The iPad 4th generation has a faster processor, lightning port and wider LTE support than its predecessor; but the big news is the new iPad Mini. Apple created the tablet category and pushed other vendors to find niche segments, as they were not able to compete with the category killer - the 10-inch iPad. And so the likes of Google, Samsung, and Amazon have found market opportunities for their smaller and cheaper tablets as consumers started to realize what a tablet could be used for, but wanted more portable and cheaper devices. The 7-inch tablet, priced at around $200 and with content provided by companies like Amazon and Google, was expected to become a sweet spot in the market, and despite the position that Steve Jobs took against 7-inch tablets, Apple needed to respond, or risked losing an important share of the tablet market. The popularity of the Kindle eReader and Android smartphones made consumers aware of Amazon content and Google services, while low price points for the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire have been attracting consumers looking for more affordable devices that also come with the content and services they already use or want.
This new product from Apple - the iPad Mini - will disrupt the market again: it is now the new category killer. Competitors will need to return to their R&D centers and find ways to develop even cheaper versions of their products and figure out how to profit from content, while Apple will continue to make a profit from both hardware and content.
The popularity of the brand, the iOS ecosystem, and now a more affordable price tag will make the iPad Mini a hot product this Christmas season. Despite a higher price and strong competition from the Google's Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple continues to deliver the best in class integration between software and hardware, delighting users with a rich content experience.
When Apple launched the first iPad, consumers didn't know what to do with it, but they did know that they loved it and wanted it. Now Apple has launched a product for those who always knew what to do with a tablet, but could previously never afford one.
This new product from Apple - the iPad Mini - will disrupt the market again: it is now the new category killer. Competitors will need to return to their R&D centers and find ways to develop even cheaper versions of their products and figure out how to profit from content, while Apple will continue to make a profit from both hardware and content.
The popularity of the brand, the iOS ecosystem, and now a more affordable price tag will make the iPad Mini a hot product this Christmas season. Despite a higher price and strong competition from the Google's Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple continues to deliver the best in class integration between software and hardware, delighting users with a rich content experience.
When Apple launched the first iPad, consumers didn't know what to do with it, but they did know that they loved it and wanted it. Now Apple has launched a product for those who always knew what to do with a tablet, but could previously never afford one.
