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Apple reveals the new iPad Mini, a smaller and lighter iPad
by Yasser Ali - October 24, 2012 - comments
The iPad Mini has been priced at a slight premium
In a much-awaited development, Apple finally took the wraps off the iPad Mini.
Ending months of speculation, Apple launched the iPad Mini on Tuesday at an event in San Jose, and announced upgrades of several Apple devices.
The star of the show was undoubtedly the iPad Mini, which comes at a time when the Google Nexus 7 and the Microsoft Surface tablet are just around the corner.
The device sports a 7.9-inch screen with a resolution that is similar to the iPad 2 – 1024x768. It has the Lightning connector and weighs almost half a pound - 0.68 pounds. It is 7.3 mm thin and is 23 percent thinner than the fourth-generation iPad that Apple unveiled the same day.
Meant to be a smaller, cheaper and more portable version of the iPad, iPad Mini is targeted at cost-conscious buyers who would otherwise go for Amazon’s Kindle Fire or the Google Nexus 7.
Battery life of the iPad Mini is 10 hours – the same as that of the fourth-generation iPad. It also features the A5 chip and an HD Facetime camera on the front, while a 5-megapixel iSight camera adorns the rear.
Premium pricing
Prices for the iPad Mini begin at $329 for the 16GB model with Wi-Fi only. A Wi-Fi + Cellular version can be had for $429. Ironically, pre-orders for the iPad Mini will begin on October 26 – the same day Microsoft will be putting out its Microsoft Surface tablet. The iPad Mini will begin shipping in early November.
Meant to be a smaller, cheaper and more portable version of the iPad, iPad Mini is targeted at cost-conscious buyers who would otherwise go for Amazon’s Kindle Fire or the Google Nexus 7.
Although it is meant for price-sensitive buyers, analysts believe that the iPad Mini could have done a lot better had it been put into the same price bracket as Amazon’s Kindle or the Google Nexus.
Cheap Android tablets can be had for prices as low as $99, but Apple still chose to charge a slight premium for its new device. Apple believes that consumers would be willing to shell out extra for the powerful iOS ecosystem and the quality that it brings to the table.
Better than Google Nexus 7?
At the press conference, direct comparisons were made with the Google Nexus and it was shown that the iPad Mini has a larger screen and a much better ecosystem of apps than that of the Google-powered Android device.
Apple also announced new versions of the Mac Mini, Macbook Pro, the iBook app, and the iMac.