how much will you pay for the mini iPad?

[happy123]

I heard that Apple may have redesigned some of the innards of the new iPad 2 as they lowered the price," writes Moorhead, "but not nearly enough to offset the $100 price reduction, so a mini-iPad would be additive, not dilutive like the $399 iPad 2,and how much will you pay for the new mini iPad? I need some help,thanks!

 

[thewitt]

I can't see it being any cheaper than the current device. There just isn't enough of a cost savings in parts and labor, and Apple is not going to create a loss leader or run with short margins on any of their products. They simply don't do that.

 

[dvdcatalyst]

In order to compete with similar sized Android tablets like the Nexus 7, NOOK Tablet, Galaxy Tab and the Kindle Fire, it would have to be around the 250 for a 16GB version and 300 for a 32GB one, but its close to iPod Touch territory with that.

 

[nightowl88]

they also said apple might bring out an cheaper iPhone, the iPhone 5 for around 400 $, I can't imagine that is possible - production costs and so on - and who would pay for an normal iPhone then?

 

[thewitt]

They have no reason to compete in the bargain products space.

They have never done it with any of their product lines, so why would they bother to do it now.

It's a PC and Android mentality to compete on price. Never been what has driven Apple.

 

[AQ_OC]

What Apple should do is just introduce a bigger iPod Touch in the fall. Just make that one bigger and they are done.

 

[Kaykaykay]

How can anyone set a price without knowing a device's specs?

 

[dvdcatalyst]

How can anyone set a price without knowing a device's specs?

Easy, by looking at what it would have to compete with.

Specs matter to some people, but it hasn't affected the success of the Kindle Fire with lower memory and a single core cpu vs devices with dual-core and double the memory.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Easy, by looking at what it would have to compete with.

Specs matter to some people, but it hasn't affected the success of the Kindle Fire with lower memory and a single core cpu vs devices with dual-core and double the memory.

The price will depend partly on how much it costs to make, which specs decide.

 

[dvdcatalyst]

The price will depend partly on how much it costs to make, which specs decide.

Yes and no.

It depends on the way the device is marketed.

The Google Nexus 7 comes with $25 market credit in order to get people to buy content for it (and continue to buy)

the Kindle Fire works ok as a device, but works best with an Amazon Prime subscription.

More and more, companies are moving towards the console strategy, sell the device at a loss and make up for it by the sales of content.
A PS3 or an XBOX 360 don't make money unless 3-4 games are purchased for each console.

 

[Abidderman]

I would guess we will pay whatever price they set it at if we really want it. I have not had a lot of luck telling them how much I will pay for anything. They want $499 and I say $399, I don't get to buy it.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Yes and no.

It depends on the way the device is marketed.

The Google Nexus 7 comes with $25 market credit in order to get people to buy content for it (and continue to buy)

the Kindle Fire works ok as a device, but works best with an Amazon Prime subscription.

More and more, companies are moving towards the console strategy, sell the device at a loss and make up for it by the sales of content.
A PS3 or an XBOX 360 don't make money unless 3-4 games are purchased for each console.

I'm not randomly applying biz strategies to Apple; I'm going by its track record. If it's smart, it will build a good product that differentiates itself, rather than compete on price alone, which is a race to the bottom, which is again not like Apple.

 

[dvdcatalyst]

I'm not randomly applying biz strategies to Apple; I'm going by its track record. If it's smart, it will build a good product that differentiates itself, rather than compete on price alone, which is a race to the bottom, which is again not like Apple.

Understandable, but to find something that fits in between the iPad 2 and the iPod Touch in terms of size and price is a bit tricky, and since Steve always has been against a 7" iPad, it seems to me that they are just following suit with the rest of the market, rather than being a market leader in this case. And with competitors in this area being the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Galaxy Tab and the Nexus 7, they will need to focus on more than just being "Apple" alone. The iPad managed to get a lot of people to "think different" about Apple, and move away from other brands and devices, but with an established 7" field, they will have to bring it.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Understandable, but to find something that fits in between the iPad 2 and the iPod Touch in terms of size and price is a bit tricky, and since Steve always has been against a 7" iPad, it seems to me that they are just following suit with the rest of the market, rather than being a market leader in this case. And with competitors in this area being the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Galaxy Tab and the Nexus 7, they will need to focus on more than just being "Apple" alone. The iPad managed to get a lot of people to "think different" about Apple, and move away from other brands and devices, but with an established 7" field, they will have to bring it.

I don't pretend to know Steve Jobs, but I've read that he told Apple leaders that they should run the company the best they can, with the info they have available, not to try to cling to what he said before he died. Even when he was alive, he changed his mind when he saw fit, and there's plenty of evidence of that.

 

[petermillard]

Easy, by looking at what it would have to compete with.

Or by looking at where the product might fit in their line-up. Apple has always had clearly defined price-points for their products; iPods start at $49 for the entry-level Shuffle, $129 - $149 for the Nano, $199 - $399 for the iTouch. iPads run from $399 - $699 for the WiFi, $529 - $829 for cellular; MacBooks start at $999 for the 11" Air, and so on. Got some money? Apple has a product for you - and an upgrade for just a little bit more...

But the Nexus 7 starts to make the iPod Touch look a little pricey, at least in the US where Google has a more competitive range of products in the Play store. The iPod Touch line hasn't had any attention for a couple of years, and sales have slowly but surely been dwindling; perhaps we'll see the whole iPod line cut back - Nanos to $99 and $129, and a single 8Gb entry-level iTouch at $149 woud leave space for a larger iDevice priced anywhere between $199 - $399 before it starts overlapping with the iPad, and that's the sort of price range I'd expect to be looking at. 32Gb for around $300 would have me sold.

Whether the new shiny is a larger iPod Touch or a smaller iPad, we'll just have to wait and see - maybe they'll shock us all and announce both in September