We’ve been hearing lots of reports that the folks from Cupertino are planning an iPad Mini. From Bloomberg and the New York Times, to our sister site SlashGear. Apparently Apple will be releasing a cheaper, smaller 7-inch iPad Mini later this year to better compete with Android. Could an iPad Mini crash the Nexus 7 party that’s been going on all month? Doubtful — but lets talk about it anyways.
To be completely fair the iPad has dominated tablet sales for far too long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a die hard Android fan and always will be. Facing the facts here the iPad has a strong lead — or did. When Google and ASUS dropped the Nexus 7 things changed. They unleashed a super powerful tablet with everything you’d want and need, great build quality, and the absolute latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean all for $199. What a powerhouse! Apple is probably scared, and they should be.
The 7-inch form factor is a real winner here. We’ve seen that with the Kindle Fire, and even more so with the Nexus 7. Samsung’s done a decent job, but the Nexus 7 is the new king. The folks from Bloomberg seem pretty intent on saying the iPad Mini is a direct attack on the Nexus 7, as well as Android tablets as a whole. What do you guys think? We know Steve Jobs doesn’t like the smaller iPad idea.
What we know
There are conflicting reports but here’s the main bit. Original reports suggested a 7.85-inch display with 1024×768 resolution. Now rumors suggest the iPad Mini will be 7-8″ in size, a retina-like display, probably be powered the the iPad 2’s dual-core A5 processor, 1GB of RAM, and be cheap. Price is anyone’s guess but I can’t truly see Apple matching that $199 price point — but they’ll need to if they want to compete in the smaller 7-inch market. If Apple releases a 7-inch iPad Mini with those specs and 8GB of storage for $249 would that kill the Nexus 7’s momentum? They’d then probably also offer a 16GB version for $299. We know it won’t have micro-SD support. Will they offer a front or rear camera? Will it have 3G/4G connectivity? Will the screen really be “retina” quality? Those are all things that go first when making a budget device. The Nexus 7 found the perfect blend and Apple will need to do the same.
Recent leaks suggest both a rear and front facing camera, and possibly 3G/4G connectivity. These are both signs that an iPad mini will in fact not hit the price point Google has. If this indeed is the case we could be seeing a $299 Mini, or higher. Obviously a smaller iPad could effect the sales of the Nexus 7 and Android tablets in general, but it’s just one more option. Apple has their App Store and thousands of tablet apps, but we don’t know if they’ll all be compatible with the smaller screen. This will even the “tablet apps” playing field. They have iTunes, we have Google Music. Both offer Netflix and movies too. The competition really is getting tight here — see the trend? With the Nexus 7 still being cheaper, rocking a quad-core processor, and being extremely hackable I’m not too worried. Oh and it runs Android!!
Google obviously has a winner on their hands with the Nexus 7 (see our review) and this round it appears Android is in the lead, with Apple playing catch up. So in the end will an iPad Mini crash the Nexus 7 party? Not really. Will it add to competition and give users another option. You betcha!
What do you guys think? Does an iPad Mini have some serious potential or are they just chasing the success of Amazon, Google, and ASUS?
Steve Jobs: “7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad,” said Jobs, adding that competing manufacturers were struggling to meet the price point of the iPad, which starts at $500. Both Samsung and RIM have not announced pricing on their tablets.
“These are among the reasons that the current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA — dead on arrival.”
While I like Apple products I cannot stand the company and always thought Jobs was a tool. I was so tired of hearing him poo poo and idea and then have Apple produce that very product shortly after. I do not miss the guy.
knowing Apple, the mini will be overpriced. I’m not interested in it. it will be funny reading from all the isheep that said an ipad mini will never happen
The 7″ iPad will be successful because it has the name “iPad.” It may not make much headway in the tech community, that is what the Nexus 7 is for. But you can bet your ass that this new iPad will be a knockout success for Apple.
yes of course….Apple has a huge market of iDi*ts 🙁
An ipad mini will clearly have an influence on Nexus 7 sales and may sell more. Does that mean it will be better? Of course not seeing as the Nexus 7 blows my ipad 1 away and there is nothing about an ipad mini which will change that since the reason I prefer the Nexus 7 is because iOS sucks.
No, the reason it will sell well and perhaps better is simply because of all the Apple zealots out there who will go and buy one simply because they are brainwashed to do so. We are talking about a group of sheeple who many have bought THREE ipads within 2 years and will no doubt get this and then say how much they prefer the smaller screen for their facebook and twitter checking use.
So an ipad mini will for sure sell well though it will obviously not wipe out the Nexus 7 as the Apple loving media is trying to brainwash people into thinking simply because of the obvious- they run different operating systems and people who now hate iOS like me are not going to magically go and buy another iOS device because the moron media tells them to.
I will say the Apple loving media is great because if you went by what they said, nobody buys any Android backed devices at all despite the smartphone market being over 50% Android based. Oh wait I forgot…once the iphone 5 comes out the Android market share will drop to 2%…somehow, rather than it’ll basically just be current iphone users upgrading thus showing no market share has been increased. That is one thing that bugs me about sales figures (for both apple and android) as they never take into account the fact it is often people just upgrading rather than new users or people “converting” to the other OS in this case. Other than Apple and its shareholders, who cares if 17 million ipad 3s get sold if 15 million are bought by current ipad 1 or 2 owners? This is especially true given the fact Apple is basically making the ipad 1 obsolete by not supporting it with future iOS updates thus forcing diehards to upgrade if they still want their ipad experience. Furthermore, many apps now are designed for the more power ipad 2 and 3 and chug big time on the ipad 1 and this will only get worse as time goes on.
Your comments are actually funny. You apparently seem to have Apple and all it’s users figured out. How much does Google pay you to be such an Andoid fanboy?
even I do it for free…..just because Apple is complete rotten and immoral company……always lying and thief of ideas 😉
just read (insert “dot” before “com”):
sites.google com/site/corpsins/
I do like the Nexus 7 and I do use a Galaxy Nexus on AT&T. But, some of your statements are just too generalized, plus ad hominem attacks don’t help your case.
I have purchased and iPad from each gen (selling the previous model) and I don’t consider myself “brainwashed” nor am I a “sheeple”. Will I replace my current Gnex and iPad 3? Someday, but for now I will probably get a Nexus 7 now and an iPad mini later this year.
Why do I use iOS? Because I use apps that simply aren’t available on the Android Market or the Windows Phone Market. Also, my iPad interfaces effortlessly with my Apple TV.
You mentioned that newer apps will make the iPad 1 chug. How is that any different than newer Android apps bogging down an early model Android device?
ah yes let the lawsuits begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ASUS still make shitty quality devices with shitty IO performance and sub standard QC
Personally I think it is good to try both IOS and Android. If you don’t want to have too many gadgets around, you can use an Android smartphone + iPad, or iPhone + Android tablet. You can enjoy the apps from both world
why would they do this? it’s just gonna be a 7 inch iPod touch… it’s stupid to even consider an iPad mini because the iPod touch is already at $199, theres no way Apple will sell this mini pad for that price point. I’d say it’ll be $300
How? People with android devices will suddenly start buying iPad Mini?
It doesn’t need to meet the price point of the Nexus. Buying Apple is at LEAST as much a brand/fashion statement, as it is a functional one. There will be one or two things that the Nexus 7 does not have (e/g. second camera), in order to head off direct price comparisons a little — even though there will surely be things the Nexus has the edge with, e.g. tegra 3 and NFC — and then people will buy the mini because, well, it’s APPLE, so duh it’s worth more!
I say the last sentence a little tongue in cheek. I don’t believe it of course, but I am married to someone who does, so I am quite familiar with how this thinking works. Quite frankly she doesn’t even need a smartphone for the most part, it’s primarily a phone + email + itunes device. But she KNEW she NEEDED an iPhone, since all her friends had one & loved theirs. One actually said to me “I just like to turn it on & look at it, & touch it. It makes me feel good.” That is a direct quote.
“…and this round it appears Android is in the lead, with Apple playing catch up.”
Is this a joke? What’s the Nexus 7 market share ? 0.5%?? Obviously the iPad mini won’t end with the Nexus 7, but it certainly will sell more. And the iPad mini is not only enemy of the Nexus 7, wait to see the new offerings from Amazon and Samsung, even a tablet with Windows 8.
I hate to be pessimistic, but the Nexus 7 never have more than 5% of global market tablets. Do not take a genius to see it.
nexus is good..but lose of 3g and 4g.what intend google doing.they can make a nexus 7 with 3g and 4g.when really i pad mini come.i would say n7 totalt crash.talk about price comfirm mini ipad is higher.if the price is not much far away.which u will choose ? with 4g or without ?
I have an ipad and am toying with the idea of buying the Nexus 7. My biggest issue with the Nexus 7 is the inability to connect it to a projector or monitor. Will I be able to use presentation software like powerpoint. The ipad mini will most likely give you those features. It would be nice if the Nexus 7 was more than a music, video, and angry bird device.