Apple iPad Mini 3 Is Dying, Could iPad Mini 4 And Its Rumors, Leaked Photos Breathe New Life Into Apple iPad?
Apple iPad Mini 3 and Apple Mini 4 rumors circle the blogosphere daily. Recent iPad Mini 3 rumors show Apple fans tiring of the device, while iPad Mini 4 rumors point to a potential release date and some design and hardware specifications, some of which are rumored to leave a lot to be desired.
According to the International Business Times, the Apple iPad Mini 3 was supposed to be the greatest thing to happen to iPad since sliced bread, but it has not won any popularity contests recently.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI via 9to5Mac, the iPad Mini 3 is predicted to experience its slowest year ever. According to KGI figures, the iPad brand is already experiencing general decline in popularity.
Not to put too fine a point on the issue, but the brand peaked in 2013, and has declined ever since, according to KGI via 9to5Mac.
KGI notes that Apple will experience an even more massive drop in popularity again this year, with a 50 percent drop in shipments overall in the first half, while quarter-over-quarter shipments will see a decline of 52.7 percent in Q1 and another decline of 30 or 40 percent in Q2.
The reason behind the slump was the lackluster updates, according to 9to5Mac.
According to the Christian Post, the iPad Mini 4 will simply be a refreshed version of the already not-so-popular iPad Mini 3.
This alone is a problem because the “new” iPad Mini 3 wasn’t “new” in the sense that we know it, and left a lot to be desired.
Apple released the iPad Mini 3 for $100 more than the Mini 2, and all buyers got for the privilege was the new TouchID fingerprint sensor and a new color from which to choose. Nothing else changed from the Mini 2, according to 9to5Mac.
Because of the lackluster iPad Mini 3 update that was sorely lacking in any new technology, tech review websites offered “a lukewarm response when talking about the iPad Mini 3,” according to the Inquisitr.
“Among the praises was the display and battery life. Its downside was the lack of design separation from the previous model. Apple’s iPad Mini 3 was also panned for its lackluster processor.”
On the other hand, Digital Trends reports that the iPad Mini 4 will see a complete design overhaul and offer users, “everything we want.”
This will likely happen in October or November of this year, according to MacWorld, as Apple has unveiled previous iPad models between October 16 and 23 each year and released them the following November.
Well, this is #Apple's #iPadMini4 Housing… (more to come very soon…) pic.twitter.com/GE7hg1VYZ1
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) April 7, 2015
The rumors point to the iPad Mini 4 sporting the same A8 CPU that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus utilize, in addition to updating its Wi-Fi to 802.11ac.
Other rumors from early April from @Onleaks point to the iPad Mini 4 getting a complete case overhaul to look very similar to the iPad Air 2, according to Digital Trends.
The iPad Air just happens to be the last iPad that was truly successful – and it was cheaper than the iPad Mini 3 by $100.
A leaked photo from @Onleaks via No Where Else of the iPad Mini 4 shows these changes, including an aluminum case that’s slimmer than that of the Mini 3.
If these photos belong to the upcoming Mini 4 as suggested, it will have a “single row speaker grill on the bottom on both sides of the lightning port,” according to the Christian Post.
As promised… ? Hands On #Apple’s #iPadMini4 Housing (Video) ! http://t.co/VL3DIik2TR pic.twitter.com/ZiLI0T8moD
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) April 7, 2015
If the iPad Mini 4 rumors from Digital Trends were accurate, the upcoming device would sit in stark contrast to the iPad Mini 3 and Apple’s broken promises.
However, the Christian Post, along with Business Insider, and 9to5Mac, among other media outlets, report that Apple is refreshing the iPad Mini 4 along the lines of the iPad Mini 3, but with refined features that reflect the “modern” Apple look for 2015.
In other words, the Mini 4 will likely be more of the same refreshed features seen on the Mini 3, which was nothing more than the iPad Mini 2 with a fingerprint sensor added.
In either case, Business Insider notes that Apple fans are looking for value, and the iPad Mini 3 didn’t provide it, which shows in the shipment numbers.
If the upcoming iPad Mini 4 is anything like the iPad Mini 3 update, Apple fans might revolt and the iPad Mini 4 would likely see popularity slowing into obscurity.
Apple needs to make serious upgrades to the iPad Mini 4 — upgrades that set it apart from the iPad Mini 3, especially if Apple expects the device to make the cut in the eyes of fans and recover slumping sales and shipments.
Do you have an iPad Mini 3? Are you looking forward to an iPad Mini 4?
