While there is no official detail yet as regards the upcoming Apple iPad mini 4, what is certain at this point is that the American tech giant will launch the latest iteration of its iPad mini and its iPad Air along with the rumored iPad Pro in October this year.
In order to arrest the plummeting tablet sales which have greatly affected its iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 launched in October last year, Alphr predicts that Apple will be reducing the retail prices of its upcoming iPads.
In addition to an expected lower price compared to the iPad mini 3, the Apple iPad mini 4 is rumored to feature a lighter and thinner chassis.
Reputable industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, who is also a reliable source for information regarding Apple products, says that the iPad mini 4 will essentially be a mini version of the iPad Air 2, details the International Business Times.
Ming-Chi Kuo also confirmed the fall release of the latest iPad mini including previous reports that the device would be lighter and thinner. That’s apart from the likelihood that the device would sport an upgraded processor.
While Apple has yet to confirm the initial reports, speculations are rife that the iPad mini 4 will come out with a retail price of £299 or approximately $463, which is cheaper than the iPad mini 3, which is currently priced at £319 or approximately $494.
But it is expected that when the iPad mini 4 comes out of the markets with its given retail price, the price of the iPad mini 3 is expected to drop to £250 or approximately $387. But it has yet to be seen whether the discounted price on the iPad mini 3 will be on a limited period only or will be for the long terms. Experts believe that the discounted price would be for the long haul because otherwise, the future sales of the iPad mini 3 would be cannibalized by the iPad mini 4.
Increase in sales
Ming-Chi Kuo expects a sequential increase in iPad shipments to 11 million units in Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter, although that would still reflect a decrease 28.4% compared to the year-ago period.
The analyst said the upgrade to the iPad mini may spark and perk up interest in the product, which has not received a major cosmetic improvement since it broke ground into the retail markets in November 2012.
When the American updated its iPad mini line with the iPad mini 3 released last year, the mini tablet was only given a modest upgrade. The home button was replaced with a Touch ID, and a new gold color option was introduced.
The modest upgrade taken on by the iPad mini 3 from its predecessor, the iPad Mini 2, received negative feedbacks from critics especially when compared to the major modifications taken on by the iPad Air 2 from its predecessor, the iPad Air.
Specifications and features
The iPad mini 4 is expected to feature a 7.9-inch display screen and most of its design cues are to be taken from the iPad Air 2, including the revamped speaker grill.
A leaked video of an alleged iPad mini 4 case also suggests that the mute/rotation lock that was featured on previous iPad mini lines has been removed.
The upcoming Apple iPad mini will likely sport an A8X processor, the same processor used by the iPad Air 2. It is expected that the device will have a 2GB of RAM.
However, there are also other rumors saying that the iPad mini 4 will sport an A9 processor, the same processor used by the iPhone 6 or its upcoming iteration, the iPhone 6S.