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Source: Apple to discontinue iPad mini
- jgrahamc 9y agoThis is sad. The iPad mini was the one iPad that I really liked. It's incredibly light weight and about the right size to have as a useful hole in space that connects to the Internet.
- aaronpk 9y agoSame! I was hoping to buy the new update to it next month! The 9.7" iPad feels too big for most of what I want to do with it.
- grandalf 9y agoI agree too.
- kalleboo 9y agoYeah, I've been waiting for an update so I can replace my Mini 2 (16 GB). I bought the original iPad and the iPad 2 and never found a use for them, so when I needed a new iPad for work I went with the cheapest one. I actually found with the Mini form-factor I started using the thing, and now the 16 GB storage makes it a massive pain in the ass because the features that make the iOS ecosystem really seamless (iCloud) don't work with 16 GB. Now I'm left wondering if I should get the mini 4 on this rumor...
- hinkley 9y agoI'm in the same boat. Limping along with a slightly broken mini 2 until the new one came out.
- pdelbarba 9y agoYea, these things are absolutely loved in the general aviation industry. Big enough to run Foreflight but small enough to fit in a C172
- moftz 9y agoDoes the iPad require any sort of FAA approval to be used in that manner? I know that anything that physically connects to the plane usually has some stringent regulations but I haven't heard about pilots using iPads before. Can you mount the iPad on the instrument panel?
- pdelbarba 9y agoThe FAA issued a blanket approval for all EFBs that are not permanently mounted to the aircraft: https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_120-76c.pdf https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/... Most people either use them an kneeboards or use a ram-style mount to attach them to the yoke.
- pbreit 9y agoWell, it's just an unsourced rumor at this point. My guess is it's not accurate.
- fooker 9y agoThese rumors are likely used to gauge the community reaction before decisions like this.
- lisper 9y agoOK, then listen up any Apple folks lurking here: this would be a huge mistake. The iPhone 7 plus is too small. The regular iPad is too big. The iPad mini is Just Right for a lot of applications. Don't discontinue it.
- falcolas 9y agoI agree with every point, and I'll even emphasize the "iPhone 7 plus is too small" claim. Reading a book on the iPhone [67]+ is not a good experience. It's also too oddly sized for browsing most of the web; mobile sites make everything too large, and switching to desktop versions makes everything too small. Videos also tend to lack a lot of detail. The mini, in comparison, is much like a Kindle for reading books (that is it's comfortable to read, especially the retina displays), and I can read just about any web site without special handling when in portrait mode. I've bought 3, and the only reason I haven't bought more is because they still work perfectly.
- manicdee 9y agoRiffing on the "Apple trial balloon" feedback: My best experience was with the iPhone 4, iPad mini and MacBook Air. Phone was small enough to be unobtrusive, iPad mini was good enough for reading, MBA was just about perfect for casual computing (though I would love a SD or micro-SD slot). My uses were Django programming & photography. The iPhone 6 & 7 are awkwardly sized: too large to be unobtrusive too small for easy reading.
- caiob 9y agoThe article does not look credible. It has no source, no evidence whatsoever. Am I supposed to take the author's word as gospel?
- rory096 9y agoYes, that's how reporting works. If the source is anonymous (as it is here), you ascribe credibility based on the author and news outlet.
- eli 9y agoNo, this is pretty unusual. It's not clear from the article if there even is any source at all. Is it based on guess work? Close reading of public statements and financials? An ex-employee with an axe to grind? No clue.
- lorenzhs 9y agoIt's fairly hidden inside the article but they do say "and that’s why we have heard from a source close to Apple that the iPad mini is being phased out."
- mortenjorck 9y agoWell, obviously they can't name their source. BGR isn't some random dude's blog, though; they have a solid (if imperfect) record of publishing accurate Apple leaks.
- wvenable 9y agoHow is the iPad mini in the same market as a plus-model iPhone? iPad mini's are mostly for kids and grandmothers.
- kalleboo 9y agoMaybe if they had an iPod Touch Plus, but that's not happening... The iPad Mini size is perfect for watching video in bed in the evening/morning for me. iPhone Plus could probably be doable, but I don't want to carry that huge thing in my pocket all day.
- rhinoceraptor 9y agoI have both a 7+ and an iPad mini, the iPad is mostly used for reading in the Kindle app. It's the perfect size for that and it fits in the outer pocket of my lunch box. It's also convenient to use for the DJI Go app for my drone, which absolutely demolishes any device battery. It's light enough so your arms won't get tired, and it spares my phone's battery.
- katbyte 9y agoI find it perfect to read on
- protomyth 9y agoWhat the heck Apple? Do they not get that even the 9.7" size is too big for a lot of users (elderly, children). Its the perfect size, and the price difference between a iPhone 7 plus and the iPad mini is huge. I am hoping this another BGR rumor fail, but considering the lack of love Apple displayed in updates, it seems uncomfortably close to home.
- masukomi 9y agoi agree that it's a great size, but i don't know how much that matters if hardly anyone wants one. It's a lot of cost to keep making them.
- protomyth 9y agoThe problem is that I, and I suspect a lot of other people, have been waiting on the "next" generation iPad mini. The place I work for wants to do an order and was ready, but no new iPad mini was announced. Plus only selling a 128gb model is definitely discouraging. Its the Mac Pro argument, people aren't buying it because it hasn't been updated.
- wideem 9y agoWhy would eldery users prefer smaller size screens?
- protomyth 9y agoWeight of device and easier to handle
- lostmsu 9y agoSo it has nothing to do with size, right?
- protomyth 9y agoEasier to handle is size based[1]. The smaller size generally means less weight than a bigger iPad of the same generation. I am a bit worried about Apple's desire to remove the bezel since that will cause some problem and iBooks likes to flip a lot of pages if your thumb strays. 1) [edit] the iPad pro is just a no go because of its size, and the iPad 9.7 is too big for a lot of children and some adults. Remember, a lot of activities are hold it up with one hand for long periods of time while tapping with the other.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- kraig911 9y agoSo every dynamic point of purchase, a ton of specialty medical equipment, as well as hardware for children and elderly would be forced to use the ipad air(which is too big and too expensive)
- kalleboo 9y agoThere is no iPad Air anymore. There's just "iPad" (which is essentially the old Air 2), and they discontinued iPad minis with less than 128 GB storage, so right now the cheapest iPad is the "iPad" (ex-Air 2).
- miguelrochefort 9y agoWhich is only $329.
- fabianhoward 9y agoThat's not entirely true. The iPad (9.7 inch non-pro) is $70 cheaper.
- cmdrfred 9y agoOr move to Android.
- nicky0 9y agoiPod Touch might be an option
- irrational 9y agoThat would suck. I've tried all three sizes and, for me, the mini one is the best. The others are far too large for me. I have the iphone 7 plus, but the mini's bigger size makes it worth carrying both around.
- xd1936 9y agoMakes sense. The difference between the iPad Mini's 7.9″ screen, and the iPhone 7+'s 5.5″ screen makes it hard to differentiate the two.
- p49k 9y agoSure, but the 5.5" iPhone 7+ costs nearly $1,000 and the iPad mini starts at $300.
- kalleboo 9y agoThe iPhone is something you keep in a pocket all the time, and the iPad is something you keep in a backpack or on a desk. I wouldn't want to carry around a huge iPhone all day just so that when I'm in bed in the evening I can watch videos on a decent-sized screen.
- aetherson 9y agoNo it doesn't. The iPad Mini is much larger than the iPhone+ size. It'd make more sense (but still be wrong) to say that an iPhone+ and a regular-sized iPhone are undifferentiable.
- miguelrochefort 9y agoOne of them is 30% larger...
- drzaiusapelord 9y agoThat 7.9" screen is twice the size of my Nexus 6P which is bigger than the biggest iphone. Its not "hard" to differentiate, its practically night and day. iphone 6 9.4 sq inches. iphone 6 plus 12.9 sq inches. ipad mini 29.6 square inches
- BinaryIdiot 9y ago> The difference between the iPad Mini's 7.9″ screen, and the iPhone 7+'s 5.5″ screen makes it hard to differentiate the two. Have...have you ever used the two? I own a bigger iPhone and an iPad Mini. If you put one on top of the other the size is significant. Yes the mini isn't, say, twice the size but it's not insignificant either. This makes the iPad Mini not really "pocketable" but the iPhone still is.
- cwyers 9y agoSo, this isn't official, and should be taken with a grain of salt. But if it is true... well, to everyone asking how Apple could do this, "they're not selling as many of them as they would need to to get the margins they want" is probably the answer.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- aphextron 9y agoFlagging this for being a dubiously sourced rumor. Perhaps a title change at least.
- lazarus101 9y agoThe 9.7 iPad is too big for me, I mostly use my iPad mini for reading. The 7.9 4:3 screen size is perfect for that. Android tablets have AWFUL standby battery efficiency, I use my iPad mini for a full week with a single charge!
- gnicholas 9y agoAs someone with an 11" MBA, it makes no sense for me to buy a full-sized iPad. I love the mini and use it for personal use and to demo my apps at conferences. Now it looks like the 11" MBA is being phased out, and the mini also. My hope is that the bezel on the 13" laptops will continue to shrink so that the footprint ends up about the same as the old 11", and then maybe I can upgrade to a 13" laptop and a full-sized iPad. Until then, I'm in a holding pattern.
- miguelrochefort 9y agoWhat about the 12" Macbook? It's the same size as the 11" MBA.
- gnicholas 9y agoInsufficient ports.
- miguelrochefort 9y agoHow often do you need more than 1 port?
- brador 9y agoWe love our iPad minis! I say this shows how out of touch Apple has become up in their ivory towers. Ultimately the market will decide their fate, but that's $499 they're not getting from us this year.
- mordant 9y agoI use a Zagg Rugged Book keyboard case to turn my iPad Mini 4 into a 'netbook' which fits into the hip pocket of the 'business BDUs' I routinely wear. My iPhone 7 Plus is great, but my iPad Mini with the Zagg keyboard case is fabulous as a portable device for writing, remote access, etc. I'll really be disappointed if Apple cancel it.
- lostmsu 9y agoJust a week after I considered buying my first Apple product, iPad Mini specifically. But to be honest, I was going to use it instead of my phone.