iPad Mini Priced “Significantly Less” Than iPad To Be Announced This Year
A smaller 7.85″ screened iPad will be announced this year and cost much less than the current $499 iPad, according to a new report from the New York Times.
The iPad mini is anticipated to arrive later this year, according to NYT’s sources. There also seems to be a suggestion that Apple is releasing the device in order to maintain control of the tablet market. Amazon Kindle, Google Nexus, and the upcoming Microsoft Surface are all significant potential tablet competitors to the iPads current dominance.
Interestingly, the Times also says that Apple originally prototyped a 7″ tablet some years ago, but shelved the smaller form factor in favor of the existing 9.7″ iPad, because the late Steve Jobs found the small tablet to be questionably useful “besides surfing the Web in the bathroom.” Recent mockups have shown the difference between a 7″ and 7.85″ display is 40% more usable screen space, however.
The report from the New York Times joins other recent reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal on the topic of an “iPad Mini”, combining to provide strong credibility to the rumors.
Is the iPad mini not just an iPod touch….
As much of a genius as Steve Jobs was, now that he’s not longer running the show, it’s quite clear he was restrictive on innovation.
I want a larger screen iPhone.
I want the smaller screen iPad.
THOSE two additions to the Apple line will be perfect for me, since I already own a Mac Mini, an Apple TV, am on my 3rd iPhone and 4th iPod, a Macbook Pro and an iMac.
Having an iPad mini is cool and all, but I think it is pointless. They need to focus on staying on top of the competitors and actually inventing something that no other company does. If it’s only going to be 100 dollars range difference, I might as well spend that and get the original size of the iPad.
Not sure how much Apple could reduce the price without sacrificing quality and features. If reducing the screen size was the smoking gun then the ipod touch should be really cheap – but it’s not… Also does Apple really need to offer a product in the bottom end of the market? Looking at the PC industry it hasn’t worked for any of them. Most of them scarified their future to offer rock bottom prices and it put many of them out of business or in a position that they can’t get out of because they don’t have the resources.
I think Apple would be better off trying to lower the price of the iPad 2 and let their competitors suffer the consequences of catering to the low end market. If people in the US want jobs then they need to pay for things and not expect them for free. All of these cheap tablets coming out will only increase jobs in China and India… Apple at least designs, supports, and has stores to employ people in the US. So every time someone buys one of those cheapo tablets they just send more jobs out the US.
Apple makes all their products in china. So how are they any better?
Feel free to not respond you are clearly just a fan boy that has nothing interesting to say.
After reading the biography I can imagine the language used by Jobs was much more colorful than “surfing the web in a bathroom” ;)
It’s funny that it is reported widely that “they have made a prototype” over and over again. Of course they have one, Ives’ studio will have multiple sizes, shapes, form factors to test the heck out of them. Apple has the R&D budget and the strategic vision to ensure they test every feasible shape and size you (and more importantly) they can think of. The true story here, if there is one, is not that they made one but if they may actually release one.
OK, once again… There will be no iPad mini.
Drop it.
won’t you feel stupid if they do.
You don’t trust the New York Times and Wall Street Journal? These are planned leaks from Apple….