Just A Thought

Posted by btoope on October 24, 2012 10:53 pm 2

So, while I was at work tonight I was thinking about the iPad mini and whether or not it would be successful and why it lacks a Retina display. And, a couple of things came to mind. The first thing I thought about was why doesn't this product have a Retina display. I mean it seems to be the way Apple is taking all their mobile products - iPhone, iPad(3rd and 4th gen), MacBook Pro (13" and 15") - but not the new iPad mini? seems strange. Then I realized that Apple is still selling the iPad 2 at a lower cost than the 9.7" Retina version. If I were Apple would I sell the iPad 2 for $399 without a Retina display and also sell the iPad mini with a Retina display for $329? I wouldn't, it wouldn't make sense to the customer.

Retina iPad mini... Non-Retina iPad.... Retina iPad... ???

It just looks weird and it doesn't have any cohesive nature to the product structure.

The iPad mini will indeed get a Retina display, I can almost guarantee it. But when it does, rest assured that the iPad 2 will be retired and the current 4th gen iPad will take it's place at the $399 price point with the 5th gen occupying the $499 price point. This way there will be Retina across the board for the whole lineup. Now we're talking!

Then I started wondering how successful the iPad mini will actually be. It's no secret that the this 7 inch tablet is priced higher than its 7 inch Android counterparts. Does that really matter? Judging from a lot of the comments on this site and others, it does. I don't agree with this, though. Remember back to when the iPod first came on the scene. It was large, a massive block of technology. It sold well and people loved it but it wasn't the best selling iPod. In 2004, Apple released the iPod mini. It cost $199 and $249 for 4GB or 6GB, respectively. People said that it was overpriced for what you were getting in return and that it wouldn't sell. Were they ever wrong. The iPod mini went on to become the best selling iPod and one of the best selling electronic products on the market that year. I have a feeling that the iPad mini is going to go down this same road. I don't think people will mind spending a little extra on this tablet compared to the others. People have come to know that they will get a finely crafted product accompanied by one of the best customer service experiences on the planet.

Anyway, I think I've rambled on long enough. Let me know what you think. Thanks