Apple That

While the tablet world has rapidly expanded over the past year with many new companies and manufacturers jumping into the game, one thing is clear, the iPad is still king. Apple announced Monday that they sold 3 million new iPad and iPad mini models in the first three days of release. The sales figures were record numbers for Apple, who in March sold 1.5 million iPads in the first three days.

The first of the two new iPad models is the “traditional” iPad. While Apple released a new, retina display iPad just a few months ago in March, they decided to release a new and improved retina display iPad just a few months later. The new(er) iPad contains some modest hardware improvements such as a new A6X chip that makes performance twice as fast, has expanded LTE coverage,  faster wi-fi, and the new lightning dock connector. The display remains the same, however, on the new(er) iPad, as it is identical to the “Retina” display on the 3rd generation iPad. The price point is also unchanged as the starting price for a wi-fi only model is $499.

The other, and quite honestly bigger, news is the release of an all new product, the iPad mini. The iPad mini is essentially Apple’s response to new tablets such as Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. It is a 7.9 inch tablet, which is bigger than all the other “7-inch class” tablets. While it costs considerably more than the other tablets in its class, with a starting price of $329, it offers quite a few features. Some include a large 7.9-inch screen, a very fast A5 chip for processing power, a 5 Mega-pixel camera, and LTE model options. While it does not have a “Retina” display like its bigger brother, the iPad mini does have the same resolution display as the iPad 2. While this may disappoint some consumers, the fact that it is the same number of pixels on a smaller screen means it has a higher resolution.

While the iPad mini comes in at a higher price point than other tablets in its category, it is undoubtedly the best. While there are great 7-inch tablets such as the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire that are in fact cheaper, the iPad mini is truly a step above. A few key features that set it apart are the larger screen, optional LTE connectivity, and the over 250,000 tablet exclusive apps available in the App Store. While early sales figures indicate a good future for the iPad mini, it remains to be seen how the higher price tag will affect the sales over the holiday season. If early sales figures continue, however, Apple will have a very, merry Christmas.

Source: LA Times – http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ipad-sales-20121105,0,1843110.story