After months of speculation and second guessing, Apple showed its much anticipated iPad mini at its big “little” event in San Jose, California.
At an attractive price point, the mini will compete with similarly sized tablets from Google and Amazon who have proved there is a market for smaller tablets.
Apple is expected to sell millions of the smaller iPads, essentially protecting its hugely successful 10-inch iPad market.
So far the larger device has sold over 84 million and the new innovative model will be ripe for the holiday market.
Our tech guru Steve Makris shares his thoughts on the “little big entry” in the portable tablet market.
Is the new mini a winner?
Get breaking National news
Yes. It is at an attractive price point targeted at price conscious consumers who could not afford previous iPad models.
Can it replace the 10-inch iPad?
Without question. It retains all the good features, including fast WiFi, optional LTE cellular data, bright sharp screen, HD Facetime camera, all packaged in a smaller 7.9-inch screen compared to the 9.7 screen of the original iPad.
Do you need an iPhone to get the most out of it?
Yes, any cellphone for phone calls.
What is it best suited for?
It’s easier to carry and store while travelling and nicer to hold up for reading. It also strikes a better balance when budgeting for larger screen laptops for serious typing.
What do you like best about the Mini?
I like the light aluminum body and that in can run some 275,000 Apps of the entire iPad family.
How does it stack up against the competition?
The mini is noticeably almost one inch larger in screen size than the 7-inch Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7. It has better craftsmanship and high end features. And it still has all the iPad family DNA including seemless iTunes and iCloud integration.
Is it a good deal?
Yes. Kindle and Amazon reportedly break even on their $200 tablet sales. Apple’s iPad Mini, at $329 US, is underpriced for what it is and offers good value at an attractive pricepoint.
Follow Steve on Edmonton GlobalTV Sunday and Monday Morning News at: www.techuntangled.ca
Comments