In another heavily watched media announcement Oct 23, 2012 in California, tech giants Apple introduced the launch of the iPad mini. The highly anticipated iPad mini is a smaller version of the extremely popular iPad tablet and will be available starting on Nov. 2, 2012.
The iPad mini’s display is 7.9 inches with a 1,024 x 768 resolution which means it still has the same resolution as the iPad 2, but it does not have a Retina display. Avoiding the Retina display allows for a lighter model with a longer battery life.
The iPad mini is also much lighter than the original at 0.63 pounds or 10.88 ounces which according to Apple representatives is about the weight of a pad of paper. This makes iPad mini the lightest tablet on the market yet. The iPad mini is only 7.2 millimeters thick or the approximately width of a pencil.
The iPad mini will also feature a 5 mega-pixel rear facing camera and 1.2 mega-pixel front facing camera which is a far and beyond nicer camera option than any of the major competitors in the smaller tablet market. Like the original iPad and iPhone, the iPad mini will be available in both black and white models. The new iPad mini will have the same controversial Lightening connector and charger revealed on the iPhone 5 earlier this year.
The original iPad has dominated the 9-10 inch tablet market with over 100 million sales since its release in April 2010, but this is Apple’s first launch into the smaller tablet market. The 7-8 inch tablet market has so far been dominated by Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Google’s Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook.
iPad mini models available on Nov. 2 will include the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB Wi-Fi only models. The models with Wi-Fi and 4G will be available starting at Nov. 16.
Prices are as follows: Wi-Fi only models $329 for 16GB, $429 for 32GB, and $549 for 64GB model. Wi-fi and 4G start at $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB.
Apple’s iPad mini is the only 7-8 inch tablet to yet offer a 64GB model.
Also revealed at the media event in California were the fourth generation iPad, a new MacBook Procomputer with a retina display, a new version of Mac mini and redesigned iMacs.
Experts predict Apple’s launch of the iPad mini to be a successful one especially as the holiday season approaches. The lower price point will attract buyer’s shying away from the original iPad’s higher price point. Apple already controls 68% of the tablet marketing according to research group IDC, and the release of a smaller, cheaper tablet will likely increase their market share. It will have to compete with other tablets in the 7-inch range with considerably lower price points and Apple’s own product the iPod touch. Time will tell whether the loyal fans of Apple products will flock to the iPad mini or given the choice, shell out the extra money for the fourth generation iPad.
This is a guest post written by Terrence Gliddick. He writes on various tech topics such as domain hosting, Apple products and other tech related news.
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