iPad’s Little Brother

Apple Inc., one of the world’s largest innovators, has, once again, announced the launch of a new product: a smaller version of their best-selling iPad Tablet. Once again, early adopters and loyal customers flock to see the newest hype that the company has to offer.

After being under the scope of the public for their iPad, Apple Inc. has decided to take on the challenge of creating a product that can compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, Google’s Nexus 7, and others. Previously, many customers had complained that the iPad itself was very large and heavy compared to its competitors., as well as being very costly. Although Apple has not commented about any specific features about the product itself, many excited and loyal Apple customers have come up with their own list of potential features and rumors of production that Apple may consider when creating the mini iPad since the company is known to put customer satisfaction at the top of their priorities.

First, a “major Apple investor” has publicly claimed that the iPad mini will be unveiled on October 17th, 2012 and that the official launch date of product will be November 2nd, 2012, which gives customers plenty of time to obtain the new creation for the upcoming holiday season.

Second, rumor has it that the iPad mini will have a 7.85 inch liquid crystal display (LCD) with a 2,048-by-1,536 pixel resolution, although the screen will not have the same retina display of the original sized iPad. This may be to simply keep the cost of the product lower and more affordable to the public.

Since the cost in the market is a major driving factor behind this new product, there has been some speculation that the cost and price was also very important to Apple. There were many concerns that the iPad was priced too high for many people, which is why Apple decided to come out with a newer, more cost effective alternative for those people who do not want to spend $399-$499 on the iPad. Instead, it is expected that the iPad mini will retail for about $249, which is slightly higher than the prices of its major competitors.

Along with the rumors of its features and displays, there have been some claims that people have obtained leaked photos of the final product. Some of the physical attributes that can be seen in the final product are:

  • Wi-Fi adaption
  • nano SIM tray for cellular connectivity (thought to be for a pricier model)
  • An 8-pin “Lightning” connector found
  • A microphone jack in the same upperleft corner as current iPads
  • Aluminum backing
  • volume buttons on the right side of the tablet with a switch
  • rear-facing camera
  • two speaker grilles at the bottom

The last major rumor about the iPad mini is the location of production. Although nothing has been confirmed by Apple, production has been thought to be in China and Brazil.

 

Potential leaked photo of the new iPad mini

More information about can be found at http://shopping.yahoo.com/blogs/digital-crave/ipad-mini-almost-know-162420535.html

11 thoughts on “iPad’s Little Brother

  1. I find it interesting that Apple is planning on launching an ipad mini. I personally thought that the regular ipad was a bit big, especially if your planning to use the device on a bus/train commute. I think it’s definitely worth producing the mini without the retina display. The only reason I would consider purchasing one is because of the lowered price and reduced size. At first, I didn’t see why Apple would risk launching a product as such, but I think its an excellent way to reach out to customers who are interested in a smaller tablet or a cheaper tablet. Yes, it is cheaper at the cost of the retina display, but I think its safe to say this smaller tablet will be successful due to HALF the cost reduced of the starting value of a regular ipad. On top of that, its a perfect way to compete against the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus devices.

  2. I believe this is a great product that apple is producing. I think it will reach out to a larger group of customers since it is going to be cheaper. Not only will its reduction in price give it a great advantage but because of its size too. With a much smaller iPad it will be lighter, easier to carry and store. I bet Apple did their research and found that size where its a very portable device but at the same time its big enough to fulfill the customers display requirements.

  3. It is a great idea that Apple has decided to come out with a smaller version of the iPad. Although I personnally don’t believe it is that big or heavy, but I can understand f1213asiddiqui’s point about using the “device on a bus/train commute”. He didn’t specify how big the mini iPad would be except that it’s screen is 7.85 inches LCD. If it is about 8-9 inches length wise then I believe it would be great for using the iPad on the go and sometimes, going smaller is better.

  4. I also agree with the 2 commenters before me and think this is a great product. I have the ipad 2 and find it too big to carry outside of my home. The absence of the retina display is not a big problem at all comparing to the cheaper price and the smaller size. The size of it sounds perfect and the rear facing camera is a great new feature. With the smaller size it will be much easier to carry out and the rear facing camera will be able to make the new ipad a great alternative for a camera. I also think its great marketing strategy for them to release it right before the holiday season! I have a feeling this may be my new favorite apple product.

  5. I think cost is the biggest thing that will appeal to the public as the deciding factor for the iPad mini. The “New iPad” priced at 500 is almost too expensive to carry around everywhere for the simple fact that one can loose it/be stolen and be out a significant amount of money. At about $250 a lose will not hurt most people. Thus if my thought process is correct the lower cost iPad mini will simply increase the use of the device driving popularity and much more traffic in the iTunes market, where the big margins of profit are experienced.

  6. I agree with many of the other posts that this new iPad mini is sure to be a hit because of its more affordable cost. Many of the people who might have wanted the portability and convenience of the iPad but couldn’t afford it, will now surely consider purchasing this new version when it is released. I disagree, though, that people are more likely to purchase it because it wouldn’t be as much of a loss if stolen. I see people on their iPads everywhere I go, and students especially even carry their MacBook’s around, which are significantly more expensive than an iPad. I would contribute the creation of a smaller iPad simply to the fact that it can reach a different kind of consumer, thus increasing Apple’s share of the marketplace.

  7. It’s an exciting news that Apple is going to launch an iPad mini. I think this will be the a similar history as iPod. I remembered when iPod launched, it was large and heavy. But now we have iPod classic, iPod nano and even iPod shuffle, a tiny liitle machine that can privde you same music experienece as other iPods do. In my opinion, the launch of new iPad is not just improving iPad, but rather a derivative of iPad family. One of Apple’s competitive advantages is creating different products for different customers. Apple is trying to create a new format of iPad to “steal” customers from its competitors. Besides the smaller size of iPad mini, the cost of it would be another important feature to help it strking the market.

  8. I completely agree with f1233amarjanovic post that this new model is going to completely increase Apple’s share of the marketplace. Not only is this new model more usable in its smaller dimensions but the lower price range will make it a competitor with the other smaller tablets on the market. However, I think that my other classmates are neglecting to see a large piece of the market that this device will pierce into. This device is going to explode in popularity on the market for education and for preschoolers and younger kids. The current generation ipad has already made a large integration in younger kids lives and this model is going to be promoted everywhere by educators, marketers, and parents for there children to watch cartoons, play games, and educate themselves, just as a gameboy has to our generation. Furthermore, the aluminum backed design and the lack of more expensive parts is going to make this device more durable than the predecessor and perfect for this up and coming generation.

  9. I think it is both a good and bad idea to launch the iPad mini. The convenience of the iPad mini is the best selling point. Many people do not purchase tablets due to the size of them. I have read multiple articles surrounding the iPad mini and there are many different viewpoints. Some of these articles explain how the iPad mini was developed so that it could be marketed toward a younger segment of the general population (both national and international). Many schools are also announcing that there will be a strong push to get iPad minis into the classrooms. The iPad mini is interactive and smaller, making it much more user friendly to younger individuals across the globe. It is also going to make an impact due to the fact that is costs less. Schools will be allowed to purchase more iPad minis than regular sized iPads for a lower cost. This article helps to elaborate:

    http://instructionaltechtalk.com/5-ways-an-ipad-mini-would-help-schools/

    I would be very curious to see Apple’s forecasting equations and projections for the iPad mini. If they are announcing that iPad mini is partially marketed to a younger segment, are they also compensating for a potential decrease in sales amongst older generations?

  10. I can see why Apple would make this their next move. They have done this with past products (iPod, iPod nano, etc.) and they have always been successful. Sometimes smaller is better instead! As others have commented, the iPad can be a little large for it’s purposes at times. It will be nice to have an Apple tablet that can easily fit in a purse. I am always out and about and personally love my MacBook Air because it is so small and lightweight. I would be very interested in looking into the new iPad for my soon-to-be professional life. Literally everything is done via email/internet now, so having this kind of device seems logical. Apple has done it once again!

  11. I think an iPad mini is going to be another successful product from Apple. Since there are many competitors in the market such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 7, few changes in product are required. According to product life cycle, iPad seems to fit in a maturity stage, which company should focus on product improvement and cost cutting. Another thing to consider is that Apple improves its product by using a quality function deployment because it is able to identify and translate customer wants into the new product. I agree with “f1222mkaplan” that a smaller feature and lower price of the iPad mini would increase Apple’s share of the market place. I think Apple made a right decision to come up with a new model of iPad, an iPad mini.

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