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Apple might be gearing up to drop the iPad Mini from its product range, according to reports out of China.
The word comes from Chinese news publication UDN, which claims to have heard from sources in Apple’s supply chain. It’s alleged that Apple will phase out the iPad Mini line with the introduction of a 12in iPad, previously rumoured as the iPad Pro.
Rumours have been circulating for some time suggesting an iPad Pro is in the works, but it wasn’t until reports emerged via reputable publication Bloomberg during August this year that the idea was taken seriously. These reports implied we’d see a 12.9in iPad aimed at business users appearing during 2015’s second quarter.
Clearly it’s a tricky time for Apple, the company is known to be experiencing slow iPad sales after reports emerged showing Q3 2014 figures were below analyst estimates. Some theories suggest that, in contrast to Apple’s iPhone business, consumers are holding onto their existing iPad devices rather than upgrading to newer models. Others have suggested that as the company has expanded its portfolio to include a larger iPhone and potentially an even bigger iPad the need for a Mini tablet has declined, on top of that there’s the fact that the regular 9.7in iPad has become much more compact since it gained its “Air” moniker and lost some of its bodywork in the process.
Essentially we could be looking at Apple phasing out a product that has ceased to be useful with the iPad Mini.
But, on the flipside of all this, this is just a rumour, from an anonymous source out of China, so do take it with a grain or two of salt.
11:56, 4 Nov 2014
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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