iPad mini 3 is skating on thin ice

The iPad Mini could soon be obsolete due to the new and exciting iPhone 6 plus. Apple users have been waiting for a phone that could match the size of the current Androids in the market. However, the arrival of the iPhone 6 plus has impacted the future of the iPad mini. Although, Apple has just released the new and improved iPad mini 3, this does not mean that there will one day be a fourth.

Sales
Apple is in the business of making money just like everyone else. According to Motley Fool of Nasdaq.com, “Apple’s iPad sales have suddenly declined in the past two quarters after phenomenal growth in the first four years of the product category’s life.” Customers were originally purchasing the iPad due to its large screen size and favorable portability versus a laptop. Since phones have increased in screen size, customers have been purchasing these phones and leaving their iPads at home. The fact that iPad sales have declined in the past two quarters is something that Apple will take note of and forecast for in the future.

Product Life Cycle
In my opinion, I would say that the iPad mini is just entering the decline stage of the product life cycle. New iPad minis are lacking product differentiation. Apple has released the iPad Air and I strongly believe that this will be the future for Apple as far as tablet computing goes. Additionally, iPad sales have declined and releasing an iPhone 6 plus close to the size of an iPad mini will only discourage customers to purchase the iPad mini since the iPhone 6 plus has comparable size. The iPad Air is a much larger tablet than the iPad Mini and this gives it a huge size advantage over the iPhone 6 plus.

iphone 6 plus ipad mini 3

Performance
The iPhone 6 plus actually has a faster A8 processing chip while the iPad mini 3 has an A7 processing chip. This means that the iPhone 6 plus will run faster and more efficient. The iPhone 6 plus is also equipped with the M8 motion coprocessor, which is much superior to the M7 motion coprocessor of the iPad mini 3. The iPhone 6 plus has to take the edge as far as performance goes due to its upgraded specifications.

Operations
Since sales are declining for iPads, Apple will have to adjust their inventory and forecasts for the future to make sure they are not making too many. We learned in class that having excess product and not enough demand is a huge negative for a company. Finally, Apple will have to make the decision on whether or not to discontinue the iPad mini depending on what stage of the product life cycle it is in.

Some questions to think about:

  1. Would you rather use an iPhone 6 plus over an iPad mini 3?
  2. What stage of the product life cycle do you think the iPad mini 3 is in?
  3. Should Apple discontinue the iPad mini 3?

Sources:

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/the-ipad-minis-days-may-be-numbered-cm404777

http://www.cnet.com/news/why-i-prefer-the-iphone-6-over-the-6-plus-apps/

http://www.apple.com/

http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2014/10/18/will-the-apple-iphone-6-plus-kill-the-ipad-mini-3.aspx

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/10/04/can-iphone-6-plus-replace-your-ipad-mini-with-retina/

 

 

10 thoughts on “iPad mini 3 is skating on thin ice

  1. I am a very religious Apple customer and have a large amount of their products even some that aren’t necessary because other ones I have are capable of the same things. I think Apple has a very large group of faithful customers who are willing to spend money on these products even when they already have the older version that does almost the same thing. I happen to have the iPad and iPad Mini, when the iPad air came out I looked at it because I was very interested in it but when I saw it I was very unimpressed with the product and was very surprised that Apple would introduce that product to the market. I think the iPad Air should not be in the Apple inventory because it almost seems as if they are going backwards with that specific product.

  2. Great Post! I currently own an Ipad mini, which I really enjoy having because its small and it doesn’t weight much. I also own an android phone and I’ve been owing it for a while, therefore, I’m used to the big screen. But If I were to choose either to purchase the Iphone 6 or Ipad mini 3 I think I would definitely go for the Iphone 6 and I make this decisions just by reading your article. I agree with you, I think the Ipad mini is on the decline stage and I think that The Iphone 6 put it there, If it was’t for the new size of the Iphone I think the Ipad mini could have still be successful, and I believe is time for apple to discontinue the Ipad mini. They already have out in the market many different types of tablets and I think Ipad mini is a waste of resources.

  3. This post is incredibly relevant because my dad just went through this dilemma. We were all getting new iPhones, and he knew he wanted the 6 Plus, but then he didn’t know if he should get an iPad mini or a regular iPad. I would personally rather get an iPhone 6, just because it’s a little smaller and you’re able to voice talk on it, although I’m pretty sure Apple came up with a solution to that too. I definitely think the iPad mini is in the decline phase of the product life cycle. With bigger iPhones, people aren’t going to be purchasing iPad minis that are just a little bit bigger without all of the capabilities. I don’t think Apple should discontinue the iPad mini altogether, though, because I think in certain instances, like schools, they could be very useful learning tools.

  4. Great analysis! I think this is a great topic and you discussed it very well. I am personally an Android user but always in the loop on all things Apple. I feel you made many valid points in your post that are relevant to operations and our class as well as touching on what Apple should do next.

    I believe the IPad mini 3 is a boring iteration. If one is going to buy an IPad mini they should get the IPad mini 2 since it is cheaper and the only real benefits the 3 has over the 2 is the touch id essentially. The 2 is cheaper and just as powerful.
    I would consider using an IPhone 6 plus and compare it to the IPad mini 3. I feel that even at 5.5 inches it is still not as comparable to an 8 inch screen unlike Googles new Nexus 6 with a 6 inch display which completely obliterates any need for the Nexus 7 (7 inch) tablet since the screens are so close in size. I feel between 5.5 and 8 there is still enough space that one is more tablet sized and the other is just big phone sized (kind of like with the Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 there is about 2.5-3 inches difference in screen size).
    I personally think the IPad mini is in its maturity stage. It is younger than the IPad but its cycle is faster due to the growth of phone screen sizes. I still think Apple can innovate the IPad mini to have some benefits over the 6 plus rather than the rather mediocre enhancements they made from the mini 2 to the mini 3. If Apple cannot innovate the mini 4 to be must more than just a minor spec improvement then they should discontinue it I think. Otherwise, if Apple can innovate I would love to see what they could come up with in the future.

  5. Apple has been the top producer of smartphone and tablet technology since they have come to be in recent years. I had always talked with friends that at some point all these new products would begin to overlap and eventually cancel each other out. While Apple is still producing faster, clearer and improved technology, it seems that this occurrence has finally began. With the launch of the iPhone 6 Plus, the iPad market has found competition within its own company. The size and speed of the iPhone 6 is almost at the level of an iPad which has brought consumers to find themselves choosing between the two. I think Apple needs to reconsider their production design and find ways to separate their products because recently they have all been morphing into the same products with different names. I know that for me, I am sticking with an iPhone 5 because the size if the new iPhone is too big to be handheld. If I was looking for something of that size, it would be for a tablet or home computer use.

  6. I would definitely go for iPad mini instead of iPhone 6 plus. Personally, I just don’t get comfortable with the phone bigger than the iPhone 5s. Also, I think that since the iPad mini family is already on its mature stage, it is safe to say that although we don’t have a major upgrade from the pervious version, but we also pretty sure we won’t suffer any technical issue with this latest version. The tablet market is now obviously a very mature market for Apple, I don’t it’s wise to discontinue the iPad mini as long as they are still the major player in the market.

  7. Personally I would rather have the iPhone 6+ over the iPad mini. If you already have a phone that can do everything the iPad can do, I feel like there’s not much purpose for carrying around another device. Also on top of that the iPhone uses better technology and is much simpler to carry around than a tablet. I would say the iPad mini has just entered its decline phase. The iPad mini is only going to get less popular as more people get the iPhone. It will still be used by people who prefer tablets, but the market that was using it for portable entertainment will soon hop on the iPhone 6+ bandwagon.

  8. Being an apple fanatic I found this post interesting. I would definitely have to go iPad mini, I find the iPhone 6 to be extremely big to be a cellphone. I don’t see why a cell phone screen needs to be that big. I could agree with you, I too think the iPad mini is on the decline stage. Soon enough Apple is going to announce the best next thing to eventually discontinue the iPad mini.

  9. I would probably get an iPhone 6 and plan to soon; however, I’m not sure if they should discontinue the iPad mini operations. I do it believe it is in decline, but if it is profitable and they are becoming more efficient at making the product maybe they will decide to keep selling it even though the amount of sales are decreasing. If it serves a niche in the market, they could supply less and still make smaller profits off of those who are seeking to purchase iPad minis specifically rather than have those same customers go to rival competitors.

  10. I would rather use the iPhone 6 plus for a few reasons. Performance seems to be one of the most annoying things a product can lack. I hate watching an electronic device buffer or load something. The other reason I would prefer the 6 plus is feel. Holding the slightly smaller looks to be much more comfortable than holding an iPad mini. The difference between the two, though, is that the iPhone 6 plus would likely be your phone and primary electronic device. It’s size could get annoying to carry around all day.

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