Pre-order for both will start from 26th October 2012 and they will be available from 2nd November for WiFi only and 2 weeks later for cellular version (with LTE – not sure if it is the same configuration as iPhone 5).
The iPad mini has a 7.9-inch screen and based on Apple, it will have the same resolution as the iPad 2 so that developers will not need to do anything on their apps for the iPad mini. Sound logical.
I have put together some easy comparison on the iPad family (I focus only on the changes): iPad mini, iPad 2, new iPad
Overall, I think the iPad mini, with the pricing, the specs and the ecosystem, is a killer for Nexus 7, Kindle HD and basically any 7-inchish tablets around.
However, on the revamped new iPad, I feel that Apple is rushing it out to put a difference (superiority) on the iPad mini with a new processor, better front facing camera and of course the new lightning port.
I wonder what would Steve Jobs has done if he is still around.
Of course, that was 2 years ago and things change. So, he might have made the same decision.
Apple Introduces iPad mini
Unveils New Fourth Generation iPad with Retina Display, Faster A6X Chip, FaceTime HD Camera & Ultrafast Wireless
SAN JOSE, California – 24 October, 2012 – Apple® today introduced iPad® mini, a completely new iPad design that is 23 per cent thinner and 53 per cent lighter than the third generation iPad. The new iPad mini features a stunning 7.9-inch Multi-Touch™ display, FaceTime® HD and iSight® cameras, ultrafast wireless performance¹ and an incredible 10 hours of battery life²―every inch an iPad, yet in a revolutionary design you can hold in one hand. Apple today also announced the fourth generation iPad featuring a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina™ display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance. Both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad come with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features.
“iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”
iPad mini comes in a beautiful new aluminium and glass design that is just 7.2 mm thin and weighs only 308 grams. The 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display delivers the same iPad experience users have come to expect, in a design that has 35 per cent more screen real estate than 7-inch tablets and up to an astonishing 67 per cent more usable viewing area when browsing the web. The dual-core A5 chip delivers responsive graphics and a fast, fluid Multi-Touch experience, while still providing all-day battery life.
iPad mini features a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5 megapixel iSight camera on the back with advanced optics for taking sharp still pictures and recording full 1080p HD video. The iSight camera includes video image stabilisation and both cameras feature backside illumination to let users capture great pictures in low light. iPad mini also allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.
iPad mini features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for speeds up to 150 Mbps,³ which is twice the Wi-Fi performance compared to previous iPad models. iPad mini is available in Wi-Fi + Cellular models which are world-ready with built-in support for ultrafast wireless standards, including LTE¹ and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content fast from wherever you are. iPad mini data plans will be available with no contract so you can simply sign up and activate service directly from your iPad.⁴ The Personal Hotspot feature means you can share a fast cellular data connection via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB with up to five other devices such as MacBook® Pro, iPod touch® or another iPad.⁵
The new fourth generation iPad features the amazing 9.7-inch Retina display and includes a new Apple-designed A6X chip that delivers up to twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of the A5X chip, all while delivering an incredible 10 hours of battery life in the same thin and light iPad design. Other new features include a FaceTime HD camera, twice the Wi-Fi performance when compared to previous iPad models and support for additional LTE carriers worldwide.⁶
iPad mini and fourth generation iPad both feature support for the Lightning™ connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the 30-pin connector. Lightning connector accessories are available to support cameras, SD cards and VGA or HDMI digital video.⁷ Existing iPad Smart Covers and the iPad Smart Case are compatible with fourth generation iPad, and new polyurethane Smart Covers custom-designed for iPad mini are available in pink, green, blue, light gray, dark gray and (PRODUCT) RED.
iPad runs over 700,000 apps available on the App Store℠, including more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad, from a wide range of categories including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. iPad also supports newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand and books available on the iBookstore℠. The iTunes Store® puts the world’s most popular online music and movie store at your fingertips with a catalogue of over 26 million songs and thousands of films. The new iBooks® app for iPad lets users read ebooks in over 40 languages. iBooks also lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. Ebooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, custom fonts, mathematical expressions and much more.
Pricing & Availability
iPad mini with Wi-Fi models will be available in black & slate or white & silver on Friday, 2 November for a suggested retail price of SGD$448 inc. GST for the 16GB model, SGD$578 inc. GST for the 32GB model and SGD$708 inc. GST for the 64GB model. The fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi models will also be available on Friday, 2 November, in black or white for a suggested retail price of SGD$658 inc. GST for the 16GB model, SGD$788 inc. GST for the 32GB model and SGD$918 inc. GST for the 64GB model. iPad mini and the fourth generation iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store (
www.apple.com/sg) and select Apple Authorised Resellers in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular and fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular will start shipping a couple of weeks after the Wi-Fi models. iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be offered for a suggested retail price of SGD$618 inc. GST for the 16GB model, SGD$748 inc. GST for the 32GB model and SGD$878 inc. GST for the 64GB model. Fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be offered at a suggested retail price of SGD$828 inc. GST for the 16GB model, SGD$958 inc. GST for the 32GB model and SGD$1088 inc. GST for the 64GB model. Additionally, iPad 2 is available for a suggested retail price of SGD$528 inc. GST for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just SGD$698 inc. GST for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model where they are sold now.
Customers can begin pre-ordering all models of iPad mini and all models of the fourth generation iPad on Friday, 26 October (PST) through the Apple Online Store in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
¹LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks. Check with your carrier for details.
²Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
³Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
⁴Only available on some carriers.
⁵Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.
⁶LTE is available through select carriers.
⁷Sold separately.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
