The new Apple iPad mini: everything you need to know – The Verge

iPad mini and 4th-gen iPad with mobile data coming to China on Friday

2013-01-14T21:53:27-05:00

iPad mini LTE stock 1020

Following last month's launch of the iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad in China, Apple has announced that cellular data-enabled versions of both products will be coming to the world's largest mobile market this week. Apple will sell the tablets online and in stores from Friday, and you'll also be able to find them at select resellers.

There's no information yet on whether carriers will be selling the iPads directly, but we'd expect them to work on 3G at best across the nation - number 1 operator China Mobile's nascent TD-LTE network is incompatible with Apple products currently on sale. We've reached out to Apple for further details and wil …

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iPad mini and fourth-gen iPad now available for pre-order (update: some variants on backorder)

2012-10-26T03:48:46-04:00

via cdn2.sbnation.com

As promised at Tuesday's announcement, Apple has opened up pre-orders for the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad today. Anyone interested in Cupertino's latest tablets will be able to place an order via Apple's website or the iOS Store app. The iPad mini will be available in 34 countries at launch, including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB Wi-Fi models cost $329, $429, and $529, respectively, with delivery expected on November 2nd. The Cellular models, meanwhile, command a $130 premium, and won't begin shipping until "mid-November."

Those not enthralled with the i …

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Tim Cook: ‘we would not make’ 7-inch tablet, iPad mini in ‘a whole different league’

2012-10-25T18:05:04-04:00

Gallery Photo: iPad mini hands-on photos

Those who have been paying attention to Apple over the years remembered one thing when the company revealed the iPad mini earlier this week: Steve Jobs' outspoken criticism of the 7-inch tablet form factor. Current CEO Tim Cook has just addressed those comments, saying on Apple's earnings call that "we would not make one of the seven inch tablets." He continued on to say that the iPad mini "is not a compromised product like the seven inch tablets. It's in a whole different league."

As the Apple CEO points out in his comments (audio above), the company took quite a bit of time out of its keynote on Tuesday to compare the Nexus 7 to the iPad …

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Apple: iPad mini profit margin is ‘significantly below’ corporate average

2012-10-25T17:37:13-04:00

Gallery Photo: Apple's iPad mini event in photos

During Apple's Q4 2012 earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has filled in a bit more of the iPad mini pricing puzzle. Despite the tablet's $329 starting price - 60 percent more than competition like the Nexus 7 - the iPad mini's gross profit margin is "significantly below" the company's average, which was at 40 percent for the quarter. Of course, Apple isn't one to detail its margins product-to-product, but thanks to Oppenheimer's remarks we know its margin on the iPad mini is less than 40 percent. We do know that the $199, 7-inch Nexus 7 is sold at cost, and considering the iPad mini's superior-feeling build quality and 7 …

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For app developers, iPad mini presents more opportunity than challenge

2012-10-24T13:30:17-04:00

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Some people like a pocket-sized notebook, and some people like carrying around a legal pad. That's why for years, Moleskine has offered a dozen sizes for its notebooks, and convinced bookstores to carry them all. But while Apple's iPad has replaced the notebook for many, it's always just come in one size - until now. The company's new iPad mini represents a new size in between the iPhone and iPad, and while it runs 275,000 iPad apps, it's got a a few people a little confused. Daring Fireball creator (and noted Apple evangelist) John Gruber tweeted, "It runs iPad apps, but the iPad Mini feels like a big iPhone in use."

And the 7.9-inch form …

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Watch this: Apple’s new iPad mini and Smart Cover videos

2012-10-23T22:40:30-04:00

iPad mini Smart Cover ad

Apple's iPad mini made its long-awaited debut this morning in San Jose, California. Apple posted video of the event earlier today, and now some new shorter spots are available as well. The first is the type of promotional short we've come to expect from Apple, with Jonathan Ive describing the new device with his unwavering, earnest enthusiasm. The second is a playful spot focusing on the multi-hued Smart Covers that are available for the 7.9-inch tablet. Take a look below to see the spots for yourself.

Check out the replay of our live coverage right here:

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The iPad mini’s price is high, low, and everything in between

2012-10-23T20:29:56-04:00

via cdn1.sbnation.com

Apple debuted the long-rumored iPad mini this morning, and per the norm for recent Apple product launches, the device was largely what we'd suspected. One question that had remained open, however, was the pricing: with competition from the likes of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, would Apple feel compelled to match those devices on their budget-minded $199 price? We now know the answer is no - the iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16GB model, with pricing ramping up from there.

It's a 60 percent premium over the tablet's most direct 7-inch competitors, and a number that likely boosts the iPad mini out of the realm of the casual impulse buy. …

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Apple’s iPad mini features the ability to reject accidental touches on its display

2012-10-23T20:07:42-04:00

Gallery Photo: iPad mini hands-on photos

Apple covered a lot of points about the new iPad mini in its launch event today, but one thing it didn't talk about was how the device would handle accidental touches by users' thumbs when they are holding it. In order to make the iPad mini easy to hold with one hand, Apple had to make the bezels considerably smaller than those on the 9.7-inch iPad, which leads many to wonder how it will be possible to hold it with one hand. To address this particular issue, Apple notes in its iPad mini promotional page that it has modified iOS to ignore accidental touches. "iPad mini intelligently recognizes whether your thumb is simply resting on the displ …

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By the numbers: Apple’s new iPad mini vs. the 7-inch tablet competition

2012-10-23T15:26:35-04:00

Gallery Photo: iPad mini hands-on photos

Apple's iPad mini has arrived. But unlike the company's original model, which soared to unrivaled success without much in the way of strong competition, the iPad mini enters a market with several entrants already competing for your hard-earned dollars. Google's Nexus 7 set the bar for what's possible at a price point of $199 and the Asus-branded Android tablet looks poised to maintain that price advantage over the $329 iPad mini for the foreseeable future. Even the $249 16GB configuration - rumored to soon be making a jump to 32GB - still undercuts Apple's baseline 16GB offering. Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire HD also bests Apple in pricing. Wi …

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Watch this: relive Apple’s iPad mini event

2012-10-23T15:05:37-04:00

ipad mini

It's been only minutes since Apple's iPad mini event concluded, but you can relive it all right now by visiting the same events page that Apple used to broadcast the event live. You still need to use Safari 4 and OS X 10.6 or higher or an iOS device to watch the stream, but if you meet that criteria, you can see Tim Cook and company announce the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, new Mac mini, new iMac, 4th-generation iPad, and of course, the new iPad mini. Of course, once you are done watching the event, be sure to check out our hands-ons with the iPad mini, 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and more!

Check out the replay of our live coverage right here …

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