out to be false. But this time around they seem to be really pushing it, posting purported part leaks and cases. I'd say if it was ever gonna be true then it's this year. Still seems strange that they'd release it so close to the iPhone and not alongside the new iPad in March.

Copper_pipe

I'm guessing prices will start around €300

beer enigma

curly.bert wrote: »

I'm gonna go out on a limb and speculate that the Mini will be a Kindle competitor, as in a dedicated e-Reader. This is based on a few observations:

1) Apple have been trying to get into "reading" for years. Exhibit A - iBooks
2) One of the reasons Amazon's Kindle is so successful is that the content is plentiful and easy to get. With the iBookstore and Newsstand, Apple are the only company who can compete content-wise
3) The iPad regular is deadly but it can be awkward to read on, especially at night. My missus' Kindle is a much nicer reading device.
4) A mini reading device would not cannibalise iPad sales. It would also clearly distinguish it from the iPod Touch.

The mini in this scenario would have a limited App set and perhaps an e-Ink screen, as opposed to colour backlit LCD.

Of course, this pure speculation. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Isn't the Kindle HD due out soon ? If you're right this would pitch directly against it but with heaps more functionality

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Dades

DubDJ wrote: »

Still seems strange that they'd release it so close to the iPhone and not alongside the new iPad in March.

Tazium

We've had this discussion previously in another thread. Really iPad is king of the hill at the moment and although other manufacturers are in the market space their share is negligible. To differentiate they (I'm really talking Andriod), got into the 7 inch zone and Apple have no products in that space. They are expected to enter and their pricing needs to be competitive although they'll still be the most expensive, I'd expect about a 70 euro premium over the Nexus 7 tablet.

For Apple to differentiate there will be some sacrifices that will be labelled as enabling cost reductions but in reality will be held back for version 2. This is rumoured already as the screen. With the iPhone 4 came the retina (high pixel density) screen, this was included with the new iPad and again included with the new Macbook range too. It's a progressive technology and eventually all screens will feature similar high pixel density screens. It's a great feature on the new iPad and really shows off the display ability of that device to great effect. Some people reckon it's not worth the extra cost over the iPad 2, I believe this is down to how you use the device. So, to retain the high premium for the new iPad and introduce a smaller device in the related space Apple are rumoured to use the same lower pixel density screen thats in the iPad 2. A non-retina display. The expectation is that the screen now being physically smaller will show good quality representation of images. In my opinion, that sucks and I hope it's untrue but I do expect it. Moving back to non-retina display for a device that is being introduced as an ideally sized ebook reader is rather unfortunate. That said until it's experienced we just won't know. Other potential limiters are the memory capacity, iPads go to 64GB. Another way to differentiate the products would be to limit the memory to a max of 32GB for example. If you need more, you'll be having the big brother. Further rumours extend to the processing power being the same as the iPad 2, an older chip, with newer refinements rather than the newer chips used in the new iPad or iPhone 5.

I had the original iPad and while I liked and enjoyed it, I felt it was too big and too heavy, carrying it was that little bit awkward but it was still a great device. I skipped on the iPad 2, and got the new iPad which was a marked improvement in performance and display technology and the cameras but was to me, just as heavy as the original. I'd lie on the couch and prop it on my chest while using it and it would feel it was digging into me, even through it's case. I was hoping for the physically smaller one and I'll look forward to seeing what happens.

I'm particularly interested in the aspect ratio as for me these are great video playing devices and would be one of my main uses.

The rumours suggest an event to be held on the 17th with the release about a week or two after. It will be an interesting tech filled Christmas and holiday season.

i just obught a nexus 7 for 239 16gb im happy with it for watching my tv shows at night in bed instead of the ol labtop wish i waited to see what the price was knowing apple 300 + so i made the right decission

curly.bert

Andip wrote: »

Isn't the Kindle HD due out soon ? If you're right this would pitch directly against it but with heaps more functionality

Yup, the new Kindle Fire HD is just out.

But just imagine an eInk Apple Reader for a second. This thread is all pure speculation anyway. We'll know one way or the other come the end of next week.