Apple unveils 5th-gen iPad mini with Apple Pencil support, better Retina display

135

Comments

  • Reply 41 of 86
    And it's still $399, now for half the storage as before. Talk about DOA release.
    Who is this for exactly? The person who wants the cheapest way to get Apple support? Oh wait no that's the larger and better and cheaper 9.7" iPad at $329.

    So its for the person who wants the smallest and least usable Apple Pencil support? What a joke.

    Because no one is going to buy this as just an iPad, because its a terrible buy in that regard.



    16GB->64GB
    Truetone
    A8 -> A12
    Apple Pencil Support

    Still $399.99 as the Mini 4.

    This is FAR from a DOA release and I'm not seeing the downside.

    Any product can have it's nits picked if one so desires.

    This is the form factor my daughter and wife prefer. For anyone who places size/weight as their top priority, this is a solid upgrade with optional pencil support if so desired. My wife is using a 4, so she's good to go, but this will be replacing my daughter's 2 this fall and she will be extremely happy.
    roundaboutnowthtmuthuk_vanalingammacplusplusStrangeDaysDAalsethleftoverbaconwatto_cobra
  • Reply 42 of 86
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member

    conitor said:
    As much as I love the iPad Mini, this release I a bit disappointing.  It simply doesn't justify the $399 starting price imo.  What about the Pencil?  I'm not sure what purpose it serves to support 2 different pencils, originally hoped gen 2 was simply a replacement to gen 1 with a forced upgrade but now its more Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro.  Completely unnecessary, all it does is confuse consumers, give the appearance as a money grab and having another SKU that is seemingly unnecessary.  
    Hmm yeah couldn’t have anything to do with being cheaper hardware, right? Seriously, it’s common sense: the new pencil is more expensive because it does more, and it’s more expensive to implement on the ipad compared to the old pencil. Thus, if building a non-Pro that is supposed to be cheaper, using the older pencil is cheaper than the new. Do you want newer that does more? Cool, that costs more. Do you want cheaper? Cool, that does less. 

    Why is this hard?
    You talk as if the prices of tech don't come down over time. With the exception of the regularly updated iPhone, Apple's pretty much the only tech company that doesn't discount its prices as products age. This isn't a problem with regular updates, but people start to get pretty uncomfortable about buying products that've been on the market for years and still cost the same. Especially since Apple's erratic cycles mean their "new" two year old iMac could effectively become "old" within a few days. Or maybe it'll be another two years. Who knows? A customer buying an iMac now would get two years less software support than one buying just after an update.

    The Pencil 1 has been out for years, and is still the same price it was as it was new. They should have dropped the price to say $69 when the Pencil 2 came out. It's too expensive, especially in an eduction setting. The pricing of the iPad itself is not bad imo.
  • Reply 43 of 86
    sacto joesacto joe Posts: 895member
    The addition of the Pencil obviously increased the price because of the required hardware change. Even so, the price is really not out of line for those that prefer this form factor.

    IMHO, it’ll sell like hotcakes.
    macplusplusSpamSandwichwatto_cobra
  • Reply 44 of 86
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Very nice upgrades. I didn't expect pencil support for the base iPad, but then I didn't expect a new Mini at all, let alone with pencil support. I was sure it had entered moribund status. Quite a surprising morning.
    edited March 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 45 of 86
    NotsofastNotsofast Posts: 450member
    And it's still $399, now for half the storage as before. Talk about DOA release.
    Who is this for exactly? The person who wants the cheapest way to get Apple support? Oh wait no that's the larger and better and cheaper 9.7" iPad at $329.

    So its for the person who wants the smallest and least usable Apple Pencil support? What a joke.

    Because no one is going to buy this as just an iPad, because its a terrible buy in that regard.


    Let's track and see how this comes out.  Your prediction that no one is going to buy it as it's a terrible buy, or Apple's , who's sold several hundred million iPads, and tens of millions of iPad minis. likely prediction before they put it production that millions of customers will buy it.  I am going out on a limb, but I am going to lean toward Apple in this regard that millions of people in 2019 alone will disagree with you. 
    muthuk_vanalingamStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 46 of 86
    I am not disappointed in the least by the all the bib-dribbling and spoon-clanging from the techie boyz who **were never going to buy this, because I'm a power user and why would I have such a device that is meant for lesser life forms?** 

    Predictable, but still hilarious. 
    macpluspluswatto_cobra
  • Reply 47 of 86
    NotsofastNotsofast Posts: 450member
    NY1822 said:
    wow....great display...we were all expecting laminated screen again
    Yup, and we got it. The Air 2 and mini 5 are both laminated.
    What am I missing? Isn't it an advantage that it has a laminated screen?
  • Reply 48 of 86
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    The new Pencil is a much more premium experience for Pro iPads. The 1st Gen Pencil still is industry leading & its cheaper for regular note taking.
    No argument on its premium status but it’s a stagnant step as opposed to being progressive.  I generally feel like Apple isn’t pushing hard enough for tech advances anymore - I get it but as I admitted, it also feels like a slap in the face to me having purchased all new equipment.  
    No you don’t get it. Pencil 2 requires wireless charging circuitry and straight edges necessitating a whole design change. Pencil 1 is the complete and inexpensIve solution for these Touch ID models.
    edited March 2019 muthuk_vanalingamStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 49 of 86
    drewys808drewys808 Posts: 549member
    gutengel said:
    $400 for a outdated design and 64GB of memory, old apple pencil same price as 2 years ago. It feels Apple is just lagging on strategy. At this point I see Apple selling the same 3 year old AirPods for the same dam price for the next 3 years and selling the 2G for an extra $30~$40. And then they wonder why ALL their hardware sales is down world wide... If Apple is serious about selling services, they should be a bit more generous about what they offer hardware wise to really attract new customers. It feels like Tim is afraid of cannibalising it's own lineup.  
    What a rambling non-sequitur.

    False.  Not all hardware sales are down.  It was really only iPhones that disappointed (and not even addressed in your post).

    they should be a bit more generous...”.  Yes, that’s exactly how all successful businesses are run.  /s
    elijahgwatto_cobra
  • Reply 50 of 86
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    Very disappointing.  FaceID is two iPhone generations old, and non-existent on the brand spanking new iPad mini. So, because I prefer a smaller screen for easier use in a cockpit, I'm being sentenced to an inferior experience? And what's with the old pencil? This is not the Apple I know.
    >:) Why would you need Face ID in a cockpit? The fear of a passenger grabbing your iPad and running away? Also Face ID may betray you as well with all the head gear or glasses you may be wearing in the cockpit...

    What’s wrong with the “old” pencil? There, I fixed it for you...

    edited March 2019 StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 51 of 86
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    sacto joe said:
    The addition of the Pencil obviously increased the price because of the required hardware change. Even so, the price is really not out of line for those that prefer this form factor.

    IMHO, it’ll sell like hotcakes.
    The addition of the Pencil + A12 processor, and yes it will sell like hotcakes. This is the XR of the A12 iPads...
    edited March 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 52 of 86
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    markbyrn said:
    Sorry Tim Apple, I'm not blown away by this 
    Are you in the market for an ipad Mini? If not, why would you expect to be? 
    muthuk_vanalingamDAalsethelectrosoftCommonsense65watto_cobra
  • Reply 53 of 86
    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG Posts: 966member
    gutengel said:
    $400 for a outdated design and 64GB of memory, old apple pencil same price as 2 years ago
    $400 for a state-of-the-art CPU and PENCIL!!#! in a Mini! It's a dream come true
    StrangeDaysleftoverbaconwatto_cobra
  • Reply 54 of 86
    And it's still $399, now for half the storage as before. Talk about DOA release.
    Who is this for exactly? The person who wants the cheapest way to get Apple support? Oh wait no that's the larger and better and cheaper 9.7" iPad at $329.

    So its for the person who wants the smallest and least usable Apple Pencil support? What a joke.

    Because no one is going to buy this as just an iPad, because its a terrible buy in that regard.


    People who fly drones Who wants a bigger screen than the iPhone and smaller than a full-size iPad
    leftoverbaconwatto_cobra
  • Reply 55 of 86
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    elijahg said:

    conitor said:
    As much as I love the iPad Mini, this release I a bit disappointing.  It simply doesn't justify the $399 starting price imo.  What about the Pencil?  I'm not sure what purpose it serves to support 2 different pencils, originally hoped gen 2 was simply a replacement to gen 1 with a forced upgrade but now its more Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro.  Completely unnecessary, all it does is confuse consumers, give the appearance as a money grab and having another SKU that is seemingly unnecessary.  
    Hmm yeah couldn’t have anything to do with being cheaper hardware, right? Seriously, it’s common sense: the new pencil is more expensive because it does more, and it’s more expensive to implement on the ipad compared to the old pencil. Thus, if building a non-Pro that is supposed to be cheaper, using the older pencil is cheaper than the new. Do you want newer that does more? Cool, that costs more. Do you want cheaper? Cool, that does less. 

    Why is this hard?
    You talk as if the prices of tech don't come down over time. With the exception of the regularly updated iPhone, Apple's pretty much the only tech company that doesn't discount its prices as products age. This isn't a problem with regular updates, but people start to get pretty uncomfortable about buying products that've been on the market for years and still cost the same. Especially since Apple's erratic cycles mean their "new" two year old iMac could effectively become "old" within a few days. Or maybe it'll be another two years. Who knows? A customer buying an iMac now would get two years less software support than one buying just after an update.

    The Pencil 1 has been out for years, and is still the same price it was as it was new. They should have dropped the price to say $69 when the Pencil 2 came out. It's too expensive, especially in an eduction setting. The pricing of the iPad itself is not bad imo.
    Of course it comes down in price, which is why using the first-gen Pencil is what makes this device cheaper than using the second-gen. If they had put the brand new second-gen Pencil in, you people would be complaining about the raised price of the iPad Mini. As for the rest of the Mini, it includes new (more expensive) hardware: A12 processor, more RAM, 64GB storage, TrueTone display...all more expensive than the older tech in the Mini. For the same price. Despite inflation. 

    See the pattern? Apple puts in new stuff and raises the price, people complain. Apple puts in cheaper stuff and keeps the price the same, people complain. What's the common thread? People complaining. 
    macplusplusfastasleepshark5150SpamSandwichelijahgwatto_cobra
  • Reply 56 of 86
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,036member
    Not the iPad mini I would prefer, but am glad Apple has invested in and updated the line.

    Would like to see an LTE iPad mini that can tie to the Apple Watch and function as a phone (not by 3rd party app, but from a cell carrier) with the newer iPad Pro design and the newer pencil. Yes it would cost more. So what?
    MisterKit
  • Reply 57 of 86
    LatkoLatko Posts: 398member
    eightzero said:
    Nice. But at $399, count me out. 
    Can you name JUST 1 tablet which costs less and provide similar features as iPad Mini 5? Just one would do.
    So. Bezels will continue to perplex us in their sheer beauty and significance. In relative sense, they’ve even grown.
    Because ? After spending 20 billions on R&D there’s no more 5k left for a modern mini design ?
    Anyway, kudo’s for finding some antiquated AutoCad machine for Joni to reload his 7+ year old designs (via floppy disk/AppleTalk or whatever)
  • Reply 58 of 86
    davgreg said:
    Not the iPad mini I would prefer, but am glad Apple has invested in and updated the line.

    Would like to see an LTE iPad mini that can tie to the Apple Watch and function as a phone (not by 3rd party app, but from a cell carrier) with the newer iPad Pro design and the newer pencil. Yes it would cost more. So what?

    Yes it would cost more. So what? - There would be less number of potential buyers to target, which in turn increases the cost for Design/Build/QA efforts to be higher for EACH unit, which in turn increases cost further, making the product unviable. Is it hard to understand? In my view, Apple has done everything (Features, pricing) near perfect with respect to iPad Mini 5. Hoping that the sales are higher, making sure that Apple would update it once in 2 years at least in future.

    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 59 of 86
    Latko said:
    eightzero said:
    Nice. But at $399, count me out. 
    Can you name JUST 1 tablet which costs less and provide similar features as iPad Mini 5? Just one would do.
    So. Bezels will continue to perplex us in their sheer beauty and significance. In relative sense, they’ve even grown.
    Because ? After spending 20 billions on R&D there’s no more 5k left for a modern mini design ?
    Anyway, kudo’s for finding some antiquated AutoCad machine for Joni to reload his 7+ year old designs (via floppy disk/AppleTalk or whatever)
    So, you are still NOT able to find JUST 1 alternative tablet YET? Right? There just does not exist one. That is the point you should look into first when you talk about iPad Mini 5.
    StrangeDaysavon b7watto_cobra
  • Reply 60 of 86
    Latko said:
    eightzero said:
    Nice. But at $399, count me out. 
    Can you name JUST 1 tablet which costs less and provide similar features as iPad Mini 5? Just one would do.
    So. Bezels will continue to perplex us in their sheer beauty and significance. In relative sense, they’ve even grown.
    Because ? After spending 20 billions on R&D there’s no more 5k left for a modern mini design ?
    Anyway, kudo’s for finding some antiquated AutoCad machine for Joni to reload his 7+ year old designs (via floppy disk/AppleTalk or whatever)
    What you are asking for is a iPad Pro Mini. It might have appeal to some people, but will cost even more, making it a hard sell for masses. So Apple chose the best alternative, given the circumstances. They are still being criticized by few people. Damned if you do, damned if you don't - I guess.
    StrangeDaysavon b7watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.