Apple finally confirms long-rumored smaller iPad revision; 7.9-inch Wi-Fi 16GB model hits early next month; fourth-generation iPad also announced.
Apple had more than a little to share during its media event today in San Jose, California, which was attended by GameSpot sister site CNET. The Cupertino technology giant finally announced the long-rumored iPad mini today, but that was not all. The company also took the wraps off a fourth-generation iPad, less than a year after the "new iPad" was announced.
As for the iPad mini, the device boasts a 7.9-inch IPS display and measures 7.2mm in thickness. A Wi-Fi-only version goes on sale November 2 beginning at $330. A 32GB model will be available at launch for $430, with a 64GB iteration launching at $530.
A 16GB Wi-Fi/4G iPad mini will hit shelves on November 16 at $460. Those looking for more memory can expect to pay $560 for a 32GB model, and $660 for the biggest 64GB iteration.
The iPad mini contains a dual-core A5 processor, a front-facing FaceTime HD camera, and a 5-megapixel camera on its backside. It also makes use of Apple's new Lightning connector, which was introduced with the iPhone 5 in September. Apple says the iPad mini battery will last 10 hours. Preorders begin Friday, October 26.
In what may have been considered a surprise, Apple also announced a fourth-generation iPad model today during its media presentation. The new device resembles the latest hardware revision, which was announced just seven months ago, and contains upgraded specs. The fourth-gen iPad boasts an A6X processor, as well as a Lightning connector, a high-definition front-facing camera, and double the Wi-Fi speed of the past model.
The new iPad will be available beginning November 2 at $500 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model and $630 for a 4G LTE version. Supported carriers include Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. Preorders begin alongside the iPad mini on Friday, October 26.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
Leave it to Apple to give the iPhone a bigger screen and frame just a bit larger than what is ergonomic and call it an 'iPad mini'...Just like the mini meals at McDonald's and the mini Blizzard that Dairy Queen arrogantly insists is, of all things, better than a regular size, and insisting that they have done the world a massive favor.
The previously released Ipad was always going to be a stop gap measure. Their competitors were so far in front of Apple, even at the release date. They really messed with their devout legions of followers by even releasing it. Buy our "state of the art" but obsolete system now, and we will make it officially obsolete in 6 months. Fantastic! They really have this "Product Life Cycle" thing nailed!
@Cozm1kaos Actually yes that's one thing while the IPads not huge it's not exactly small I've seen people pull them out on the tube and they look a bit unwieldy trying to use them while the train shakes them about also the mini looks like it would fit quite happily into an average lady's purse It all comes down to how you want to use it for me an IPads to big, the IPad minis a good size but I've got a smart phone that actually fits in my pocket
Doesn't matter how much you criticize. Apple loyalistas will still purchase it. For some strange reason, they see anything Apple as a status symbol and fashion statement.
I'm buying one on the 18th of November. And it comes with with a whole game console as well. I think they called it the Wii U, not the iPad mini, though...
bunch of snobs lol the new thing you must have it even if is the same thing bunch of duches lol you only buy this for people see you on the sub or bus. lol fill apple pockets with money fucktards
If I didnt already have a IPad this would be appealing. I think this is possibly catering to those who haven't invested in either a iPad or iPhone . Samsung is really competing with Apple with their Galaxy lineup.
1 Like what Apple failed to realize is people didn't buy Kindle Fires because they wanted a smaller tablet, they bought they because they were dirt cheap.
My nexus 7 is looking pretty good at the moment. Higher resolution screen and more processing power. I think I'll stick with this.
1 Like looks exactly what i want in a tablet. never owned one, been looking for one. within my family i have access to Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, and Ipad 1 and 2. only Apple device i own is an Iphone 4 - which i really like.I like the Apple's App store more, but i like the smaller form factor of the Nexus and Kindle. so the Ipad Mini is best of both worlds. doesn't matter if ipad mini 2 gets announced next year, i still haven't picked up Iphone 4S or 5.
don't buy every iteration of a device, i just make tech 'leaps' when i decide to eventually upgrade.
So Ipad Mini - looks exactly what i want. looking forward to it.
@SaudiFury I think a lot of the hate on the device is very uncalled for and I too am very much looking forward too picking one up soon.
@paladin125 Was exactly what I came here to post. I'm a huge Apple fan but since Jobs has passed away the company has gone downhill. No creativity. Garbage commercials. Jobs would be ashamed.
1 Like Then the ipad mini 2 then the ipad mini 3 and so on and so on.
How long until the nano is out?
@carlisledavid79 You are forgetting the iPhone 5XL which will be just a little bit smaller than the iPad Mini :P
I had a Kindle Fire HD when it was released, and I had it for 3 weeks and I sent it back. It was a nice tablet, but only if you are really into Amazon Prime. I decided that since I always wanted an iPad that I would get an iPad mini because it is smaller and cheaper than the other iPads.
Yes, finally the iPad mini!
The iPad was always too big and too expensive that is at least to me, but now it isn't anymore. Also my iPhone 3G is too small.
I can't wait to get an iPad mini.
2 Like I fell asleep at that media event when Tim Cook was on stage. He speaks so slow ! I miss Steve Jobs !
In related new, the IPAD mini 2 is due out IN September. No not really but knowing Apple probably.
I personally think this will be a great bridge between the Ipod touch and the Ipad, The only thing the really disappoint's Me is that they decided not too use the Retina display on it, I understand the CPU being slower than the current gen Ipad but even the Ipod touch has the Retina display. I'll wait for the review's too come and see what people think of it before buying but if it is a dud I'm sure when they release the next model it will be a much better alternative too the Ipad.
3 Like Are they actually serious? How stupid do they think the consumer are? Who the hell has the money to drop another $500 half a year after their last big spend? Not to mention the iPhone 5 isn't long out! This is ridiculous corporate rubbish!
1 Like @gazisultima they don't expect people to upgrade this quickly. They're hoping the people who have been holding out will take the dive into the cult of mac.
Soooo, first it was Ipod, then Ipad, now a Ipad mini? If you want a "mini" you can buy an Ipod thats a lot unexpensive. Low one Apple.
@Angry3DSNerd ..Don't be stupid. iPod is a tiny, tiny device. This mini is the same size as other tablets in the market, i.e. Kindle Fire. It's more expensive, but I bet some iPad holdouts will get a mini.
Stupid idea Apple!
Stop making the same things in different sizes and just stick to making iphones and ipods.
@GH05T-666 I don't think they should be making ipods anymore. every other device they make provides what the ipods do, plus a heckuva lot more.
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@Venatorcruiser So you're telling me there's a Target/Bullseye app, and i'm not talking about mobile shopping.
Sadly, it's a one-time use sorta app.
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@Venatorcruiser Sounds like Gorilla Glass needs to come out with a Silverback model, complete with bullet/drop resistant features.
I think you're right. First one who releases this would land some FAT contracts.
@Venatorcruiser Yeah I figured it was something like that.
My comment got me thinking, though. The iPad screen is pretty solid. I bet a target app for dart guns (think suction, not titanium and/or poison darts) would sell like hot cakes.
"hue hue, hey Cloud, lets bring our new Mini's to liberal economics class today and lecture other students on why apple is such a great company, and then we can head on down to the star bucks after class and drink mocha mochachinos with extra fair trade ethos water, and we can lecture those people on the harm they are doing to the economy and the ecosystem by not upgrading to apple's latest ipads, which are 13% more green friendly than last month's model"*SPIFFFFF* *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH* *HACK* *COUCH* "yeah Windsong, that sounds like a great idea, just let me finish this blunt, i cant inhale, read facebook, and walk at the same time"
Anyways, what the fuck do you do with this that the ipad 1.0 cant do? I mean really, lets be honest here. 99.99999% of apple users just use it for facebook. Well, what else can they be used for, i guess.
1 Like @q-bert39 I think you guys missed part of TC's point though. He also said "what the fuck do you do with this that the ipad 1.0 can't do?"
The answer to that is, nothing! Other than more portability and possibly a few games that will only work for newer versions.
Everything that you guys mentioned, with using it for work, can be done on the first Ipads as well, or any other tablet for that matter. So basically, anyone buying a new Ipad simply to keep using it for the same things the first Ipad did, is, how do I put this bluntly, A MORON!
1 Like
Except that anything the iPad 1 can do, the current iPad does much better.
I'm not an Apple fan at all, but ignoring the hardware changes doesn't do anything to make a point. I've got a Pentium II-266 laptop with Windows 98 and Opera 10 on it. Try surfing the internet with it. During the Netscape days, it was impossible to think of surfing the internet as a resource-hungry activity. Heck, with the power of an average PC, it still doesn't seem that resource-hungry, until you try watching a youtube video or posting to facebook with some really old hardware.
It's obviously not that pronounced in the iPad's case, but usability is certainly a factor. Apple couldn't get away with releasing so many iterations (or purposely gimping each release to give reason for the next new release) without so many people who buy the latest and greatest as soon as it comes out, but a lot of people (even non-Apple fans) do that, and not everyone that owns an Apple product buys everything they make immediately. It's just the small group of vocal sycophants on the internet makes it seem a lot more prevalent than it is.
The current iPad does more than the iPad 1 because it's much more powerful. I'm sure there are games that aren't even playable on the iPad 1 (never mind the drastically improved screen resolution). There are also other things people use electronic devices for. I use my DS, for instance, to make music with and that's pretty much it.
@q-bert39 I use my Iphone, my Android tablet, and my iPad for work as well. The MSP our department uses (IT) has mobile apps that lets us manage and remote into our client machines.
@q-bert39 I actually use mine for work, too. The Numbers app allows me to enter spreadsheet figures on the go and make purchasing decisions based on calculations on the spreadsheet.
5 Like They missed the price point big time with the iPad Mini. 300$ was the highest they should have went. 250-275$ was the sweet spot and they missed it by leaps and bounds.
@MamaLukuBuku A lower pricepoint would get the device in more hands, yes, but that's not their goal. Their goal is to find that sweetspot that maximizes profits, not users. That's why it's priced where it is.
1 Like @MamaLukuBuku I think this iPad Mini may just be a tool to sell more iPad.. um.. Big.
"Well, if the regular sized one is just over a hundred more, why don't I just buy THAT one..?"
And BOOM Apple makes another $130 in revenue.
@MamaLukuBuku Its because most apple consumers dont know a thing about hardware, or what it actually costs. They see a sleek new shiny thingy with a touch screen and they pay whatever apple asks. They dont buy it because of the "new" (read: 2 year old) hardware, they buy it because it has a bigger number on it than the last one did.
4 Like @q-bert39 @MamaLukuBuku If you can afford it, why not? Who cares? And why would you be angry about it when you're smarter than everyone else and won't buy it anyway? People just gotta hate something.
@MamaLukuBuku @IAMTYLERDURDEN @q-bert39 "consumers are going to buy whatever is cheapest." Not true. Consumers will buy whatever they feel has the most added value. If your logic were true, then everyone would own a KIA.
3 Like @IAMTYLERDURDEN @q-bert39 The thing is, I despise Apple, but I am a big fan of iOS devices. My iPhone5 is easily the best phone I have ever had. The iPad has been and still is top dog in the 10 inch tablet world, the iPad mini easily could have dethroned the Nexus 7 (which I own) and the ASUS Transformer line (I own one of those too lol), if the price point was on target.
The Kindle is junk and just shouldn't even be in the picture when talking about smaller tablets.
Right now the Tablet world is getting saturated to the point where consumers are going to buy whatever is cheapest. With the iPad "4" and mini, all the Windows 8 tablets coming out, I am sure another Nexus tablet and another Kindle tablet are slated for a near future release, the market is packed with crazy price points (W8 tablets and top of the line iPads) to low price points (Nexus 7 and Kindle line), and with how expensive everything is today, consumers are going to start opting for whatever the newest and cheapest tablet is.
Source says two models of new platform launching this holiday season in US; gamers will be able to control system with smartphone.
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