Like most of Apple's recent products, many of the iPad Mini's details have leaked. It will probably sport a 7.85-inch display with narrow bezels, share many internals with the iPad 2, and be ridiculously light and thin. The biggest remaining question, then, may be the tablet's price. If a new report has any legs, we may now know that too.
As reported by 9to5Mac, the base model of the iPad Mini (or iPad Air?) will ring up at US$329. The tablet would also be available in models with extra storage, each of which would add $100 in increasing increments. The tablet would also be available in 3G/LTE-enabled models, which would carry a $130 premium over those with Wi-Fi only.
Unexpected
Is US$329 too much for a miniature iPad?
Many were expecting Apple to price the smaller iPad somewhere between US$200-300, to better butt heads with the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7.
A $329 price point isn't far from that range, but it's also about as
high as Apple can go. If it charged any more, the iPad Mini would be
invading the $400 territory of the iPad 2 (though it may be phased out), and inching closer to the third-gen iPad's $500.If this leak is accurate, the smaller iPad will need to justify its price with a killer feature. Apart from the App Store and iTunes, that may be its form. Apple may go the iPad Air route, creating a device that's so light and thin that competitors' devices look like clunky old shoeboxes. Failing that, the tablet may be a hard sell next to the ($130 cheaper) Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7.
This and other rumors will be put to the test when Apple reveals the new tablet on Tuesday, October 23. Gizmag will have news and analysis of the event, continuing to the device's rumored November 2 launch.
What do you think: if this leak is legit, is $330 a good mark? Or would Apple have been smart to drop it down closer to the prices of other budget tablets? Let us know in the comments.
Source: 9to5Mac AND Gizmag
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