iPad "Mini" Discussion Thread

With rumors arising of Apple introducing a 7.85" tablet to the market to compete alongside Amazon and Google and a rumored event that will be announcing the new iPad on the way, I thought it'd be best to compose our thoughts here.

As for my personal opinion on what I want the next generation iPad to be, I'm hoping they finally implement Siri into the iPad and make it thinner as the iPad 3 seemed bulky to me. With that, I'm assuming that a 7.85" iPad will be thinner which makes me all for it.

 

As long as it's $300, it'll be a huge seller. $200 would dominate the tablet market. The main issue I see with it is that rumors suggest it will only have a resolution of 1024x768 - no stunning Retina display, which would be the deal-breaker for me and many others. I'm considering selling my third-generation iPad for a Retina MacBook Pro (might as well trade a fantastic screen on a device I barely use for a fantastic screen on a device I'll use for several hours per week).

 

I'm looking forward to it. I've liked the iPad for a while, but I just don't like how big it is, so I've never bought one. Since they can pack most of the same internals into an iPhone, I doubt they'll have problems making it a decent performing machine not like how many people are saying it'll be too low end...

If they just go cheap on it though I may not get it. I don't care if it costs the same as a 10" iPad, I just want a smaller one... if it doesn't have Retina, or the other features are too low end... I'll be very disappointed.

 

Siri is coming to the iPad 3 (not the iPad or iPad 2) with iOS 6 this Fall. It will be fully integrated into iOS on the same level as the iPhone 4S.

I actually really don't see a point in having an iPad with a smaller display other than being able to come out with one at a lower price. The 10" (actually 9.7") size of the iPad 3 seems perfect for a tablet, it is still super thin (just a thicker than the iPad 2), and it is still more than light enough for throwing in a bag and going anywhere. The 10" size makes apps and movies more enjoyable, I couldn't imagine doing all of that on a display only a few inches bigger than my phone.

Other than having a lower price, I don't see a point in an iPad with a smaller display.

 

A smaller iPad would be perfect for my use when I go to conventions and trade shows. I always have my MBP with me, as well as a camera. Having the iPad with me would be really helpful and much less bulky.

 

I agree that one of the major selling points would be solely for the lower price.

When I was weighing the iPad to other tablets with the same screen size, the iPad seemed a tad heavy. Not unbearable or abnormally heavy, but just a tad.

I'm sure that if I had an iPad it'd take just a short time to get used to the weight but I'd not hesitate to buy one if they make it thinner and lighter, which is why I'm waiting for the release of the iPad "mini" to make a decision.

 

The thing to look at when comparing tablets is the material that they are made out of. There are lighter tablets than the iPad 3 just as there are lighter ultrabooks than the MBA and lighter notebooks than the MBP. However, the lighter models tend to rely on plastic instead of aluminum. Polymers are going to produce lighter units than aluminum. The iPad 3's chassis and backplate are made out of a piece of metal, that is going to produce heavier results than what most other companies do: have an aluminum chassis but plastic body. I would rather sacrifice the extra ~50 grams by having something a little sturdier.

In my opinion, if someone has the space to carry around a MBP, a 10" tablet that is 9.4 mm thick. This isn't like comparing a 13" MBP to a 15" MBP as the iPad 3 is a measly 652 grams (662 for the cellular model). That is actually less than a 24 oz bottle of water. Combine that with the MBP and it is something you aren't going to notice. Now, if a 7" iPad actually comes out to weigh 300 grams and that is all you are carrying, you will notice the difference in mass. However, when it is already combined with a MBP, the weight differences aren't going to be noticeable.

 

I think $250-$300 with a non-Retina screen is likely. I don't see Apple trying to get into the trenches directly with the Nexus 7 and the next-gen Fire and Nook Tablet in the $199 game. Instead, I see them charging a bit more but trying to deliver nicer materials, screen quality, etc than your typical $199 7" tablet.

 

is it going to have same processor or they will lower it?

 

Nobody knows anything about the rumored "iPad mini." Right now everything is just speculation, conjecture, and rumor. Nothing will be official until Apple actually announces it. Until then, all information that you read online should be taken with a grain of salt. Rumors haven't been released about the mini's specs either.

 

Soooo...

Holding out on buying one of the new Kindle Fire HD's in hopes of hearing something soon would be a bad plan? I just don't want to buy the new KFHD and have the iPad mini annouced like a week later. 0.o

 

Seeing as it has already been a week after the Kindle Fire HD, you didn't have anything to worry about. The rumor right now is that the "iPad mini" is going to have its own media event sometime in October or November. I am having a hard time believing the rumors simply because the same sites "reporting" on these rumors also assured people that we would also have a separate iPod event in the next few months as well and that the iPhone event last week was just going to focus on the iPhone. Those rumors were wrong so I wouldn't be surprised if all of the iPad mini rumors are incorrect as well. Like I said, nobody truly knows anything and members of the forums (that includes every single person here unless they work for Apple on an "iPad mini" project) are going to gain information only when Apple officially announces it.

The iPhone 5's display is larger than the traditional 3.5" that Apple used on all previous iPhone models. That may have some bearing since Steve Jobs stated that the iPhone would not have a larger display to compete with other Android handsets whose main selling points are the big display (like the Droid X). Steve Jobs also said that Apple would not release an iPad with a smaller display. So Apple has already released a flagship product that went against Jobs' vision for Apple (Tim Cook is the CEO after all, he and the current Apple team members can make whatever decisions they want) so they might do the same thing with the iPad. However, we know absolutely nothing and, no matter what websites "report," anything you read now is conjecture and/or rumor. You will have to decide for yourself if the rumors can be believed or if you want to go with a different product.

Personally, I would not go with a Kindle Fire HD simply because you have to buy into Amazon's universe. The same is true with Apple products but they were upfront as to what the Kindle Fire HD was: a storefront for consuming products on Amazon. You have to deal with Amazon's modified UI, the Amazon Marketplace (which doesn't have nearly the same amount of apps), and a few other things that annoy me. The 7" version seems like a nice tablet but I think I would go with the Nexus 7 instead of the Kindle Fire HD for that price as the Google app store has a wider selection, updates come from Google, and you can still access Amazon services (such as their Video Prime streaming service and even the Amazon Marketplace for apps) on the Nexus 7 so you aren't locked into relying solely on Google for apps. I would definitely go with an iPad 2 or save up for an iPad 3 if you were thinking about getting the 8.9" Kindle Fire HD. That is just me though. You have to decide for yourself if you want to wait for Apple to release their mini white unicorn. It might come out in a month or two or you could be waiting for an eternity.

 

I played with Engadget's Kindle Fire HD at IDF. It's pretty impressive, actually. The UI was fluid, and the screen was stellar - it'll (the screen, that is) very likely be superior to the iPad Mini, but as has been said, we don't for sure know what's going to go on there.

It all depends on what you want to use your device for - I will note, however, that the iPad can access the Amazon Prime streaming video and the Kindle library just as the Kindle can.