Apple Says Goodbye to the iPad Mini
Three years after Apple introduced the iPad mini as a smaller and cheaper alternative to its flagship tablet, the iPad, the company is saying goodbye to the original iPad mini. The online Apple Store or Apple retail stores no longer carries the first generation model of the smaller tablet.
According to a report in Tech Times, the product was quietly pulled out without much fanfare or announcement. A spokesperson for Apple confirmed the news late last week.
"The non-retina iPad mini model is no longer available. Now all models of iPad mini and iPad Air have 64-bit Apple-designed CPUs and high-resolution Retina displays," the rep said. Only third-party resellers are selling the non-retina models, but the supply is expected to end soon.
The original iPad mini satisfied at that time a call by consumers to have a "modest-sized, budget-priced" tablet. Apple came out with the iPad mini, which also became a big seller for the company. In the years that followed, the company proceeded to improve its processor and its display features, resulting in next generation models like the iPad mini 2 and mini 3.
In another report in CNET, the iPad mini was at one time "the most popular of Apple's tablets" according to a research group, and was responsible for 60 percent of iPad shipments. In the first quarter of 2015 however, there was a 17 percent dip in sales, owing perhaps to the proliferation of phablets in the market.
The iPad mini runs on an older A5 processor and is also equipped with an LED display with only 1024 x 768 resolution. According to the Tech Times report, its pixel density "has fallen behind most mid-range smartphones" which also offer more functionality.
The original iPad mini was the cheapest tablet at $249 at the Apple Store. Now, the cheapest model available is the iPad Mini 2, at $299.
