iPad mini barely got a mention on stage last year as Apple only added Touch ID and a gold option plus 128GB models to what was in every other respect the same 7.9-inch tablet that it released in 2013. iPad mini with Retina display was renamed iPad mini 2 while the new iPad mini 3 model kept the same exact chip and specs aside from the finger print sensor. Nearly a year later the smaller tablet form factor is back with the more powerful version.
- iPad mini 4 features same power as iPad Air 2 but in a smaller casing
- Priced at $399
- iPad mini 3 drops from the lineup
- iPad mini 2 sticks around at new $269 price
- iPad Air and iPad Air 2 keep their same prices
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Why keep thei iPad mini 2?
Ancient hardware inside of it.
cheaper price
This is a trend I’m not liking at all, keeping too much old hardware around. The product matrix is simply getting too crowded and too confusing. While great for margins, it’s not good for public image and is the opposite of what Apple has been known for these past 15 years.
I kind of agree, but without a cheaper option, everyone will gripe about how expensive Apple’s entry-level gadgets are. There’s a balance somewhere.
Brings people who were previously put off by price into the apple ecosystem.
Also profit margins rise on older hardware.
Damn, I was really kind of hoping to see a new Mini, I guess I’ll just wait to buy one.
They announced Mini 4, albeit in passing.
there is a new Mini….? they rushed over it, but they said it’s thinner and lighter and has the same power as iPad Air 2.
What’s up with keeping Air and Air 2 same as last year? Usually, there would be $100 drops for each, right?
only if there was an iPad Air 3. Air 2 is still top of the range for that size, so no reason to drop the price.
It’s marketing: this way people will be nudged to buy the Pro.
Epic fail. iPad Pro – Nothing Pro about it. It should have had 256 GB. I like having my content with me. I like buying more apps, music, and videos. I like keeping all my pictures on my iPad. I need space. I do not want to use dropbox and icloud. Surface gets it. They offer up to 512 GB. I’ve been a fanboy for a long time, but today, for the first time ever, they pissed me off.
Sounds to me like you just have too much money and want something to whine about…. iCloud is no hassle and much cheaper than local storage. 128gb is a lot of space to fill up if you would just use cloud options and not to mention the App Store thinning that’s starting to shrink apps. And they announced much cheaper iCloud plans to boot. 50gb for .99 a month or 1tb/9.99 is much cheaper than a $1200 iPad with your 256/512.