Apple discontinued the iPod mini at the height of its popularity, replacing it with the iPod nano.
True.
But they could have simply named the new device the iPod Mini, instead of rebranding it to the Nano and no one would have questioned whether it's a new product or revamped existing.
This is a rumor assuming that the shift of larger phones and larger tablet sizes is/will erode the Mini. Before it's released. Before there's even a market that exists for this product.
I firmly believe the iPad Mini has a different target market that the Air will be unable to fill in its absence, now that it exists and has quite successfully for 3 years.
I think Apple's gonna start playing the "size = more specs" game, if the "larger screen = pro" rumor comes true. The (2013) Air and the Retina Mini have very similar specs, but the Air costs more. With the upgrade to the Air 2, the Mini 3 seems to have started trailing the Air 2 in specs such as the A7 instead of the A8X. Sounds like a trend that might continue. More Size = LEETness.
Wait... so Apple keeps making the iPod Classic year after year until the parts are simply not available, yet the beloved Mini--which they now offer THREE whole generations of--is such a small niche product that it's suddenly going to be gone?
My favorite kind of rumor: pure fiction.
The Air and 6 Plus certainly eat into the Mini market, but it's still there.
As long as the big iPad is at least two inches bigger than the 9.7" iPad, Apple will be happy. Maybe they tried 12.9" and found that it was too cumbersome or too heavy. 12.2" would be fine, also.
I'm waiting for Apple to produce a 30" screen that has no physical form. You sit in a chair, tap the iPhone in your pocket and lo! a screen appears in front of you. You can resize it to whatever you want.
That's what Apple should have revealed at the September keynote, not some humdrum watch. Until that weightless screen is revealed or some such invention, then Apple is treading water, and so are we.
As Tim said, the supply chain is so complex, it's foolish to extrapolate based on a handful of observations. Some contract manufacturers may be shifting over to the 13" iPad, there might be a rejiggering of the product mix, but very, very doubtful that the smallest iPad would be discontinued.
LOL Just LOL. "with competitors like Samsung slowly nibbling away at Apple's dominant marketshare." OK, any blogger who talks marketshare is an idiot or troll and nothing they say can be considered important.
We know that Apple does NOT focus on market share, but the bloggers who have no real knowledge DO.
I have the original mini, but it's been hijacked and confiscated by my gf, and I never touch it.
Kill the mini, I don't give a crap! And I'm really glad that Apple decided to gimp it this year and not upgrade it, besides adding Touch ID to it, and some gold coloring!
I'm sure if mainframes were still a thing, some trolls would post how the iPad Pro is no good unless it ran z/OS and cost $3 million plus a perpetual IBM support contract. Because they're dinosaurs whining for the lost world.
I'm sure if mainframes were still a thing, some trolls would post how the iPad Pro is no good unless it ran z/OS and cost $3 million plus a perpetual IBM support contract. Because they're dinosaurs whining for the lost world.
There are people who still, to this day, refuse to use OS X because they think that the nasty hack of an OS called Mac OS 9 is better.
Not steer. Apple want to phase out the Mini eventually, so they won't bother to upgrade it. They will test drive the Mini 3 for another year and if sale is not great, no more Mini.
I personally think the Mini has been useless and now with 6+, it's going no where but dead end.
I really, truly hope this rumor is wrong. The only iPads I've ever owned have been Minis (original and Retina), and I would hate to have a larger iPad (no matter how thin and light they make it). The size is the perfect fit for my life, and even getting the iPhone 6 Plus hasn't made me stop using it on a daily or near-daily basis.
I can see me going another 2 years or more without needing to replace my Mini. If Apple isn't offering one when that time comes, they'll be losing me as an iPad customer without a doubt. Not that it matters to them, but ... I know I'll be disappointed.
Do Apple care to lose a customer who desires an iPad that make a little profit? I guess not.
I think this 'media insider' may have literally read your idea you wrote several weeks ago and ran with it.
Probably...but I believe iPad mini sale/profit has been bad. Tell me if you own iPhone 6/6+ and want an iPad, which one would you get, Mini 3 or Air 2? It would be stupid to get a Mini for $100 less instead of Air 2. Air 2 performance trounced Mini for only $100.
I have the original mini, but it's been hijacked and confiscated by my gf, and I never touch it.
Kill the mini, I don't give a crap! And I'm really glad that Apple decided to gimp it this year and not upgrade it, besides adding Touch ID to it, and some gold coloring!
I'm all about larger iPads! Bring on the 12.9"!
Not 12.9", but 12.2"...I wouldn't buy until Ming Chi Kuo says so.
Killing the Mini is okay. Personally, get rid of the Mini and Mini 2 next year, keep the Mini 3 around at $329 or so for the entry level model.
They will keep Mini 3 for another 2 years but there'll be no update. I hope it doesn't disappear all the sudden. I would want to get my hand on it next year when the price drops below $300 for my 2-year old to play with.
I think the Mini sold well, but the Air really took away a lot of reason for choosing it. The 6 Plus also took more reason away. Now it's squeezed between a larger iPad that actually, to many, feels lighter than the 'mini' iPad, and a phone that appeals to people looking to save money.
Without Bean Counters you end up like Samsung with a 75% drop in profits.
Then you don't have money for R&D, OS updates, ecosystem builds, new stores, ect. Apple's profits is what runs the companies amazing culture and ecosystem. You can't have one without the other.
More bean counters. I'm sorry but I thought Apple was about making great products above all else. The problem with the iPad mini isn't margins, it's the bean counters getting greedy. Apple's profit last quarter was $8.2 BILLION. More than Exxon Mobile's profits for the quarter. An iPad mini with an A8 chip and laminated display doesn't get you 75% drop in profits. That's BS and you know it. There's no way Tim Cook or Phil Schiller could honestly say the mini 3 deserves to exist. Quite honestly I wouldn't mind if Schiller took an early retirement. Get someone in there who will start creating better ads and someone who isn't obsessed with upselling (and making a mess out of a product line to do it).
Hopefully this is BS. But seeing as how the mini got a pathetic update this year I wouldn't be surprised if it's true. Bean counters (and yes I include Schiller in that bunch) running the show now so if the Air, "Pro" and 6 Plus bring in more $$ then it's bye bye mini. Which would be a shame. I know several mini owners who love the device and think it's the perfect size.
Maybe there will only be limited models of mini, like black or white 16 GB. Possibly they are not selling enough or not enough margin?
The regular iPad now looks pretty small.
Eh, the mini will be around, 99% sure. As long as they have there 40% margins on product.
Comments
True.
But they could have simply named the new device the iPod Mini, instead of rebranding it to the Nano and no one would have questioned whether it's a new product or revamped existing.
This is a rumor assuming that the shift of larger phones and larger tablet sizes is/will erode the Mini. Before it's released. Before there's even a market that exists for this product.
I firmly believe the iPad Mini has a different target market that the Air will be unable to fill in its absence, now that it exists and has quite successfully for 3 years.
My favorite kind of rumor: pure fiction.
The Air and 6 Plus certainly eat into the Mini market, but it's still there.
'I told you all, you Bozo's'
-Channeling Steve Jobs from the beyond
12.2, 12.9, whatever.
As long as the big iPad is at least two inches bigger than the 9.7" iPad, Apple will be happy. Maybe they tried 12.9" and found that it was too cumbersome or too heavy. 12.2" would be fine, also.
I'm waiting for Apple to produce a 30" screen that has no physical form. You sit in a chair, tap the iPhone in your pocket and lo! a screen appears in front of you. You can resize it to whatever you want.
That's what Apple should have revealed at the September keynote, not some humdrum watch. Until that weightless screen is revealed or some such invention, then Apple is treading water, and so are we.
As Tim said, the supply chain is so complex, it's foolish to extrapolate based on a handful of observations. Some contract manufacturers may be shifting over to the 13" iPad, there might be a rejiggering of the product mix, but very, very doubtful that the smallest iPad would be discontinued.
12-inch 'iPad Pro'
The new MacBook Pro.
(Mac production to wind down by mid-2016. iMacs to remain for education sector.)
"with competitors like Samsung slowly nibbling away at Apple's dominant marketshare."
OK, any blogger who talks marketshare is an idiot or troll and nothing they say can be considered important.
We know that Apple does NOT focus on market share, but the bloggers who have no real knowledge DO.
Nuff said.
I have the original mini, but it's been hijacked and confiscated by my gf, and I never touch it.
Kill the mini, I don't give a crap! And I'm really glad that Apple decided to gimp it this year and not upgrade it, besides adding Touch ID to it, and some gold coloring!
I'm all about larger iPads! Bring on the 12.9"!
I'm sure if mainframes were still a thing, some trolls would post how the iPad Pro is no good unless it ran z/OS and cost $3 million plus a perpetual IBM support contract. Because they're dinosaurs whining for the lost world.
2 years, 11 days.
There are people who still, to this day, refuse to use OS X because they think that the nasty hack of an OS called Mac OS 9 is better.
Wonder who’s happy about this...
LOL...I predicted it:
Originally Posted by fallenjt
Not steer. Apple want to phase out the Mini eventually, so they won't bother to upgrade it. They will test drive the Mini 3 for another year and if sale is not great, no more Mini.
I personally think the Mini has been useless and now with 6+, it's going no where but dead end.
Well, fudge.
I really, truly hope this rumor is wrong. The only iPads I've ever owned have been Minis (original and Retina), and I would hate to have a larger iPad (no matter how thin and light they make it). The size is the perfect fit for my life, and even getting the iPhone 6 Plus hasn't made me stop using it on a daily or near-daily basis.
I can see me going another 2 years or more without needing to replace my Mini. If Apple isn't offering one when that time comes, they'll be losing me as an iPad customer without a doubt. Not that it matters to them, but ... I know I'll be disappointed.
Do Apple care to lose a customer who desires an iPad that make a little profit? I guess not.
I think this 'media insider' may have literally read your idea you wrote several weeks ago and ran with it.
Probably...but I believe iPad mini sale/profit has been bad. Tell me if you own iPhone 6/6+ and want an iPad, which one would you get, Mini 3 or Air 2? It would be stupid to get a Mini for $100 less instead of Air 2. Air 2 performance trounced Mini for only $100.
I have the original mini, but it's been hijacked and confiscated by my gf, and I never touch it.
Kill the mini, I don't give a crap! And I'm really glad that Apple decided to gimp it this year and not upgrade it, besides adding Touch ID to it, and some gold coloring!
I'm all about larger iPads! Bring on the 12.9"!
Not 12.9", but 12.2"...I wouldn't buy until Ming Chi Kuo says so.
Killing the Mini is okay. Personally, get rid of the Mini and Mini 2 next year, keep the Mini 3 around at $329 or so for the entry level model.
They will keep Mini 3 for another 2 years but there'll be no update. I hope it doesn't disappear all the sudden. I would want to get my hand on it next year when the price drops below $300 for my 2-year old to play with.
More bean counters. I'm sorry but I thought Apple was about making great products above all else. The problem with the iPad mini isn't margins, it's the bean counters getting greedy. Apple's profit last quarter was $8.2 BILLION. More than Exxon Mobile's profits for the quarter. An iPad mini with an A8 chip and laminated display doesn't get you 75% drop in profits. That's BS and you know it. There's no way Tim Cook or Phil Schiller could honestly say the mini 3 deserves to exist. Quite honestly I wouldn't mind if Schiller took an early retirement. Get someone in there who will start creating better ads and someone who isn't obsessed with upselling (and making a mess out of a product line to do it).
Hopefully this is BS. But seeing as how the mini got a pathetic update this year I wouldn't be surprised if it's true. Bean counters (and yes I include Schiller in that bunch) running the show now so if the Air, "Pro" and 6 Plus bring in more $$ then it's bye bye mini. Which would be a shame. I know several mini owners who love the device and think it's the perfect size.
Maybe there will only be limited models of mini, like black or white 16 GB. Possibly they are not selling enough or not enough margin?
The regular iPad now looks pretty small.
Eh, the mini will be around, 99% sure. As long as they have there 40% margins on product.
Most people use them for reading?