Original iPad mini finally discontinued

[Eug]

Well it's about time. The original iPad mini is now gone. My suspicion is that it was supposed to be gone last year.

 

[Commodus]

I'm still curious as to why it stuck around for several months. To hit that $250 price point during the holidays? A legacy customer that needed the old iPad mini around for a little bit longer? Or something else?

Either way, it's generally a good move as far as I'm concerned. Developers will be less tempted to support 32-bit, A5-based devices for longer, and it simplifies a lineup that was getting overly complex. I'd like it a lot if Apple could cut the lineup down to three (mini, regular and the rumored large model).

 

[Kaido]

I'm still curious as to why it stuck around for several months. To hit that $250 price point during the holidays? A legacy customer that needed the old iPad mini around for a little bit longer? Or something else?

Either way, it's generally a good move as far as I'm concerned. Developers will be less tempted to support 32-bit, A5-based devices for longer, and it simplifies a lineup that was getting overly complex. I'd like it a lot if Apple could cut the lineup down to three (mini, regular and the rumored large model).

I work with a ton of non-technical consumers on a regular basis. You'd be amazed at how many people simply don't care about having the "latest fanciest model" and just want a "cheap iPad". Probably half the people I know who have bought the Mini have bought the non-Retina model in recent purchases. I'd imagine Apple does this to compete with the inexpensive Android tablets...a lot of people want to stick with Apple, but don't want to shell out $400 what Google is selling for $99. But for a cheaper model, it's a good middle ground, so the old ones still sell! iirc in marketing studies, people tend to buy the model, which is why companies sell expensive cars (and halo cars) and then ultra barebones, stripped-down, super cheap models...you don't want the most expensive or the cheapest, right?

 

[Eug]

I'm still curious as to why it stuck around for several months. To hit that $250 price point during the holidays?

Yes.

Also, I'm convinced the iPad mini 3 was a misfire. I am guessing it was supposed to be an A8 machine with 2 GB RAM, instead of a tarted up iPad mini 2, but chip yields and/or other component costs and availability got the better of them.

A legacy customer that needed the old iPad mini around for a little bit longer?

Education? But there again, it's largely due to cost.

iirc in marketing studies, people tend to buy the model, which is why companies sell expensive cars (and halo cars) and then ultra barebones, stripped-down, super cheap models...you don't want the most expensive or the cheapest, right?

Heh, I just bought the most expensive model of a specific Toyota line, with the most expensive option package.

However, the difference there is I bought it used, because it just so happened to be on the lot and the dealer was willing to negotiate significantly.

But then again, when it came time to upgrade from my iPad 2, the ONLY option I considered was the iPad Air 2, with TouchID and 2 GB RAM. Same goes for the iPad mini my wife wants. 2 GB iPad mini 4 or bust... or else maybe a 2 GB iPhone 6s plus?

 

[Rakehellion]

Well it's about time. The original iPad mini is now gone. My suspicion is that it was supposed to be gone last year.

Most likely because the iPad Mini 4 is in two months.

 

[Eug]

iPhone 6s in 3 months, iPad mini 4 in four months

 

[crankytinkle]

looking forward to it...

 

[Eug]

iPad Mini 4 Rumored to Be Smaller Version of iPad Air 2

Apple's fourth-generation iPad mini could be a miniaturized version of the iPad Air 2, according to Japanese blog Mac Otakara. The report claims that the iPad mini 4 will adopt some of the same features and specifications as the iPad Air 2, including an 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera, ultra-thin 6.1mm design and possibly a fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating.

Mac Otakara claims that Apple may release the new iPad mini alongside an A9-based iPad Air 3, contrary to a sketchy report last week from Taiwan's Economic Daily News that said no new iPad Air will be released in 2015 and that the iPad mini 4 could be Apple's last 7.9-inch tablet as the company focuses on its larger-sized iPad Air and much-rumored "iPad Pro" in the future.

In my opinion this pretty much has to happen. The iPod touch is now on the A8 already, and the iPad mini needs to have A8 and probably 2 GB RAM to get all the bells and whistles of iOS 9.

In fact, at this point I wouldn't even be completely shocked if the mini got A9, but I doubt it.

My prediction is the iPad Air 3 will be A9 or A9X, and the iPad mini 4 will be A8X, possibly slightly lower clocked (than the A8X in the 2014 iPad Air 2).

 

[mmntech]

It's pretty amazing just how long the A5 was in service. Four years is an eternity in the mobile world. Apple is purging all their 32-bit devices, so this also means that a new Apple TV is all but confirmed.

 

[rugby]

Funny thing is that the Macbook has a super small logic board AND can output 4K@30Hz and can run a full Mac OS.

 

[TheStu]

Funny thing is that the Macbook has a super small logic board AND can output 4K@30Hz and can run a full Mac OS.

I'm confused... which part of that is funny, and is any of that germane to the conversation?

If you're saying that they could shove the MacBook logic board into an iPad and make an OS X tablet then... maybe? OS X is thoroughly not optimized for touch though.

 

[mmntech]

I can see a tablet running full OS X having a niche market, but not enough to justify overhauling OS X for a touch screen environment. Not at this point anyway. That could change with the rumoured iPad Pro, but even El Capitan isn't optimized for a touch environment. Nowhere near it. Apple is not going to design any touch device that requires a stylus. Plus all their touch apps are coded for ARM. Having to recompile code is a PITA.

 

[TheStu]

I can see a tablet running full OS X having a niche market, but not enough to justify overhauling OS X for a touch screen environment. Not at this point anyway. That could change with the rumoured iPad Pro, but even El Capitan isn't optimized for a touch environment. Nowhere near it. Apple is not going to design any touch device that requires a stylus. Plus all their touch apps are coded for ARM. Having to recompile code is a PITA.

Besides, Apple usually starts laying groundwork for things years in advance. There was a debug mode as far back as 10.4 (it may have 10.5) that let you do sort of faux resolution independence, that groundwork is how the Retina systems operate today.

If there were bread crumbs in the OS that pointed towards touch based systems, someone would have found them.

 

[Eug]

Yeah, I was sooooo looking forward to resolution independence, but that never really happened on OS X. However, Retina is an excellent consolation prize.

I'm glad Apple chose to use OS X as the basis for iOS, instead of Linux. Linux was one of the original optons, but eventually OS X won out.

That resolution independence found its way into iOS instead, since it wasn't hampered by all that legacy stuff.