iPad Mini coming soon !!!!!!! Or not ???

iPad Mini coming soon !!!! Or not ??? You decide

iPad Fan ~ iPad mini arriving soon
DigiTimes ~ Rumours iPad mini arriving before end of year

Now where did i put my new iPhone4 lol

The first link is just a resummarising of the second link.

DigiTimes has, to put it mildly, a spotty track record on this stuff. But this one is pretty easy to disprove.

1. Steve has already made it REAL clear that iPads won't have OLEDs in the foreseeable future. They are too expensive and too immature (his words).

2. The iPad is probably Apple's most carefully-considered product EVER, in terms of weight and size. Indeed, the whole POINT of the device is to open up the world of possibilities that emerges when you get AWAY from the small screens of the iPhone and iPod Touch. It would contradict Apple's own message about the iPad to make a mini version.

3. It would kill sales of the iPod Touch stone cold dead, since it would be essentially the same device.

4. Apple can't make iPad fast enough to meet demand RIGHT NOW, so of course introducing a new one that uses mostly the same resources would solve that problem (rolls eyes).

In short, NA GA HA PEN.

Arguing that a smaller version will NEVER happen is as useless as stating something will happen! The truth of the matter is that there are orders that have been placed from apple of different various sized screens. We all know that the ipad is selling well, and apple made those statement before any sales figures ever came out on how well the ipad sells. Frankly, it makes sense for apple to try and tap the ipad for whatever size they have the ability to offer. At least they should try, especially since they now have the option of higher resolution screens! I would give up my current ipad to have a 5" with an iphone quality screen! Never say never, because the only people who really know the answer is Apple, and we aren't Apple! Besides, who's to say that they aren't ordering these screens for test purposes?

For me the ipad Mini is already in existence. We just know it by another name. ipod Touch. I see after the next touch refresh/hardware update it'll be just the ipad mini people want. heck it's already a good ipad mini. As is the iphone.

So making yet another product the same size as the iphone and the touch to do pretty much the same things as the iphone and touch do in my opinion os very silly and should not be done.

Math time.

Dig this vibe with me folks. Lets assume the following is true.

Apple is going to be focused on their 'magic' number of 300+ ppi.

the ipad has a fairly low display at 132 ppi.

Nearly everyone, from consumers to bloggers to tech websites and likely - though silently - their competitors, agree that Apple has flat out made the best display in terms of clarity. It is logical to believe that Apple (Jobs) will want all of their displays with the magic ppi.

Lets say they do this for the next iPad.

They would obviously want to take the 3GS-4 route and double the pixels, giving the iPad 264 ppi. Not quite magic. So you would have to reduce the size of the viewing area while keeping the 4:3 aspect ratio to achieve retina display, giving the new iPad dimensions of 6.28"x4.71" @ 326ppi. Making the diagonal 7.85 inches versus iPad 1's 9.7.

so the dimensions of the viewable screen size of an iPad 2/mini would be 6.28x4.71. Currently the ipad's screen is 7.75x5.82.

sonoluminescent said:

Math time.

Dig this vibe with me folks. Lets assume the following is true.

Apple is going to be focused on their 'magic' number of 300+ ppi.

the ipad has a fairly low display at 132 ppi.

Nearly everyone, from consumers to bloggers to tech websites and likely - though silently - their competitors, agree that Apple has flat out made the best display in terms of clarity. It is logical to believe that Apple (Jobs) will want all of their displays with the magic ppi.

Lets say they do this for the next iPad.

They would obviously want to take the 3GS-4 route and double the pixels, giving the iPad 264 ppi. Not quite magic. So you would have to reduce the size of the viewing area while keeping the 4:3 aspect ratio to achieve retina display, giving the new iPad dimensions of 6.28"x4.71" @ 326ppi. Making the diagonal 7.85 inches versus iPad 1's 9.7.

so the dimensions of the viewable screen size of an iPad 2/mini would be 6.28x4.71. Currently the ipad's screen is 7.75x5.82.

Click to expand...

Smaller landscape for small pixels? I'm up for that one!

Though (let me make it clear that I don't know much about displays) lets say Apple keeps the current size and sizes down all the pixels- and adds more pixels. Would this be possible?

sonoluminescent said:

Apple is going to be focused on their 'magic' number of 300+ ppi.

the ipad has a fairly low display at 132 ppi.

Click to expand...

I've been told that currently to make a 300 dpi screen as large as the current iPad would be too expensive. It might be priced reasonable enough if they did make a mini iPad but it might still be too expensive.

If this rumor is true then it looks like Apple is experimenting with the sizing but I don't think a smaller iPad version will necessarily kill off the Touch. Before I got my Touch I had a Palm PDA that was only about an inch large but it was too larger for pocket comfort since I have other things in my pocket too. For a pocket device I don't want it any larger than my 3rd generation Touch. IMO my iPod Touch is the perfect size to use one handed while allowing my thumb to reach just about anywhere on the screen easily.

Trying out different sizes is nothing new for Apple. Just look at the iPod and laptop lineup. Although with all the choices Apple is making it harder for consumers to pick which one they like the most. I've read enough which size laptop is right for me threads to last a lifetime. ;D

" lets say Apple keeps the current size and sizes down all the pixels- and adds more pixels. Would this be possible?"

Yep that's essentially what I meant by them doubling the pixels and keeping the exact screen size the same, giving you 264 ppi with a resolution of 2048x1536.

Also consider that iP4 is 2x resolution yet the same price as 3GS. Same case with iPad 1 v iPad 2. By the time it comes out the price will be the same as iPad 1's is now. Guys they're just going to follow the iPhone formula, so far their most successful, with the slight possibility of a camera and redesign.

ipad mini = iphone???

At best, DigiTimes has the dimensions wrong, and we're talking about the next-gen iPod Touch that will probably be unveiled in September.

BUT, as I will say again, DigiTimes has been wrong more often than they've been right. Take their report with an entire salt lick.

EndlessMac said:

I've been told that currently to make a 300 dpi screen as large as the current iPad would be too expensive.

Click to expand...

So when did this ever bother Apple?

chas_m said:

1. Steve has already made it REAL clear that iPads won't have OLEDs in the foreseeable future. They are too expensive and too immature (his words).

Click to expand...

While I also doubt they'll have an iPad mini, using this as argument against it is pretty weak.

I mean this is the same Steve Jobs who swore up and down that no one will ever watch video on an iPod, Apple would never make a phone, and would also never make a tablet.

So I tend not to trust Steve's comments on what Apple will or won't do as proof they actually won't do it.

1991-C4 said:

So when did this ever bother Apple?

Click to expand...

You are right but that would mean that people will have to complain even more about the price if they released a 300 dpi current sized iPad. One of the big surprises when they first announced the iPad was that the price was lower than what people original estimated as.

Since the price has already been established, I believe less people will tolerate a price increase which will turn the iPad into an even more niche product like their MacBook Air is. Apple might create a separate high end version but I don't think they will replaced their current version with 300 dpi if that meant a much greater increase in prices.

schweb said:

While I also doubt they'll have an iPad mini, using this as argument against it is pretty weak.

I mean this is the same Steve Jobs who swore up and down that no one will ever watch video on an iPod, Apple would never make a phone, and would also never make a tablet.

So I tend not to trust Steve's comments on what Apple will or won't do as proof they actually won't do it.

Click to expand...

Basically whatever he says Apple won't do, the consumer can expect it will eventually happen.

EndlessMac said:

You are right but that would mean that people will have to complain even more about the price if they released a 300 dpi current sized iPad. One of the big surprises when they first announced the iPad was that the price was lower than what people original estimated as.

Since the price has already been established, I believe less people will tolerate a price increase which will turn the iPad into an even more niche product like their MacBook Air is. Apple might create a separate high end version but I don't think they will replaced their current version with 300 dpi if that meant a much greater increase in prices.

Click to expand...

I can't think of a time Apple has updated a product and increased the price points at the same time.

If/when the next iPad comes, it will be the same price as the current iPad.

iPad 2 WiFi: 16gig=$500 32gig=$600 64gig=$700
iPad 2 3G: 16gig=$629 32gig=$729 64gig=829


iPad 1 prices will be at least $100 less. Maybe cheaper.

sonoluminescent said:

I can't think of a time Apple has updated a product and increased the price points at the same time.

If/when the next iPad comes, it will be the same price as the current iPad.

iPad 2 WiFi: 16gig=$500 32gig=$600 64gig=$700
iPad 2 3G: 16gig=$629 32gig=$729 64gig=829


iPad 1 prices will be at least $100 less. Maybe cheaper.

Click to expand...

Are you actually leaking this information from an inside source at Apple or is this just a WAG on your part?

He's guessing. No one has details yet...everything to this point is all opinion by anyone on this topic.

sonoluminescent said:

I can't think of a time Apple has updated a product and increased the price points at the same time.

If/when the next iPad comes, it will be the same price as the current iPad.

Click to expand...

My last response was a reply to the previous replies before it. If prices for a large 300 dpi screen is indeed too costly as of right now then Apple will either have to take a profit loss to keep the price the same, create a new higher end version, or not include a 300 dpi version until the prices are more competitive.

I was not implying that there will indeed be a price increase for the next version.

EndlessMac said:

My last response was a reply to the previous replies before it. If prices for a large 300 dpi screen is indeed too costly as of right now then Apple will either have to take a profit loss to keep the price the same, create a new higher end version, or not include a 300 dpi version until the prices are more competitive.

I was not implying that there will indeed be a price increase for the next version.

Click to expand...

I agree completely. If they were to raise the price, iPad 2 would begin to cannibalize MacBooks. And they're not going to take a profit loss either.

sonoluminescent said:

I can't think of a time Apple has updated a product and increased the price points at the same time.

Click to expand...

The new Mac mini added another $100 on to its base price. A grand total of $600 instead of $500. They did this when they "unified" the MacBook Pro line. They did this with the standard MacBook a couple years ago. They even did this when the introduced the 20" and 24" iMacs two years ago.

There are plenty of times when Apple has changed prices when updating their products.



Anyhow...considering that Apple keeps the previous generation in its lowest memory size available alongside the new product (particularly the iPod touch and iPhone), there is always the older generation to continue to profit behind the new generation- because some people don't want the new generation for whatever reason- whether it is price or features usually takes a strong hold upon that.