Apple generally releases a non-retina device first, for a couple reasons. Mainly, they are usually on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology for their pa

Apple generally releases a non-retina device first, for a couple reasons. Mainly, they are usually on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology for their parts. This year it is lamination, and there are only so many factories capable of doing this kind of lamination. I think doing the lamination for a retina display at this size would have restricted the manufacturing options and that capacity they'd rather put into the new iMac, Macbook Pros and retina iPad. Secondly, cost. Retina is 4 times the pixels, and presumably significantly more expensive. A smaller display like this at the same resolution as the original iPad is going to be closer to retina than the original iPad. Thirdly, it gives a nice upgrade for the future, to incentivize people to replace their device in a year or two. When the cost of the retina technology has dropped enough they can upgrade the mini to the same resolution as the iPad retina. For new products, Apple tends to choose a mix of cutting edge and safe. The A5 is currently in volume production so it is a safe choice, where it was cutting edge last year, for instance. Apple also has a food-chain. The newest processor goes to the newest product, and the secondary products (like the iPod touch and now iPad mini) which are in more price sensitive market positions (for instance the iPhone is subsidized by carriers but the iPod touch is not) tend to get the established one-generation-behind processors that are already cheaper to make. This way the A5 design lasts longer and the manufacturing capacity that is making it can keep making it.... while the A6 works on the lower feature size (requiring a more cutting edge fab). For instance the A6 is, I believe 20 or 22 nonometeres, while the A5 was made on a 32 nanometer feature size.