16 ms·

Apple unveils new iPad mini with breakthrough performance in new design

141 points by 0xedb 5y ago

post_break 5y ago
I will say, having USB C on my iPad is very nice. Now if only they would do it for the iPhone. After the CSAM stuff hit I switched back to Android and it's so nice to only need one cable for everything.
- pwthornton 5y ago
  Quite an awkward endorsement for Android!
  - tmccrary55 5y ago
    Especially weird (though understandable) because it's basically "Doesn't scan your device and send the information to a corporation and the government" when Android basically does that everywhere, all the time. But Android does it for profit, Apple does it "for the children."
    - lrae 5y ago
      Would you be down to write a blog post about how a "degoogled phone" still scans your data and sends it to Google? Let's say a Pixel 5 with CalyxOS? I didn't know thats the case. Tbh, I'd even love to see a current blog post on how much and what data a "semi-degoogled" random OEM phone with the shipped Android sends. Or maybe there is one that I don't know of, would love to see it.
      - tmccrary55 5y ago
        You're the only one talking about a "degoogled phone."
        lrae 5y ago
        No? Also, you're the one talking about "Android". Is CalyxOS no android? Or GrapheneOS? But I guess that answers my question. Probably not much scanning going on.
        n8cpdx 5y ago
        It just seems really weird to assume that switching to Android involves switching to Google services. There were weeks of threads with people discussing which version of Android (Calyx vs graphene, etc) they were going to switch to.
        tmccrary55 5y ago
        Yeah... walk into a grocery store and ask all of the people using Android if they're using Calyx or graphene.
        n8cpdx 5y ago
        *all of the people who switched to Android _in protest of Apple's new CSAM system_
        tmccrary55 5y ago
        ???? Only on the orange site
    - fulafel 5y ago
      Citation needed for Android doing this?
      - techrat 5y ago
        Funny how they always stop responding at this point. "I don't like what Apple is doing." Then out of nowhere and off topic: "GOOGS IS WORSE!" It's purely Pavlovian to them by now.
      - bobbles 5y ago
        https://support.google.com/transparencyreport/answer/10330933?hl=en#zippy=%2Chow-does-google-identify-csam-on-its-platform https://support.google.com/transparencyreport/answer/1033093... We invest heavily in fighting child sexual exploitation online and use technology to deter, detect, and remove CSAM from our platforms. This includes automated detection and human review, in addition to relying on reports submitted by our users and third parties such as NGOs, to detect, remove, and report CSAM on our platforms. We deploy hash matching, including YouTube’s CSAI Match, to detect known CSAM. We also deploy machine learning classifiers to discover never-before-seen CSAM, which is then confirmed by our specialist review teams. Using our classifiers, Google created the Content Safety API, which we provide to others to help them prioritize abuse content for human review.
        tmccrary55 5y ago
        This.
        fulafel 5y ago
        But no on-device fuzzy hash scanning and swat-ing on Android afaik - the above quote enumerates cloud services.
- tmccrary55 5y ago
  USB-C is a requirement on any device I buy these days. The amount of annoyance at tracking down a micro-usb cable and plugging it in has surprised me more than I thought.
  - monkeydust 5y ago
    100% this. It's now must have for any new tech for same reasons.
- jmnicolas 5y ago
  I'm not sure I follow your logic: Google is certainly less trustworthy than Apple if we're speaking about scanning your files. And before you think I'm partial, I have no dog in this fight: I degoogled myself since last year and I don't own any Apple devices. But if I had to choose between Google and Apple for my privacy I would go with Apple (without much illusions).
  - post_break 5y ago
    Sometimes the alternative isn't much better, so instead of trying to punish myself and get a pixel, degoogle everything, etc. I voted with my wallet. Do I just keep my iPhone and let them get away with the CSAM on device scanning? I chose not to, even if the privacy is worse on android. Some may think that's ass backwards, but it was a solution for my beliefs.
    - runjake 5y ago
      It does seem ass backwards. Google scans your content for CSAM on their servers. And they scan your content for demographic and advertising data and god knows what else. I do not see your logic here. It appears to be an ill-decided knee-jerk reaction.
      - chippiewill 5y ago
        It's perplexing really. It's a bit like saying you don't like how the government spies on you, so you're moving to China.
      - cageface 5y ago
        The difference is Android gives you options. If you’re locked into iOS you’ve got no recourse if you disagree with Apple’s decisions.
        top_sigrid 5y ago
        So what's the option of Google not scanning every content you have on their devices (I mean they even scan all your emails in Gmail)? With Apple's CSAM you have an actual option which is just to not use their iCloud photo sharing.
- handrous 5y ago
  Their still having two connectors is even more annoying than I thought it would be. We have lots of iDevices from several generations and even brand new ones—but only some of them, though, significantly, all the iPhones—are still shipping with lightning, years after they should have gone to USB-C. Given how long we're able to keep these things around and in use, that means we'll be dealing with stupid lightning cables and two different kinds of dongle through at least 2026, even if they switch all their new devices to USB-C today. That, in addition to the irritation & expense of USB-C itself.
  - post_break 5y ago
    Not only do they have two connectors, they have two different Apple pencils too. Need to make sure you buy the right one.
    - handrous 5y ago
      Well, the first one was a mis-designed piece of crap, so I don't mind that as much, though keeping it in use on some newer models after v2 was released does suck. (source for assertion about them being crap: I own one—the bad part's entirely the terrible charging/connector design, but that part's nearly parody-levels of bad)
      - Tagbert 5y ago
        The pencil was intimately tied to the generation of iPad. The iPad had to have specific support for connecting to the corresponding generation of pencil. They could only enable the new pencil as they redesigned the iPads. They are now going through their iPad line and updating the designs which allows them to switch to the new pencil.
        handrous 5y ago
        Yeah, I get the technical reason that as Pro chips shifted down-market to other iPads they couldn't add support for the new-model Pencil without significant (and unjustifiably expensive) changes, it's just unfortunate. They had a similar, valid excuse for using Lightning connectors on lower-end phones and iPads for a while, but that time would now be long past if they'd introduced them when they should have, yet even the last round of top-end iPhones still had the damn things. I'm at the point where nearly the only things I can't charge with one laptop USB-C charger, and use with a single set of USB-C dongles, are old iPads (understandable) and new iPhones (which is the real WTF). Current-gen game controllers, the Nintendo Switch itself, my (non-Apple) wireless headphones, my (non-Apple) mechanical wireless keyboard, MacBook Air, 4th-gen iPad Pro, all USB-C for power. My 12-series iPhone I hope to use for at least three more years, and maybe as many as five, barring some must-have tech breakthroughs or my damaging it badly? Goddamn lightning connector.
Terretta 5y ago
No keyboards featured in pictures? USB-C on iPad Pro has been fantastic, glad to see that.
onkoe 5y ago
Everything looks nice, but I really don't mind these devices if I can't install my own desktop software on them. Seems nice for things like casual content consumption though
- handrous 5y ago
  iPads are good companions for making music, for making art, for non-casual content consumption like reading textbooks or reference manuals, drilling flash cards, watching lectures, et c. The mini's maybe not as good for the latter as an 11.9" Pro (great size for reading textbook PDFs, even large enough to do two pages at a time if you have good eyesight), but still. With an external wireless keyboard, they can be better than a laptop for writing, because you can position the screen separately from the keyboard (without having to wastefully carry around a whole attached keyboard that you're not using) and you can draw (e.g. diagrams) directly on them if you want to, plus the semi-modal operation is great for focus.
  - sturza 5y ago
    *12.9
    - handrous 5y ago
      Well, I was 75% correct, anyway.
- rchaud 5y ago
  This reads like a comment from January 2010. When have you ever been able to install your own desktop apps on a device running an ARM-based SoC?
  - 12ian34 5y ago
    Raspberry Pis have been around since 2012. Sure they're not really portable but they do have an "ARM-based SoC".
  - jnwatson 5y ago
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anm89 5y ago
I love how everything has to be a "revolutionary breakthrough" with apple. Wow the 73rd version of the 19th variation of the ipad gets better performance. What a break though.
- allenu 5y ago
  And each release is "our best camera yet" or "fastest processor yet" or "best battery yet". I mean, yeah, you're probably not going to release an update that has worse performance. Apple is the master at emphasizing things like this.
  - ab_testing 5y ago
    >Yeah you are not going to release an update that has worse performance. Except keyboards in 2016 to 2019
    - Kaotique 5y ago
      But they probably announced it as a breakthrough innovation that would change typing forever.
      - mszcz 5y ago
        And it did! You've never before typed with such softness, savoring each keystroke as if it were it's (not your's) last. Sorry I couldn't help myself... But I'm gettin the Mini ok?
    - rchaud 5y ago
      Hey, that's "Magic Keyboard" to you.
  - theshrike79 5y ago
    Would you, as a company CEO go on stage and announce "this camera is pretty much on par with the one last year and the CPU is the same too and actually we kinda lost a bit of battery life"? :D
Causality1 5y ago
iPad mini features an all-screen design half inch bezel on all sides Removing the home button is not the same as making an all-screen design.
- shreddit 5y ago
  Well technically it is. The front is now screen only, regardless of the actual screen size. There is just nothing else on the front
  - bryan0 5y ago
    > There is just nothing else on the front ... except for a giant f'ing bezel
    - robertoandred 5y ago
      Do you not hold your tablets with your fingers?
- dsjoerg 5y ago
  You read my mind. I wondered if the pictures were accurate, since there was clear non-screen space around the edges of the "all-screen design".
- jnsie 5y ago
  I genuinely thought they were going to show the screen expanding to take up the full area. But nope. Just marketing-speak. Ugh
- themihai 5y ago
  >> Removing the home button is not the same as making an all-screen design. Well, when the half inch bezel will be removed it will feature an "infinite all screen with really no bezel". Lately Apple has been pushing quite a lot of BS in marketing. I'm not sure if it's always been like that or I just started to "wake up". I remember when they announced the Apple TV 4K they made it sound like it's the first 4K device in the world while they were actually pretty late in the game. Now all I wait(hw-wise) is an iPhone with usb-c and, no glass back and better camera.
laurent92 5y ago
I have just noticed that they say “iPhone” not “the iPhone”, “the iPad”, “my iPad”. It’s as if they were talking about a person, such as “I’m using Hal”.
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  This is normal. E.g. cars are the same way. It's not "The Mustang" it is "Mustang".
  - Infernal 5y ago
    It is? “The Mustang has a new engine this year” “I’m going to take the Mustang today” - those sentences sound very strange without “the”. Yet Apple does this consistently, referring to each product as a singular proper name (which sounds weird because, like cars, there are millions of them with many variations over the years all with the same name).
  - toxik 5y ago
    ”We have redesigned the Volvo XC60” is absolutely a normal way to talk. You are specifying a particular model from a line of models. “Volvos are some of the safest cars” is the way I would expect one to talk about Volvo’s cars in general. Companies don’t want their products to become generic names, that’s why they make these nonsense rules.
  - NobodyNada 5y ago
    Huh? I’ve never heard anyone refer to a car model without an article. If you purchased a Mustang you’d say “I got a Mustang”, not “I got Mustang.” Even when talking about the model in general rather than a specific car, it’s “The Mustang gets 30 MPG”, not “Mustang gets 30 MPG.” (I’m from the PNW, in case it’s a regional thing.)
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  Do people say "On the Windows 11 we ..." or do they say "On Windows 11 ..."? It's a name, you don't have to put "the" in front of a name, the laurent92 (of course, the Ohio State University would disagree with that idea).
lp0_on_fire 5y ago
they'll need that performance to scan their devices since most of their users could be vectors for distributing CP... /s
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
ajaimk 5y ago
A15 chip => Same one as today's new iPhones.
ohgodplsno 5y ago
> Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral. I see Apple is still keeping up with the lie that they are carbon neutral. Buying CO2 allowances is not being carbon neutral. Your entire supply chain will never be carbon neutral. The world simply does not work that way.
- the_other 5y ago
  It’s very important for the planet and us that big companies make these bold public claims. It means we can (attempt to) hold them accountable; that other companies will try to follow; that people like you will get annoyed an push harder for more material changes through your wallet, lobbying or action. Apple will do _some_ work in this arena and it will shift the needle less than we need at first glance, but it is phenomenal marketing for the movement.
Invictus0 5y ago
The "Center Stage" feature is basically the core of Facebook's Portal platform. Your move FB.
nathias 5y ago
small step for Apple, a giant leap for mankind
- blowski 5y ago
  Feels like small step for Apple, no movement at all for mankind.
rchaud 5y ago
"All-screen design" seems like a stretch, the bezels are perceptibly large, maybe even more than usual because of the smaller screen they wrap around.
girmad 5y ago
I'm listening with only half an ear, but it sounds like they're pushing something called "Censorship OIS"
- bigdict 5y ago
  sensor shift OIS (optical image stabilization)
- davio 5y ago
  lol, she definitely said it that way
handrous 5y ago
Whoa, what's with the huge bezel? My only Mini is a 1st-gen, but that has a tiny bezel on either side, with somewhat larger ones top-and-bottom, and I really like the resulting overall size & proportions. Did the top and bottom bezels shrink a ton so it just looks like the whole thing's bigger all around because they all match now, or did they widen the sides? Looking at the dimensions on WP it looks like the height is what got bigger, with the width staying the same, which is confusing—did they change the screen proportions, too? I thought the old size & look was just about perfect, like a trade paperback.
- vanilla_nut 5y ago
  I would agree about the new bezel —- it’s hard to tell if it’s just my eyes and the perspective in this image, but it really looks like there’s a new bezel that’s 2/3 the size of the old top/bottom bezel, and at least twice as thick as the old size bezel. Maybe 3 times the size.
- AlanYx 5y ago
  The side bezels on the previous gen were too small IMHO. I ended up putting mine in a case that added a grip on the left hand side. While the device has decent palm rejection, it's never perfect and I find it disconcerting when the only way to hold it from an edge is to cover a portion of the screen. I think it makes sense to make the side bezels slightly larger, though I agree that the proportions of the device are slightly less appealing as a result.
- forgotmypw17 5y ago
  I think it's so that you can hold the iPad comfortably without accidentally activating something on the screen.
  - handrous 5y ago
    Sure, but they don't do that with their phones, and like hell I'm carrying this thing around without a case (which is also why they don't bother to make their iPhones so they're easy to use caseless, or make them so the backs are flat without a case—everyone uses a case unless they're trying to signal "I'm rich enough that if I drop this and the screen shatters I'll just shrug and buy another immediately, and if it happens again next week, same story"). That was a problem with my Mini when I first took it out of the box, but it was in a case soon after and that stopped being a problem—and I would buy this as an explanation, if they hadn't kept the original design for the first 3 generations, and if they seemed to care about that for other devices—my 4th gen iPad Pro's like that, too, so it's hard to use in-hand without a case because the bezel's tiny—but of course I'm going to have a case on it, so it hardly matters. [EDIT] in fact, with a case, this thing's gonna look downright fat. Maybe they just couldn't fit as much battery as they needed for these newer chips & screens, in the old size?
eykanal 5y ago
Can we change the title here to something less marketing-ish? Possibly just "Apple releases new iPad mini"?
- solarkraft 5y ago
  I find it generally sub-optimal to link Apple press releases. They won’t mention the things that are actually notable, like perhaps a daringfireball would.
tpmx 5y ago
From the macrumors keynote feed comments: These keynotes are ****ing uncanny. Plays like a Black Mirror episode. Don't know why. Nailed it.
- handrous 5y ago
  Black Mirror frequently borrows from Apple's aesthetics and marketing style when presenting in-universe products and ads, so it's natural that an Apple keynote would remind one of Black Mirror.
- paxys 5y ago
  They always come off as overproduced.
  - tpmx 5y ago
    Especially when they're doing them pre-recorded like during the pandemic.
  - hbn 5y ago
    Apple still makes the least cringey presentations of any of the big tech companies. Microsoft and Google are incredibly out-of-touch when they try to do similar things. I recall the Windows 11 announcement event had speakers talking about how the new version will "enhance how you engage with the product"
    - tpmx 5y ago
      I disagree. I think this overproduced 100.00% perfect everything style from Apple is more cringey, but in a new way.
  - ksec 5y ago
    Tim Cook's era. Steve Jobs Keynote is still the Gold Standard.
- Kaotique 5y ago
  It feels weird to me. Maybe it's just the current American culture that feels off for a European like myself. It is over directed and over produced. Zero spontaneity. I would rather watch Elon throw a metal ball into a car window during a presentation. At least that is real. Change the way movies are directed, because of this new phone? Give me a break. I'm sure it will produce nicer TikTok and YouTube videos but no serious director is going to shoot a million dollar production with a 1000 dollar phone.
jnsie 5y ago
Is it just me or are these latest announcement events lackluster and over-produced? I'm not judging the devices (going to pick up the watch series 7) but the events themselves are tough to sit through.
- saaaaaam 5y ago
  Don’t then! Just read the cliff notes after.
- Corrado 5y ago
  I agree and found myself wondering what Steve Jobs would think of these events. I think he might like it in that they would be "perfect" as he was notoriously fastidious about these types of events. However, he might also not like the "sterility" that seems to accompany them; he was a showman and liked to work the crowd.
  - ksec 5y ago
    >I agree and found myself wondering what Steve Jobs would think of these events. Likely Junk. And every day it is edging towards more like Google or Microsoft. While Google and Microsoft are trying to do keynote in Apple's fashion.
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exabrial 5y ago
> usb-c Thank goodness. Glad to see them ditching the legacy deadweight Lightning connector.
dahfizz 5y ago
USB-C is nice to see. I wonder if the next iPhone will finally make the upgrade... EDIT: of course the new iPhone 13 is still lightning.... https://www.apple.com/iphone-13-pro/specs/ https://www.apple.com/iphone-13-pro/specs/
fevangelou 5y ago
Probably the biggest news is the death of the Lightning connector. USB-C now paves the way for connecting anything, across different hardware platforms.
- extra88 5y ago
  It’s only one less model with Lightning, the new 10.2” iPad and the new iPhones still use Lightning.
Factorium 5y ago
The hardware is great, but the software ecosystem is hamstrung by the 30% commissions for apps.
- criddell 5y ago
  Despite the 30% commission for apps, it's an incredibly vibrant ecosystem. So much new and interesting software appears on iOS and (to a lesser extent) macOS. It seems like the more free the platform is, the less interesting it is for users. I'm thinking about iOS, Windows, macOS, Android, game consoles, Linux, and the web.
  - postalrat 5y ago
    I think everyone admits most of the ecosystem is games. Games where you are constantly pumping more and more money in to obtain whatever instant gratification that particular game offers. I don't see why people are ok with kids playing these games while at the same time acknowledge things like gambling are bad for kids.
    - criddell 5y ago
      In general, I don't think people are okay with it. Didn't Apple recently reveal that their massive game revenue comes from a pretty small set of whales?
  - codeisawesome 5y ago
    > It seems like the more free the platform is, the less interesting it is for users. The web is a clear counter-example.
    - criddell 5y ago
      I think the web of today fits my thesis as well. So much of it is built on spying and surveillance and is filled with dark patterns and abusive practices. The web of 20-25 years ago was pretty interesting though.
vidoc 5y ago
It's incredible how CRINGE these over-produced events have become. Everything is totally cliche and looks like some Hollywood idealized view of the world garbage.
- chooseaname 5y ago
  What else are they going to spend $2.5T on?
  - ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
    Making Siri closer to a real A.I. Making an Apple Watch that can actually download sync with an Audible book. And since they have this huge fitness push now, I'd like to be able to set custom Run Walk Run intervals when I do an Apple Running workout on my watch. Being able to set the shutter speed or aperture when taking pictures like Samsung phones can. A better system of defense for robo calls. A built in audio program to make my own custom ringtones for people. An easy way to put the phone in "Minimalist" mode, so that it only had the Apps I absolutely need. Like the "Lite Phone" https://www.thelightphone.com/ https://www.thelightphone.com/ Premium Apple News content that isn't just click bait articles. A way to "permanently" disable Air Tag stalker warnings every time I borrow someone's keys who isn't in my 'family sharing group'. A couple more seasons of Ted Lasso.
    - post_break 5y ago
      Damn bro, get out of here with this logic. Cue the Ryan from the office nodding and pointing gif right here. Trying to put a ringtone on an iPhone is hilarious. And the airtag alert burned me so good. I have 4 of them and they are all chirping and alerting on my wife's phone. I'm gonna have to sell them at a loss after they made them so much more annoying.
      - ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
        I'd also like to add someone to a group Text and have a way everyone could agree to give them permission to see the old messages from that group chat. That way it isn't as hard to catch people up or bring them into a group conversation.
paxys 5y ago
Is anyone else annoyed that like 70% of the keynote (so far) is camera camera camera. Is there really nothing else to talk about?
- cageface 5y ago
  Cameras are one of the few areas where phones are still making regular advances. Otherwise a phone from 2-3 generations back will probably meet all your needs.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    Cameras from 2-3 generations back will meet 99% of people's needs. The new SE is basically an 8, and the way 90% of people use their phone, they would notice no difference between the new SE and a 13. Which is what I see happening in my social circles. No one gets a new phone unless the old one is dead. Setting up a new phone and stuff is a pain, why bother for a few extra details in camera for pictures you will never curate and probably just share once on WhatsApp?
    - Tagbert 5y ago
      i think the days of people expecting to upgrade their phones is long gone. While some do, the numbers I’ve seen suggest that most people keep their phones for around 3 years. At that point, a new phone has enough new features to be worth an upgrade.
    - onedognight 5y ago
      I was surprised how easy the upgrade process is these days. You more or less hold your old phone near the new one and click allow.
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raldi 5y ago
Mods, might I suggest striking everything after "Apple unveils new iPad mini"?
usui 5y ago
Is there a good reason that Touch ID can only be on the iPad Mini and must be replaced by Face ID on the iPad Pro? Face ID works terribly for students that use their iPad Pro face-up on a desk or table where the camera isn't directly pointed at the user's face. It would be much easier to just place my finger onto the power button whenever it's time to transition from listening to a lecture to writing notes.
- davio 5y ago
  This is really an iPad Air Mini - features seem pretty consistent
- Tagbert 5y ago
  I have an iPad Pro and would not like to give up FaceID for TouchID. FaceID is much more convenient and reliable. I can see your issue with masks in classrooms during this pandemic, but in other scenarios, that is not an issue. I suspect that the Air with Touch ID is more popular among students due to the price.
  - ddalex 5y ago
    Why not both ?
    - djrogers 5y ago
      Price.
Bhilai 5y ago
What do people use devices like iPad mini for?
- mpalczewski 5y ago
  I use it for reading pdf's. Sometimes for gaming. Sometimes for kindle books, but prefer a kindle for that.
- chooseaname 5y ago
  We use our (really mine, but hey...) Mini 5 for reading PDFs, reading ebooks (when I can't find my kindle), a quick terminal session to my server to check stuff, menus at restaurants for take-out, and really just keep it laying around to look stuff up as we need to (recipes, school schedules, etc.). It's pretty handy to just have it easily accessible.
- nicbou 5y ago
  I want to buy one to replace my Moleskine. Drawing, notetaking, etc, but with layers and an undo button.
- nomel 5y ago
  The pencil is pretty fantastic for drawing.
- post_break 5y ago
  They seem extremely popular in aviation as well as in cars for off-roading or travel. Cheapest way to get some really great maps.
oldworlds 5y ago
Excuse me, but does anyone actually have pockets large enough to fit an iPad mini? Those ads were a bit, much.
- Tagbert 5y ago
  I have several jackets with pockets that can hold a mini. Pants or shirts would be a different story.
- tompazourek 5y ago
  I just tried it for fun as I was watching it, and my iPad mini fits the back pocket on my shorts. I wouldn't carry it there though as it would be uncomfortable and I'd look stupid.
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soapdog 5y ago
Everyone commenting about bezels being huge :-/ people, bezels are there so you can hold the tablet more comfortably. Anyone who made extended usage of tablets with and without bezels can quickly figure this out. It is more ergonomic, it reduces accidental touching and screen occlusion.
- layer8 5y ago
  Never had a problem with the narrow bezels on the long side of the previous iPad minis. Or those on current iPhones.
  - Tagbert 5y ago
    Others did have trouble with holding the older minis. The phone is different as you generally hold it with the back and sides. With the iPad you often need to hold it between fingers while touching the front.
fnayr 5y ago
I can't find the RAM listed in the tech specs page. Any guesses? The 5th gen has 3GB.
chooseaname 5y ago
This looks really good, but my mini 5 is still plenty powerful for what I use it for. I do like the TouchID placement and wish they would bring that to iPhones.
whiteboardr 5y ago
I waited for an update for the mini for years. What i can’t get my head around is the limitations in storage. 256GB maximum is a joke - and no, i don’t want a Pro since the form factor is what makes the mini work for me. Packaging aside, i doubt this is an engineering driven decision and well… walk away highly disappointed not ordering one. Otherwise it’d be perfect.
- nicbou 5y ago
  What do you use it for? I'm still happy with 256gb on my laptop and 32gb on my phone. I don't actually know how much storage my phone has.
  - whiteboardr 5y ago
    I have a ton of photos, taken with high megapixel cameras and not just the phone - thus if you want those with you (not even talking about the propagated 4K and up videos from drones, phones and dslrs) it only starts to get interesting at 521GB+ (for the ones you keep). If there’s ways of offloading video footage (lightroom for photos does work ok as a buffer) for editing-apps i’m more than happy to hear about alternatives other than adding it to your photos library or files.
    - Tagbert 5y ago
      Photos do not have to all be downloaded to the device. It will manage the storage and mainly keep more recent photos on device. It will download others as needed. That may not be perfect for you but it does help offset the storage situation. I have an iPad Prod with 256GB of storage and it is currently only using 70GB.
  - dadoprso 5y ago
    > 32gb on my phone. I don't actually know how much storage my phone has. It sounds like your phone has 32GB, no? I made sure the Pixel 5a had at least 128GB. I think 256GB for ipad mini is a good amount for a consumption device.
Wildgoose 5y ago
I can't see any mention of a headphone jack, does this mean they've removed it? I ditched my iPhone because of the lack of something this basic, I'm glad I bought an iPad mini last year while they still have this functionality. N.B. (1) I can't use in-ear ear-buds (2) I have high quality wired headphones I want to use (3) I want to use it in my car which although it has bluetooth, does not work with music, only with phone calls
- LeoPanthera 5y ago
  But it has USB-C, so you can use USB-C headphones or one of the many dongle adapters.
  - ddalex 5y ago
    the dongles are the most stupid thing ever... "our devices are so thin and light..." no shit, half of the device is outside, you just have to carry this bag of dongles with you
    - LeoPanthera 5y ago
      Most DAC dongles are no thicker than the actual cable to your headphones.
  - Teckla 5y ago
    I often use my iPad Pro like a laptop -- at a desk, with Bluetooth keyboard -- for extended periods of time. Very frequently, I use my wired headphones and charge the device at the same time. I'm glad I can do that without some dodgy external dongle.
  - Wildgoose 5y ago
    But I have good quality wired headphones that I like. A headphone jack is pennies. I don’t want to buy, possibly charge and generally carry around something else when this is a solved problem that Apple has broken. I also like being able to charge my device AND listen to it at the same time.
nicbou 5y ago
That's exactly what I needed. I want to replace my Moleskine, and a smaller iPad with USB-C and Apple Pencil 2 support is precisely the device I wanted. I tried a Microsoft Surface Go 2, but it turned out to be a mediocre art device and a mediocre Macbook replacement.
halotrope 5y ago
I would prefer the title to be a little more neutral.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Sunspark 5y ago
Speaking for myself here, I can't really get into iOS devices like this new iPad mini anymore in part because I have grown accustomed to being able to: a) roll back apps if a new version is broken/undesirable. b) sideload apps if an app is not available on the app store because they fell out of grace (eg. fortnite). c) choose a web browser, on iOS you can have any skin you want, as long as the engine is Safari. d) choose a media player, no hardware decoding on iOS if it is not an Apple-blessed codec and last time I looked, Apple did not allow mkv and I fail to understand why I need to transcode or remux just to please them otherwise it is software decoding. e) no emulation of other systems allowed or environments that can run code. Android still allows all of these things.
- tompazourek 5y ago
  Can you please elaborate a bit more on the video decoding? It's sounds interesting. I have played all kinds of formats including mkv in VLC on iOS. What could be improved in that area?
  - ragazzina 5y ago
    How do you watch webms on iOS/ipadOS?
    - jbk 5y ago
      VLC on iOS
  - Sunspark 5y ago
    On the newest iPhone 13 for example these are the video formats supported: "Video formats supported: HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG" If your video is not one of these formats, you're going to be using software decoding which will be done on the CPU and will drain battery more as a consequence. So that means no .MKV decoding in hardware.
    - extra88 5y ago
      .mkv is a container format, not a video codec. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska
stevenhubertron 5y ago
I am happy with this announcement I traded in my iPad Pro V2 to order a new iPad mini today. I can use it in my overlanding rig and read books when I get to the camp site. This product announcement fits my specific needs well.
- nicbou 5y ago
  What's your overlanding setup? I always used my phone plus OsmAnd. I go on a motorcycle, so I need a waterproof device.

141 points by 0xedb 5y ago

I will say, having USB C on my iPad is very nice. Now if only they would do it for the iPhone. After the CSAM stuff hit I switched back to Android and it's so nice to only need one cable for everything.

pwthornton 5y ago
Quite an awkward endorsement for Android!
- tmccrary55 5y ago
  Especially weird (though understandable) because it's basically "Doesn't scan your device and send the information to a corporation and the government" when Android basically does that everywhere, all the time. But Android does it for profit, Apple does it "for the children."
  - lrae 5y ago
    Would you be down to write a blog post about how a "degoogled phone" still scans your data and sends it to Google? Let's say a Pixel 5 with CalyxOS? I didn't know thats the case. Tbh, I'd even love to see a current blog post on how much and what data a "semi-degoogled" random OEM phone with the shipped Android sends. Or maybe there is one that I don't know of, would love to see it.
    - tmccrary55 5y ago
      You're the only one talking about a "degoogled phone."
      - lrae 5y ago
        No? Also, you're the one talking about "Android". Is CalyxOS no android? Or GrapheneOS? But I guess that answers my question. Probably not much scanning going on.
      - n8cpdx 5y ago
        It just seems really weird to assume that switching to Android involves switching to Google services. There were weeks of threads with people discussing which version of Android (Calyx vs graphene, etc) they were going to switch to.
        tmccrary55 5y ago
        Yeah... walk into a grocery store and ask all of the people using Android if they're using Calyx or graphene.
        n8cpdx 5y ago
        *all of the people who switched to Android _in protest of Apple's new CSAM system_
        tmccrary55 5y ago
        ???? Only on the orange site
  - fulafel 5y ago
    Citation needed for Android doing this?
    - techrat 5y ago
      Funny how they always stop responding at this point. "I don't like what Apple is doing." Then out of nowhere and off topic: "GOOGS IS WORSE!" It's purely Pavlovian to them by now.
    - bobbles 5y ago
      https://support.google.com/transparencyreport/answer/10330933?hl=en#zippy=%2Chow-does-google-identify-csam-on-its-platform https://support.google.com/transparencyreport/answer/1033093... We invest heavily in fighting child sexual exploitation online and use technology to deter, detect, and remove CSAM from our platforms. This includes automated detection and human review, in addition to relying on reports submitted by our users and third parties such as NGOs, to detect, remove, and report CSAM on our platforms. We deploy hash matching, including YouTube’s CSAI Match, to detect known CSAM. We also deploy machine learning classifiers to discover never-before-seen CSAM, which is then confirmed by our specialist review teams. Using our classifiers, Google created the Content Safety API, which we provide to others to help them prioritize abuse content for human review.
      - tmccrary55 5y ago
        This.
      - fulafel 5y ago
        But no on-device fuzzy hash scanning and swat-ing on Android afaik - the above quote enumerates cloud services.
tmccrary55 5y ago
USB-C is a requirement on any device I buy these days. The amount of annoyance at tracking down a micro-usb cable and plugging it in has surprised me more than I thought.
- monkeydust 5y ago
  100% this. It's now must have for any new tech for same reasons.
jmnicolas 5y ago
I'm not sure I follow your logic: Google is certainly less trustworthy than Apple if we're speaking about scanning your files. And before you think I'm partial, I have no dog in this fight: I degoogled myself since last year and I don't own any Apple devices. But if I had to choose between Google and Apple for my privacy I would go with Apple (without much illusions).
- post_break 5y ago
  Sometimes the alternative isn't much better, so instead of trying to punish myself and get a pixel, degoogle everything, etc. I voted with my wallet. Do I just keep my iPhone and let them get away with the CSAM on device scanning? I chose not to, even if the privacy is worse on android. Some may think that's ass backwards, but it was a solution for my beliefs.
  - runjake 5y ago
    It does seem ass backwards. Google scans your content for CSAM on their servers. And they scan your content for demographic and advertising data and god knows what else. I do not see your logic here. It appears to be an ill-decided knee-jerk reaction.
    - chippiewill 5y ago
      It's perplexing really. It's a bit like saying you don't like how the government spies on you, so you're moving to China.
    - cageface 5y ago
      The difference is Android gives you options. If you’re locked into iOS you’ve got no recourse if you disagree with Apple’s decisions.
      - top_sigrid 5y ago
        So what's the option of Google not scanning every content you have on their devices (I mean they even scan all your emails in Gmail)? With Apple's CSAM you have an actual option which is just to not use their iCloud photo sharing.
handrous 5y ago
Their still having two connectors is even more annoying than I thought it would be. We have lots of iDevices from several generations and even brand new ones—but only some of them, though, significantly, all the iPhones—are still shipping with lightning, years after they should have gone to USB-C. Given how long we're able to keep these things around and in use, that means we'll be dealing with stupid lightning cables and two different kinds of dongle through at least 2026, even if they switch all their new devices to USB-C today. That, in addition to the irritation & expense of USB-C itself.
- post_break 5y ago
  Not only do they have two connectors, they have two different Apple pencils too. Need to make sure you buy the right one.
  - handrous 5y ago
    Well, the first one was a mis-designed piece of crap, so I don't mind that as much, though keeping it in use on some newer models after v2 was released does suck. (source for assertion about them being crap: I own one—the bad part's entirely the terrible charging/connector design, but that part's nearly parody-levels of bad)
    - Tagbert 5y ago
      The pencil was intimately tied to the generation of iPad. The iPad had to have specific support for connecting to the corresponding generation of pencil. They could only enable the new pencil as they redesigned the iPads. They are now going through their iPad line and updating the designs which allows them to switch to the new pencil.
      - handrous 5y ago
        Yeah, I get the technical reason that as Pro chips shifted down-market to other iPads they couldn't add support for the new-model Pencil without significant (and unjustifiably expensive) changes, it's just unfortunate. They had a similar, valid excuse for using Lightning connectors on lower-end phones and iPads for a while, but that time would now be long past if they'd introduced them when they should have, yet even the last round of top-end iPhones still had the damn things. I'm at the point where nearly the only things I can't charge with one laptop USB-C charger, and use with a single set of USB-C dongles, are old iPads (understandable) and new iPhones (which is the real WTF). Current-gen game controllers, the Nintendo Switch itself, my (non-Apple) wireless headphones, my (non-Apple) mechanical wireless keyboard, MacBook Air, 4th-gen iPad Pro, all USB-C for power. My 12-series iPhone I hope to use for at least three more years, and maybe as many as five, barring some must-have tech breakthroughs or my damaging it badly? Goddamn lightning connector.

Terretta 5y ago

No keyboards featured in pictures? USB-C on iPad Pro has been fantastic, glad to see that.

onkoe 5y ago

Everything looks nice, but I really don't mind these devices if I can't install my own desktop software on them. Seems nice for things like casual content consumption though

handrous 5y ago
iPads are good companions for making music, for making art, for non-casual content consumption like reading textbooks or reference manuals, drilling flash cards, watching lectures, et c. The mini's maybe not as good for the latter as an 11.9" Pro (great size for reading textbook PDFs, even large enough to do two pages at a time if you have good eyesight), but still. With an external wireless keyboard, they can be better than a laptop for writing, because you can position the screen separately from the keyboard (without having to wastefully carry around a whole attached keyboard that you're not using) and you can draw (e.g. diagrams) directly on them if you want to, plus the semi-modal operation is great for focus.
- sturza 5y ago
  *12.9
  - handrous 5y ago
    Well, I was 75% correct, anyway.
rchaud 5y ago
This reads like a comment from January 2010. When have you ever been able to install your own desktop apps on a device running an ARM-based SoC?
- 12ian34 5y ago
  Raspberry Pis have been around since 2012. Sure they're not really portable but they do have an "ARM-based SoC".
- jnwatson 5y ago

deleted 5y ago

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anm89 5y ago

I love how everything has to be a "revolutionary breakthrough" with apple. Wow the 73rd version of the 19th variation of the ipad gets better performance. What a break though.

allenu 5y ago
And each release is "our best camera yet" or "fastest processor yet" or "best battery yet". I mean, yeah, you're probably not going to release an update that has worse performance. Apple is the master at emphasizing things like this.
- ab_testing 5y ago
  >Yeah you are not going to release an update that has worse performance. Except keyboards in 2016 to 2019
  - Kaotique 5y ago
    But they probably announced it as a breakthrough innovation that would change typing forever.
    - mszcz 5y ago
      And it did! You've never before typed with such softness, savoring each keystroke as if it were it's (not your's) last. Sorry I couldn't help myself... But I'm gettin the Mini ok?
  - rchaud 5y ago
    Hey, that's "Magic Keyboard" to you.
- theshrike79 5y ago
  Would you, as a company CEO go on stage and announce "this camera is pretty much on par with the one last year and the CPU is the same too and actually we kinda lost a bit of battery life"? :D

Causality1 5y ago

iPad mini features an all-screen design half inch bezel on all sides Removing the home button is not the same as making an all-screen design.

shreddit 5y ago
Well technically it is. The front is now screen only, regardless of the actual screen size. There is just nothing else on the front
- bryan0 5y ago
  > There is just nothing else on the front ... except for a giant f'ing bezel
  - robertoandred 5y ago
    Do you not hold your tablets with your fingers?
dsjoerg 5y ago
You read my mind. I wondered if the pictures were accurate, since there was clear non-screen space around the edges of the "all-screen design".
jnsie 5y ago
I genuinely thought they were going to show the screen expanding to take up the full area. But nope. Just marketing-speak. Ugh
themihai 5y ago
>> Removing the home button is not the same as making an all-screen design. Well, when the half inch bezel will be removed it will feature an "infinite all screen with really no bezel". Lately Apple has been pushing quite a lot of BS in marketing. I'm not sure if it's always been like that or I just started to "wake up". I remember when they announced the Apple TV 4K they made it sound like it's the first 4K device in the world while they were actually pretty late in the game. Now all I wait(hw-wise) is an iPhone with usb-c and, no glass back and better camera.

laurent92 5y ago

I have just noticed that they say “iPhone” not “the iPhone”, “the iPad”, “my iPad”. It’s as if they were talking about a person, such as “I’m using Hal”.

rootusrootus 5y ago
This is normal. E.g. cars are the same way. It's not "The Mustang" it is "Mustang".
- Infernal 5y ago
  It is? “The Mustang has a new engine this year” “I’m going to take the Mustang today” - those sentences sound very strange without “the”. Yet Apple does this consistently, referring to each product as a singular proper name (which sounds weird because, like cars, there are millions of them with many variations over the years all with the same name).
- toxik 5y ago
  ”We have redesigned the Volvo XC60” is absolutely a normal way to talk. You are specifying a particular model from a line of models. “Volvos are some of the safest cars” is the way I would expect one to talk about Volvo’s cars in general. Companies don’t want their products to become generic names, that’s why they make these nonsense rules.
- NobodyNada 5y ago
  Huh? I’ve never heard anyone refer to a car model without an article. If you purchased a Mustang you’d say “I got a Mustang”, not “I got Mustang.” Even when talking about the model in general rather than a specific car, it’s “The Mustang gets 30 MPG”, not “Mustang gets 30 MPG.” (I’m from the PNW, in case it’s a regional thing.)
Jtsummers 5y ago
Do people say "On the Windows 11 we ..." or do they say "On Windows 11 ..."? It's a name, you don't have to put "the" in front of a name, the laurent92 (of course, the Ohio State University would disagree with that idea).

lp0_on_fire 5y ago

they'll need that performance to scan their devices since most of their users could be vectors for distributing CP... /s

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ajaimk 5y ago

A15 chip => Same one as today's new iPhones.

ohgodplsno 5y ago

> Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral. I see Apple is still keeping up with the lie that they are carbon neutral. Buying CO2 allowances is not being carbon neutral. Your entire supply chain will never be carbon neutral. The world simply does not work that way.

the_other 5y ago
It’s very important for the planet and us that big companies make these bold public claims. It means we can (attempt to) hold them accountable; that other companies will try to follow; that people like you will get annoyed an push harder for more material changes through your wallet, lobbying or action. Apple will do _some_ work in this arena and it will shift the needle less than we need at first glance, but it is phenomenal marketing for the movement.

Invictus0 5y ago

The "Center Stage" feature is basically the core of Facebook's Portal platform. Your move FB.

nathias 5y ago

small step for Apple, a giant leap for mankind

blowski 5y ago
Feels like small step for Apple, no movement at all for mankind.

rchaud 5y ago

"All-screen design" seems like a stretch, the bezels are perceptibly large, maybe even more than usual because of the smaller screen they wrap around.

girmad 5y ago

I'm listening with only half an ear, but it sounds like they're pushing something called "Censorship OIS"

bigdict 5y ago
sensor shift OIS (optical image stabilization)
davio 5y ago
lol, she definitely said it that way

handrous 5y ago

Whoa, what's with the huge bezel? My only Mini is a 1st-gen, but that has a tiny bezel on either side, with somewhat larger ones top-and-bottom, and I really like the resulting overall size & proportions. Did the top and bottom bezels shrink a ton so it just looks like the whole thing's bigger all around because they all match now, or did they widen the sides? Looking at the dimensions on WP it looks like the height is what got bigger, with the width staying the same, which is confusing—did they change the screen proportions, too? I thought the old size & look was just about perfect, like a trade paperback.

vanilla_nut 5y ago
I would agree about the new bezel —- it’s hard to tell if it’s just my eyes and the perspective in this image, but it really looks like there’s a new bezel that’s 2/3 the size of the old top/bottom bezel, and at least twice as thick as the old size bezel. Maybe 3 times the size.
AlanYx 5y ago
The side bezels on the previous gen were too small IMHO. I ended up putting mine in a case that added a grip on the left hand side. While the device has decent palm rejection, it's never perfect and I find it disconcerting when the only way to hold it from an edge is to cover a portion of the screen. I think it makes sense to make the side bezels slightly larger, though I agree that the proportions of the device are slightly less appealing as a result.
forgotmypw17 5y ago
I think it's so that you can hold the iPad comfortably without accidentally activating something on the screen.
- handrous 5y ago
  Sure, but they don't do that with their phones, and like hell I'm carrying this thing around without a case (which is also why they don't bother to make their iPhones so they're easy to use caseless, or make them so the backs are flat without a case—everyone uses a case unless they're trying to signal "I'm rich enough that if I drop this and the screen shatters I'll just shrug and buy another immediately, and if it happens again next week, same story"). That was a problem with my Mini when I first took it out of the box, but it was in a case soon after and that stopped being a problem—and I would buy this as an explanation, if they hadn't kept the original design for the first 3 generations, and if they seemed to care about that for other devices—my 4th gen iPad Pro's like that, too, so it's hard to use in-hand without a case because the bezel's tiny—but of course I'm going to have a case on it, so it hardly matters. [EDIT] in fact, with a case, this thing's gonna look downright fat. Maybe they just couldn't fit as much battery as they needed for these newer chips & screens, in the old size?

eykanal 5y ago

Can we change the title here to something less marketing-ish? Possibly just "Apple releases new iPad mini"?

solarkraft 5y ago
I find it generally sub-optimal to link Apple press releases. They won’t mention the things that are actually notable, like perhaps a daringfireball would.

tpmx 5y ago

From the macrumors keynote feed comments: These keynotes are ****ing uncanny. Plays like a Black Mirror episode. Don't know why. Nailed it.

handrous 5y ago
Black Mirror frequently borrows from Apple's aesthetics and marketing style when presenting in-universe products and ads, so it's natural that an Apple keynote would remind one of Black Mirror.
paxys 5y ago
They always come off as overproduced.
- tpmx 5y ago
  Especially when they're doing them pre-recorded like during the pandemic.
- hbn 5y ago
  Apple still makes the least cringey presentations of any of the big tech companies. Microsoft and Google are incredibly out-of-touch when they try to do similar things. I recall the Windows 11 announcement event had speakers talking about how the new version will "enhance how you engage with the product"
  - tpmx 5y ago
    I disagree. I think this overproduced 100.00% perfect everything style from Apple is more cringey, but in a new way.
- ksec 5y ago
  Tim Cook's era. Steve Jobs Keynote is still the Gold Standard.
Kaotique 5y ago
It feels weird to me. Maybe it's just the current American culture that feels off for a European like myself. It is over directed and over produced. Zero spontaneity. I would rather watch Elon throw a metal ball into a car window during a presentation. At least that is real. Change the way movies are directed, because of this new phone? Give me a break. I'm sure it will produce nicer TikTok and YouTube videos but no serious director is going to shoot a million dollar production with a 1000 dollar phone.

jnsie 5y ago

Is it just me or are these latest announcement events lackluster and over-produced? I'm not judging the devices (going to pick up the watch series 7) but the events themselves are tough to sit through.

saaaaaam 5y ago
Don’t then! Just read the cliff notes after.
Corrado 5y ago
I agree and found myself wondering what Steve Jobs would think of these events. I think he might like it in that they would be "perfect" as he was notoriously fastidious about these types of events. However, he might also not like the "sterility" that seems to accompany them; he was a showman and liked to work the crowd.
- ksec 5y ago
  >I agree and found myself wondering what Steve Jobs would think of these events. Likely Junk. And every day it is edging towards more like Google or Microsoft. While Google and Microsoft are trying to do keynote in Apple's fashion.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

exabrial 5y ago

> usb-c Thank goodness. Glad to see them ditching the legacy deadweight Lightning connector.

dahfizz 5y ago

USB-C is nice to see. I wonder if the next iPhone will finally make the upgrade... EDIT: of course the new iPhone 13 is still lightning.... https://www.apple.com/iphone-13-pro/specs/ https://www.apple.com/iphone-13-pro/specs/

fevangelou 5y ago

Probably the biggest news is the death of the Lightning connector. USB-C now paves the way for connecting anything, across different hardware platforms.

extra88 5y ago
It’s only one less model with Lightning, the new 10.2” iPad and the new iPhones still use Lightning.

Factorium 5y ago

The hardware is great, but the software ecosystem is hamstrung by the 30% commissions for apps.

criddell 5y ago
Despite the 30% commission for apps, it's an incredibly vibrant ecosystem. So much new and interesting software appears on iOS and (to a lesser extent) macOS. It seems like the more free the platform is, the less interesting it is for users. I'm thinking about iOS, Windows, macOS, Android, game consoles, Linux, and the web.
- postalrat 5y ago
  I think everyone admits most of the ecosystem is games. Games where you are constantly pumping more and more money in to obtain whatever instant gratification that particular game offers. I don't see why people are ok with kids playing these games while at the same time acknowledge things like gambling are bad for kids.
  - criddell 5y ago
    In general, I don't think people are okay with it. Didn't Apple recently reveal that their massive game revenue comes from a pretty small set of whales?
- codeisawesome 5y ago
  > It seems like the more free the platform is, the less interesting it is for users. The web is a clear counter-example.
  - criddell 5y ago
    I think the web of today fits my thesis as well. So much of it is built on spying and surveillance and is filled with dark patterns and abusive practices. The web of 20-25 years ago was pretty interesting though.

vidoc 5y ago

It's incredible how CRINGE these over-produced events have become. Everything is totally cliche and looks like some Hollywood idealized view of the world garbage.

chooseaname 5y ago
What else are they going to spend $2.5T on?
- ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
  Making Siri closer to a real A.I. Making an Apple Watch that can actually download sync with an Audible book. And since they have this huge fitness push now, I'd like to be able to set custom Run Walk Run intervals when I do an Apple Running workout on my watch. Being able to set the shutter speed or aperture when taking pictures like Samsung phones can. A better system of defense for robo calls. A built in audio program to make my own custom ringtones for people. An easy way to put the phone in "Minimalist" mode, so that it only had the Apps I absolutely need. Like the "Lite Phone" https://www.thelightphone.com/ https://www.thelightphone.com/ Premium Apple News content that isn't just click bait articles. A way to "permanently" disable Air Tag stalker warnings every time I borrow someone's keys who isn't in my 'family sharing group'. A couple more seasons of Ted Lasso.
  - post_break 5y ago
    Damn bro, get out of here with this logic. Cue the Ryan from the office nodding and pointing gif right here. Trying to put a ringtone on an iPhone is hilarious. And the airtag alert burned me so good. I have 4 of them and they are all chirping and alerting on my wife's phone. I'm gonna have to sell them at a loss after they made them so much more annoying.
    - ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
      I'd also like to add someone to a group Text and have a way everyone could agree to give them permission to see the old messages from that group chat. That way it isn't as hard to catch people up or bring them into a group conversation.

paxys 5y ago

Is anyone else annoyed that like 70% of the keynote (so far) is camera camera camera. Is there really nothing else to talk about?

cageface 5y ago
Cameras are one of the few areas where phones are still making regular advances. Otherwise a phone from 2-3 generations back will probably meet all your needs.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  Cameras from 2-3 generations back will meet 99% of people's needs. The new SE is basically an 8, and the way 90% of people use their phone, they would notice no difference between the new SE and a 13. Which is what I see happening in my social circles. No one gets a new phone unless the old one is dead. Setting up a new phone and stuff is a pain, why bother for a few extra details in camera for pictures you will never curate and probably just share once on WhatsApp?
  - Tagbert 5y ago
    i think the days of people expecting to upgrade their phones is long gone. While some do, the numbers I’ve seen suggest that most people keep their phones for around 3 years. At that point, a new phone has enough new features to be worth an upgrade.
  - onedognight 5y ago
    I was surprised how easy the upgrade process is these days. You more or less hold your old phone near the new one and click allow.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

raldi 5y ago

Mods, might I suggest striking everything after "Apple unveils new iPad mini"?

usui 5y ago

Is there a good reason that Touch ID can only be on the iPad Mini and must be replaced by Face ID on the iPad Pro? Face ID works terribly for students that use their iPad Pro face-up on a desk or table where the camera isn't directly pointed at the user's face. It would be much easier to just place my finger onto the power button whenever it's time to transition from listening to a lecture to writing notes.

davio 5y ago
This is really an iPad Air Mini - features seem pretty consistent
Tagbert 5y ago
I have an iPad Pro and would not like to give up FaceID for TouchID. FaceID is much more convenient and reliable. I can see your issue with masks in classrooms during this pandemic, but in other scenarios, that is not an issue. I suspect that the Air with Touch ID is more popular among students due to the price.
- ddalex 5y ago
  Why not both ?
  - djrogers 5y ago
    Price.

Bhilai 5y ago

What do people use devices like iPad mini for?

mpalczewski 5y ago
I use it for reading pdf's. Sometimes for gaming. Sometimes for kindle books, but prefer a kindle for that.
chooseaname 5y ago
We use our (really mine, but hey...) Mini 5 for reading PDFs, reading ebooks (when I can't find my kindle), a quick terminal session to my server to check stuff, menus at restaurants for take-out, and really just keep it laying around to look stuff up as we need to (recipes, school schedules, etc.). It's pretty handy to just have it easily accessible.
nicbou 5y ago
I want to buy one to replace my Moleskine. Drawing, notetaking, etc, but with layers and an undo button.
nomel 5y ago
The pencil is pretty fantastic for drawing.
post_break 5y ago
They seem extremely popular in aviation as well as in cars for off-roading or travel. Cheapest way to get some really great maps.

oldworlds 5y ago

Excuse me, but does anyone actually have pockets large enough to fit an iPad mini? Those ads were a bit, much.

Tagbert 5y ago
I have several jackets with pockets that can hold a mini. Pants or shirts would be a different story.
tompazourek 5y ago
I just tried it for fun as I was watching it, and my iPad mini fits the back pocket on my shorts. I wouldn't carry it there though as it would be uncomfortable and I'd look stupid.

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soapdog 5y ago

Everyone commenting about bezels being huge :-/ people, bezels are there so you can hold the tablet more comfortably. Anyone who made extended usage of tablets with and without bezels can quickly figure this out. It is more ergonomic, it reduces accidental touching and screen occlusion.

layer8 5y ago
Never had a problem with the narrow bezels on the long side of the previous iPad minis. Or those on current iPhones.
- Tagbert 5y ago
  Others did have trouble with holding the older minis. The phone is different as you generally hold it with the back and sides. With the iPad you often need to hold it between fingers while touching the front.

fnayr 5y ago

I can't find the RAM listed in the tech specs page. Any guesses? The 5th gen has 3GB.

chooseaname 5y ago

This looks really good, but my mini 5 is still plenty powerful for what I use it for. I do like the TouchID placement and wish they would bring that to iPhones.

whiteboardr 5y ago

I waited for an update for the mini for years. What i can’t get my head around is the limitations in storage. 256GB maximum is a joke - and no, i don’t want a Pro since the form factor is what makes the mini work for me. Packaging aside, i doubt this is an engineering driven decision and well… walk away highly disappointed not ordering one. Otherwise it’d be perfect.

nicbou 5y ago
What do you use it for? I'm still happy with 256gb on my laptop and 32gb on my phone. I don't actually know how much storage my phone has.
- whiteboardr 5y ago
  I have a ton of photos, taken with high megapixel cameras and not just the phone - thus if you want those with you (not even talking about the propagated 4K and up videos from drones, phones and dslrs) it only starts to get interesting at 521GB+ (for the ones you keep). If there’s ways of offloading video footage (lightroom for photos does work ok as a buffer) for editing-apps i’m more than happy to hear about alternatives other than adding it to your photos library or files.
  - Tagbert 5y ago
    Photos do not have to all be downloaded to the device. It will manage the storage and mainly keep more recent photos on device. It will download others as needed. That may not be perfect for you but it does help offset the storage situation. I have an iPad Prod with 256GB of storage and it is currently only using 70GB.
- dadoprso 5y ago
  > 32gb on my phone. I don't actually know how much storage my phone has. It sounds like your phone has 32GB, no? I made sure the Pixel 5a had at least 128GB. I think 256GB for ipad mini is a good amount for a consumption device.

Wildgoose 5y ago

I can't see any mention of a headphone jack, does this mean they've removed it? I ditched my iPhone because of the lack of something this basic, I'm glad I bought an iPad mini last year while they still have this functionality. N.B. (1) I can't use in-ear ear-buds (2) I have high quality wired headphones I want to use (3) I want to use it in my car which although it has bluetooth, does not work with music, only with phone calls

LeoPanthera 5y ago
But it has USB-C, so you can use USB-C headphones or one of the many dongle adapters.
- ddalex 5y ago
  the dongles are the most stupid thing ever... "our devices are so thin and light..." no shit, half of the device is outside, you just have to carry this bag of dongles with you
  - LeoPanthera 5y ago
    Most DAC dongles are no thicker than the actual cable to your headphones.
- Teckla 5y ago
  I often use my iPad Pro like a laptop -- at a desk, with Bluetooth keyboard -- for extended periods of time. Very frequently, I use my wired headphones and charge the device at the same time. I'm glad I can do that without some dodgy external dongle.
- Wildgoose 5y ago
  But I have good quality wired headphones that I like. A headphone jack is pennies. I don’t want to buy, possibly charge and generally carry around something else when this is a solved problem that Apple has broken. I also like being able to charge my device AND listen to it at the same time.

nicbou 5y ago

That's exactly what I needed. I want to replace my Moleskine, and a smaller iPad with USB-C and Apple Pencil 2 support is precisely the device I wanted. I tried a Microsoft Surface Go 2, but it turned out to be a mediocre art device and a mediocre Macbook replacement.

halotrope 5y ago

I would prefer the title to be a little more neutral.

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Sunspark 5y ago

Speaking for myself here, I can't really get into iOS devices like this new iPad mini anymore in part because I have grown accustomed to being able to: a) roll back apps if a new version is broken/undesirable. b) sideload apps if an app is not available on the app store because they fell out of grace (eg. fortnite). c) choose a web browser, on iOS you can have any skin you want, as long as the engine is Safari. d) choose a media player, no hardware decoding on iOS if it is not an Apple-blessed codec and last time I looked, Apple did not allow mkv and I fail to understand why I need to transcode or remux just to please them otherwise it is software decoding. e) no emulation of other systems allowed or environments that can run code. Android still allows all of these things.

tompazourek 5y ago
Can you please elaborate a bit more on the video decoding? It's sounds interesting. I have played all kinds of formats including mkv in VLC on iOS. What could be improved in that area?
- ragazzina 5y ago
  How do you watch webms on iOS/ipadOS?
  - jbk 5y ago
    VLC on iOS
- Sunspark 5y ago
  On the newest iPhone 13 for example these are the video formats supported: "Video formats supported: HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG" If your video is not one of these formats, you're going to be using software decoding which will be done on the CPU and will drain battery more as a consequence. So that means no .MKV decoding in hardware.
  - extra88 5y ago
    .mkv is a container format, not a video codec. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska

stevenhubertron 5y ago

I am happy with this announcement I traded in my iPad Pro V2 to order a new iPad mini today. I can use it in my overlanding rig and read books when I get to the camp site. This product announcement fits my specific needs well.

nicbou 5y ago
What's your overlanding setup? I always used my phone plus OsmAnd. I go on a motorcycle, so I need a waterproof device.