It seems like 2015 is slowly proving to be Apple’s best year yet. Reports say that the company has a lot on its table with its upcoming offerings such as the new iPhones, a new iOS, a new iMac, another Apple Watch, the latest iPad Air, a rumored iPad Pro and the latest version of the iPad mini, all for September and October releases.
According to the International Business Times, Ming-Chi Kou, senior analyst for KGI Securities, says that Apple is setting up the launch of a thinner and faster iPad mini variant, the latest iPad Air, an Apple Watch Sport Edition that comes in two golden colors, a new iMac, as well as the rumored iPad Pro in October. The new iPhones, as well as the new iOS 9, will reportedly be launched in September.
However, the tech titan is still mum on the details and has yet to make an official confirmation about its product offerings and their specific release dates.
The analyst, known for his accurate predictions regarding Apple’s product releases, has said that the latest iteration to the iPad mini, known as the Ipad mini 4, will reportedly sport the same specifications as the iPad Air 2, but in a compact form. Although reports have surfaced that Apple may put an end to its iPad mini product line because of continuous declining product sales, the iPad mini 4 has still been green-lit. However, reports are rife that it will possibly be the last of the iPad mini line from Apple.
Breathecast reports that the latest Ipad mini will come with an upgraded processor, and will sport a thinner and lighter design. The newest version of the iPad mini is rumored to run on an A8 processor equipped with an 8-megapixel iSight camera. The iPad mini 4 dimensions will be similar to its predecessor with the exception of its thickness dropping to 6.1 millimeters from the previous 7.5 millimeters. Reports say that the team behind the iPad mini 4 is really working so hard to give consumers a great value for their money.
Judging by Kou’s report, the iPad mini 4 is likely to sport the iPad Air 2’s laminated display with anti-reflective coating and will also come with the latest operating system, iOS 9, as well as other features such as the Apple Pay and more. Basically, with its substantial upgrade compared to the iPad mini 3, Apple is set to debut and market the iPad mini 4 as the smaller version of the iPad Air 2.
According to Yibada, in an attempt to bring back the love for iPad mini from dissatisfied Apple users, the iPad mini 4 is rumored to have a longer battery life, better sound quality, and larger storage capacity of up to 128GB compared to its predecessor. It is also reported that the mini tablet will cost lower than the iPad mini 3 released last year.
Sources say that consumers can get their hands on the device for only $463 compared to the iPad mini 3, whose starting retail price is $494. If this report is true, then the good pricing point might be the biggest advantage of the iPad mini 4 over its predecessor.
The iPad mini 3 received minor upgrades last year because it was not necessarily a market favorite to begin with. The device’s Home button was replaced with a Touch ID with Apple announcing a new gold variant of the gadget. Such minor updates certainly did not impress consumers because it was a modest upgrade compared to the huge improvements that were previously made on the iPad mini 2.
Recently, Apple is reported to be planning on reducing the retail prices of its new Ipad to arrest the low sales that have been plaguing the tablet market since last year. Kou says that he expects a slow increase in iPad shipment to about 11 million units by 2016 but cited that he also expects a year-to-year drop of about 28%.