The first iPad Mini and iPad 4 new iPad pre-orders are set to arrive in customers’ homes on November 2, but Apple has posted the official firmware for both the iPad Mini and its larger brethren early.
It stuck around for more than four days, but the initial supply of Apple’s fourth-generation iPad has now sold out, causing shipping delays for the device to increase to one week across the U.S. and international stores. The delay applies to both the black and white models, regardless of which storage option you choose.
Shortly before unveiling the iPad mini last week, Apple announced a new fourth-generation iPad — just 7 months after it released the third-generation iPad. In addition to an improved FaceTime camera, faster Wi-Fi, and Apple’s new Lightning connector, the device comes with the latest A6X processor. But is it a worthy upgrade over its predecessor?
Well, if performance is important to you, then yes, it is.
Today, Google announced two new Nexus tablets — the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 — which will go head-to-head with more established competitors like the iPad, the iPad mini and the Kindle Fire HD. But how do they stack up?
Despite apparently record sales of the 7-inch Kindle Fire the day after Apple debuted the iPad mini, Amazon is taking to the low-road in order to direct shoppers on its website away from Cupertino’s new mini-sized tablet.
How? They’ve posted a comparison chart to the front page of Amazon.com showing how the Kindle Fire HD and iPad mini stack up, spec-for-spec.
We’re surprised it has taken this long. When the iPad mini initially became available for preorder on Friday morning, it took just twenty minutes for the white iPad mini + Wi-Fi to sell out, but the other models (especially the black) continued to be available for November 2nd delivery.
Apple doesn’t keep new products in stop indefinitely, though. As of this morning, the iPad mini doesn’t ship for another two weeks if you preorder it today. Still, it’s amazing it took this long for Apple to sell out of the much anticipated new product: either Apple made plenty of them ahead of time, or demand for the mini isn’t yet quite what it is for the iPhone or iPad.
Source: Apple Store
Microsoft’s new Surface RT tablet made its debut today, just three days after Apple announced the new fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini. If you’re not completely dedicated to iOS, you’re probably having a hard time decided which tablet to go for.
To help you make your decision, we’ve put together a handy chart that compares the Surface RT with some of the most popular tablets on sale right now, including the new iPads, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, the Google Nexus 7, and more.
While the iPad mini looks like a terrific little tablet, that’s sure to make millions for Apple, we’ve learned over the past few days that some people are unhappy with its price tag. Thanks to the rumors, the majority of us expected the device to be priced around $249. But as it turns out, it’s $80 more than that.
According to Microsoft’s Windows boss, Steven Sinofsky, that’s a lot to pay for a “recreational tablet” when you can get a new Windows 8 laptop for $279.
When Apple began accepting pre-orders for the iPad mini at 12 a.m. Pacific, I visited the store a few times to see how quickly it sold out. I didn’t buy one; I have a third-generation iPad and decided I don’t need another one. But I was curious.
To my surprise, at 12:03 a.m. Pacific, the white iPad mini had already sold out in the United Kingdom. Only the black model was available for November 2 delivery. And just over ten minutes later, it was a similar story for Apple’s U.S. online store.
They’re here! iPad mini preorders have just gone live. We used the Apple Store app to get our order in, but the Apple.com store is now up as well. Go get your order in, because iPad mini supply isn’t going to last, then come into the comments and tell us which one you got. Me? I followed my own advice and picked up a 16GB iPad mini with Wi-Fi for $329, but I already have a 64GB third-gen iPad with Wi-Fi + LTE. What about you.
Back in 2010, Steve Jobs famously compared the 7-inch tablet form factor to the practicality of sanding down someone’s fingers. To Jobs, the average human finger would have to be shrunk by about 25% in order to properly interact with 7-inch tablet apps. “This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps,” said Jobs. It was one of those classic moments that showed his intense commitment to Apple’s idea of the ultimate user experience.
Fast forward to today, and Apple still has a thing or two to say about 7-inch tablets. Don’t let the smallness of the iPad mini fool you, Apple is firmly against 7-inch tablets because they are vastly inferior to 8-inch tablets. Apparently one inch makes all the difference.
During today’s conference call, Tim Cook commented on the price of the iPad mini and explained the the iPad mini has gross margins that are significantly below the corporate average. He didn’t say that Apple is selling the 7-inch tablet at a loss, but Apple definitely isn’t going to make as much profit off each iPad mini as they’re used to with other devices.
Earlier this morning a story from Digitimes claimed that the $329 price of the iPad mini is a result of mass production issues with the screen. Considering Cook’s statements on the margins of the iPad mini and Schiller’s comments that the iPad Mini is a premium product, the iPad Mini might be one of the most competitively priced Apple products we’ve seen in the last few years.
Apple fans have been disappointed that the iPad mini cost $329, while other 7-inch tablets cost significantly less. Phil Schiller defended the price saying consumers will pay for a quality product. He’s right. Apple’s going to sell a gazillion iPad minis, but the reason for it’s higher price tag might have a lot more to do with problems manufacturing the touch screen.
According to Digitimes, Apple’s $329 price tag for the iPad mini is largely due to low yield rates for the device’s GF2 (DITO film) touch screen technology.
Each time Apple releases a shiny new device lusted after by consumers across the globe, workers at Chinese factory manufacturers pay the price more than anyone who waits in line at an Apple Store for five hours to shell out $329.
As soon as production of an Apple product goes into launch mode, Chinese factory workers get hit by a wave of chemical fumes, 12-hour work shifts, unpaid overtime, and even explosions, as they are hurried to assemble the device.
After over a year of rumor and speculation, we’re less than a day away fr0m the iPad mini finally going up for preorder. Starting at 12:01AM Pacific Time, the iPad mini (Wi-Fi version only) will be available for preorder on Apple’s official site, with units delivering on November 2nd.
It’s always hard to tell with a new product, but if history is anything to go by — the iPhone 5 preorders sold out within hours, and stock is still short — the iPad mini is going to be crazy in-demand. If Apple starts preorders in the middle of the night, it’s because they’re anticipating a madhouse… such a madhouse that if they held it in the middle of the day, their servers would crash under the pressure.
Hence this guide. We’re going to walk you through the best ways to make absolutely sure you get your iPad mini preordered right at the stroke of midnight and in your hands next Friday when it officially launches in the minimum amount of time, so you can go right back to sleep.
Wondering which iPad mini to buy? Check out our guide to finding the one that is right for you.
Each time Apple releases a new product, American TV show hosts rush out with their jokes about it. Conan O’Brien consistently comes out with the best Apple jokes, and he’s got another great one with this new video that uncovers the real reason why you want to buy an iPad mini.
Source: YouTube
[polldaddy poll=6632040]
Over 45% of iPad owners are a little upset that Apple announced the iPad 4 on Tuesday. Even though the iPad 4 is a small spec bump, the iPad 3 has only been on the market for six months, making some iPad 3 owners feel like they got screwed out of having the latest and greatest iPad.
Toluna QuickSurveys conducted a study involving 2000 iPad owners, and they discovered that 50% of iPad 4 owners are upset about the launch of the iPad 4, followed by 45% of iPad 2 owners and 40% of first-generation iPad owners being upset as well.
We love DODOCase here at Cult of Mac. They are the finest of a surprising number of purveyors who makes cases that turn your iDevice into a simulacrum of the Moleskine, and now they’re doing the same by selling three new products for the iPad mini.
There’s the classic DODOCase, which starts at $59.95, the DODOCase Hardcover, which starts at $35,94, and the BookBack, which affixes the back of your iPad mini with a Moleskine-like leather and costs just $19.95.
All of Dodocase’s products for the iPad mini are available to buy now. Stay tuned for a Cult of Mac review.
Source: DODOCase
While several iPad case manufacturers have already announced iPad mini and iPad 4th generation cases since the product reveals yesterday in San Francisco, Apple has today posted several high-resolution technical drawings of each of the new tablet computers to its developer website, on a page titled, “Designing Cases for iPod, iPhone, and iPad.”
Apple announced two new iPads this week: the iPad mini and the updated fourth-gen Retina iPad. Both are going on sale November 2nd, and that means the value of your current iPad is dropping rapidly. Based on a new report, used iPad resales have increased over 700% since Apple’s event yesterday.
Every time Apple announces a new product, the value of the previous generation starts to deplete. If you plan on selling your current iPad to help cover the cost of a new purchase, you should be selling sooner rather than later.
The iPad mini is a great looking device and all that, but people seemed to be pretty disappointed in the price point. While other 7-inch tablets usually start out in the $200-$250 price range, the iPad mini costs $329 for the base model.
After the keynote yesterday, journalists were given an opportunity to play with the newly announced Apple products, while Tim Cook and Phil Schiller mingled with the crowd. When asked about the higher-than-expected price tag of the iPad mini, and Schiller’s response was that people will pay more for a high quality product.
As is often the case with Apple products, feelings towards the new iPad mini were mixed following the Cupertino company’s special event in San Jose on Tuesday. Many were wowed by its good looks and tiny form factor, which still manages to run regular iPad apps just fine. While others were confused over its $329 price tag.
We had expected Apple to price the iPad mini along the same lines as cheap Android tablets, such as the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire, which sell for $200. We didn’t quite expect Apple to go quite that low, but we felt around $250 would be just about right.
Instead, Apple chose to ignore what its competitors were doing. You might say that this is a big mistake, and that the iPad mini doesn’t stand a chance against its 7-inch rivals. But many analysts feel the iPad mini will do just fine at $329.
Step 1: Apple announces new product.
Step 2: Accessory makers photoshop their entire product lineup to fit that new product.
Step 3: The press is deluged with PR emails.
And so it goes. The first in my inbox was iLuv, and its product picture people really have been busy shrinking everything down for the iPad Mini. If you’re planning on buying Apple’s shrunken-iPad-2-with-a-better-camera, then you’re not going to want for cases, chargers or any other crap.
As a brand, China’s GooPhone has made a name for itself not only because of their laughably stupid branding, but by the fact that they consistently manage to rip off Apple’s next product design before Cupertino gets their product to market… then threaten to sue Apple for IP violations.
Saucy! And now GooPhone is at it again, announcing a $99 iPad mini clone called the GooPad that looks exactly like an iPad mini, right down to the icons.
Apple has updated its YouTube channel with two new videos for the just-announced iPad mini and its Smart Cover. The first video features Apple design guru Jony Ive explaining the design process for the iPad mini, while the second video is a 37-second TV ad for the new tablet’s Smart Cover.
Ive talks about how the iPad mini is a “concentration, not a reduction.” If you have a friend who’s interested in learning about the iPad mini, then this is the video to show them. You’ll start seeing the second ad for the Smart Cover on TV.
