Apple rumored to launch with 6M of sub-$300 'iPad mini' this year

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 129
    wurm5150wurm5150 Posts: 763member
    I hope it's true.. It's not about the price for me but the size and portability.
  • Reply 22 of 129
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    The market will be much smaller, nowhere near the 55M - 60M that the iPad currently has annually. Or it will cannibalize the hugely successful current version (which still has no competition), with lower margins.



    It will compete for the cheap-o market segment.



    Not worth it for Apple, since it needs BIG wins at its current scale.



    Yeah, $3 B a year isn't worth pursuing.

    10 M of these tablets at $300 is $3 B - not counting any other benefits.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by King of Beige View Post


    Highly unlikely as there isn't much of a market for a 7" or 'mini" tablet and I don't see Apple wasting resources to create the market.



    Amazon has sold a lot of Kindles in that size - and that's where most of the other tablets are focusing since they can't compete with Apple on a 10" tablet.



    Apple would have to weigh the following:

    - Revenues from iPad mini ($3 B a year if they sell 10 M at $300)

    - Any cannibalization of regular iPads would reduce the value

    - Value of blocking competition. There's a concern that if Apple lets the competitors get established with 7" tablets that it will make it easier for them to get a foothold on 10" tablets later.



    Personally, I wouldn't have any use for an iPad Mini, but some people obviously do. Apple has the opportunity to own another market just like they do with the MP3 player market, so there would be some real value to offering a product in this range - especially since they could keep competitors out.



    My concern is whether they save enough money to bring the price down to the estimates. AFAICT, $250 is pretty much out of the question. $300 would probably pinch the margins quite a bit.
  • Reply 23 of 129
    Seems to me that the key is having a device that you can easily pocket yet uses the largest screen possible while maintaining that first attribute.



    Being as the resolution of the current Touch is so high, if the revised Touch had let's say a 4.75-inch screen, you could easily retain the current Touch screen resolution yet still have a decent calibre of screen.



    Apple could easily justify about $50 more for such a device if it included a dramatically better camera. In addition Apple could make the Nano a tad larger to not lose any segment.



    This makes far more sense than an 8-inch iPad.



    Besides, the Touch hasn't been significantly revised for quite some time so it adds up.
  • Reply 24 of 129
    j1h15233j1h15233 Posts: 274member
    Won't believe it till I see it.
  • Reply 25 of 129
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Take a screenshot of your iPad and then open Photos and rotate your iPad and giggle. It's laughably bad. I don't get or understand it.



    That said I'd never try to predict what Apple is thinking here. If I was them I wouldn't bother, but I am not them.
  • Reply 26 of 129
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    I'll bet this does happen.



    Those Windows tablets are the only things with the potential to pose a real competitive threat to the iPad. Apple should pre-empt them with overwhelming competitive force. In fact, that is exactly what Apple has been doing. Apple has accepted much lower margins on the iPad (relative to the iPhone) and has been very aggressive with the hardware specs. An iPad mini at a lower price point would be consistent with the aggressive competitiveness that Apple has already shown. It would also put incredible pressure on the profit margins of competitors. It is getting harder all the time to profitably compete with Apple in tablets.
  • Reply 27 of 129
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Take a screenshot of your iPad and then open Photos and rotate your iPad and giggle. It's laughably bad. I don't get or understand it.



    That's if you assume they will shoehorn the i9.7" Pad UI into a display about half its size. We know from experience that they won't ever do that.
  • Reply 28 of 129
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kcartesius View Post


    Exactly:



    1) 7" fits into pockets; always there.



    2) Should have phone capabilities (why all iPads don't have that is beyond me).



    3) Should appear as a disk in the Mac Finder; free space to be usable as a thumb drive.



    As far as I'm concerned, it could cost a lot more as long as it's pocket size.



    Unless Apple releases a smaller tablet in 16:9 format how does it fit into your pocket?
  • Reply 29 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shaun, UK View Post


    Why is everyone always so negative.



    I think this will happen and it will be the star of the show at this year?s iPod media event.



    Unless the UI is completely revamped, it will have to ship with sandpaper so that users can convert their fingertips into bloody little nubs.



    The current iPad 2 UI was designed for a 10 inch tablet. It will NOT WORK WELL on a 7 inch tablet.
  • Reply 30 of 129
    I would definitely buy one (or more) of these for my kids. They currently use the iPod Touch but want/need more screen space to browse internet and play games. If it were $100 less than the iPad 2 and priced at $299, I really feel it would be a huge hit.
  • Reply 31 of 129
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    This would be Apples most popular iPad if they would release one. You nay sayers are really under estimating this market. Howeve it probably won't happen as the margains are to small. Plus it would be nice if Apple leaves this market alone, let the other manufactures have it.
  • Reply 32 of 129
    I see this as "iNewton" and a new category that is positioned for messaging, note taking, and other small tasks.
  • Reply 33 of 129
    Why not? Apple sells different types of iPods (size and capacities).....why not give the consumer more choices for the iPad as well?
  • Reply 34 of 129
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post


    Unless the UI is completely revamped, it will have to ship with sandpaper so that users can convert their fingertips into bloody little nubs.



    The current iPad 2 UI was designed for a 10 inch tablet. It will NOT WORK WELL on a 7 inch tablet.



    The current UI was designed for a tiny 3.5" display. It would work just fine on a 7.8" tablet. Anyone who can operate a iPhone with its small screen will have no problem.
  • Reply 35 of 129
    pedromartinspedromartins Posts: 1,333member
    1024*768 resolution..



    7.85..



    the iPod is killing consoles..



    249$..



    a5x on it = awesomeness and huge potential.

    it has the potential to be a good idea.
  • Reply 36 of 129
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by winstein2010 View Post


    I see this as "iNewton" and a new category that is positioned for messaging, note taking, and other small tasks.



    Why limit it to doing just a few tasks, I use my Galaxy 7.7" much more then my iPad because it fits in my purse perfectly. I have every app that I use on my iPad and it runs them just fine. Its the perfect size for a tablet maybe even the best.
  • Reply 37 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by winstein2010 View Post


    I see this as "iNewton" and a new category that is positioned for messaging, note taking, and other small tasks.



    With a stylus? Har! The best stylus in the whole world is your fingertip!
  • Reply 38 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lokiju View Post


    I carry my Kindle Fire in my back pocket of my Dockers dress pants all the time.



    There is no pair of pants in the world that can properly be called "dress pants," that has a back pocket big enough for a kindle.
  • Reply 39 of 129
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post


    With a stylus? Har! The best stylus in the whole world is your fingertip!



    Not for drawing or writing notes it's not.
  • Reply 40 of 129
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    There is no pair of pants in the world that can properly be called "dress pants," that has a back pocket big enough for a kindle.



    That was my first thought. My second though was that it was a dress, made into pants with extra fabric used to make an uncomfortable 190 mm (7.5 in) x 120 mm (4.7 in) pocket to envelope a Kindle Fire.
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