NEWS ANALYSIS: Apple’s iPad Mini will be a hit when it launches before the end of the current quarter. That will be bad news for Barnes & Noble, Amazon’s Kindle and Google Nexus tablets.
While rumors and speculation concerning a smaller iPad have been floating around the Web for month, more reports are starting to trickle in as the anticipated launch event, thought to be held sometime in mid-October, nears.
A report in The Journal last week, also citing unnamed sources, said Apple component suppliers had already begun production on the smaller iPad, which may have a screen size of 7.85 inches and a lower-resolution display than the 9.7-inch high-definition Retina display found on the full-size iPad.
“Apple did not skimp on the aesthetics of the much-anticipated ‘iPad Mini,’” Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White wrote in an investor research note picked up by the blog AllThingsD. “In fact, we believe the ‘iPad Mini’ could outshine the new iPad in terms of how the device feels in a consumer’s hands. The new ‘iPad Mini’ is more challenging to produce than prior iPad iterations. We believe supply will initially be constrained.”
Apple’s iPad Mini could be unveiled soon. In fact, according to some reports, Apple will announce a press event this week and possibly show off the new tablet at that gathering next week.
When it does so, expect the company to make grand statements on why its iPad Mini, which will reportedly come with a 7.85-inch screen, will be so much better than all others. Moreover, observers can expect Apple to make the case that its tablet will generate stronger sales than competing 7-inch tablets.
Although detractors and competitors would hate to see that happen, the fact is, there’s a pretty good chance that the iPad Mini will be a big seller. In fact, ff the iPad Mini turns out to be what the analysts and industry sources predict it will be, the device will be a sales juggernaut. With its cheaper pricing and Apple flair, the iPad Mini will satisfy those who want an Apple product, but don’t want to pay the $499 entry fee it costs to get a new full-size iPad.
Read on to find out why the iPad Mini will sell big—really big.
* The price will be right
The iPad Mini’s pricing will likely come in much lower than the new iPad. With a lower price there’s a good chance that consumers will flock to the device. After all, if they can get their hands on an iPad running iOS 6 for a few hundred bucks, what’s going to stop them?
* It brings in new tablet customers
Apple’s iPad is popular, but due to its price, it caters to only certain customers. Those on a budget have heretofore opted for the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7 or have just sat on the sidelines. Now that the iPad Mini will be smaller, cheaper alternatives, all bets are off. And chances are, even more customers will join the tablet craze.
* It is Apple’s
Apple is a master at promoting its products. As soon as it unveils a device, it takes just hours for the first commercials to pop up. Then, the company launches print ads, enhances its PR machine and does everything it can to get the word out about its latest product. Expect the iPad Mini to enjoy the same attention.
* There’s a need for a smaller iPad
Although Apple already sells a tablet with a 9.7-inch screen, Apple has convinced itself there’s a market need for a smaller iPad. With a 7.85-inch screen, the iPad Mini will be more mobile than its bigger alternative and the chances are Apple will make it thinner and lighter too. The iPad Mini might just prove to be the ideal mobility option for customers.
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