(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
The iPad Mini is 1 year old. What will Apple do for an encore?
On October 22, Apple will have an event. While the company has given no agenda beyond the "We still have a lot to cover." tagline of the press conference invitation, new iPads are an inevitability. And that includes a new iPad Mini.
What do we know for sure? Nothing. But, while early rumored leaks point to some design changes in the larger iPad, there are still a surprising amount of unknowns surrounding the second-gen iPad Mini. Yes, it will have the same basic form factor, and it will run iOS 7 out of the box. But what else?
I certainly have my own iPad Mini wish list, and it's pretty easy: a Retina Display, a faster processor, and as little expansion to the Mini's size and weight as possible.
As far as expectations, here are the best guesses as to what might happen.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Display: Retina, or no?
The existing iPad Mini has a perfectly serviceable 1,024x768 7.9-inch display, but its overall brightness, pixel density and color quality aren’t nearly as good as the Retina Display iPad. It seems like it's time for an increase in pixel count. Remember that -- because of difference in screen sizes -- the goal here is more about pixel density (pixels per inch, or PPI) than absolute resolution. Right now, the current Mini (163 ppi) lags far behind the 9.7-inch Retina iPad (262 ppi), the Retina iPhone 5S (326 ppi), and -- its direct competitor -- the 7-inch 2013 Nexus 7 (323 ppi).
On the other hand, some rumors suggest the new Mini will have exactly the same display as last year. Or maybe there will be two Mini models -- a new Retina Mini, and a stepdown low-res model (possibly just the 2012 Mini staying in the line).
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Size and design: pretty much the same, but will it have colors?
The iPad Mini has a sweet-spot combination of small size and top-end features, and is an all-around newer design than the current fourth-gen iPad, so don’t expect it to change much. It might get a little thicker, though: if the larger iPad’s move to Retina is any indicator, a Retina Mini might need to get a little bit heavier to accommodate the extra power for that display. Either way, expect a nearly-similar look and feel.
Will there be a golden Mini? Well, the odds for that are probably better than candy-colored models. Rumored leaked images, thus far, don't show any wild color schemes.
Processor: A6, or A7?
Last year’s iPad Mini had an A5 processor -- a 2011 model -- compared to the fourth-gen iPad’s A6X. If that pattern holds, then the new Mini could have an A6, and the larger iPad a 64-bit A7X. But maybe, just maybe, that Retina Mini will need even more graphics punch, in which case it could leap right to an A7 or A7X.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Touch ID, or no?
The iPhone 5S has that new, very snazzy fingerprint-reading Touch ID home button which begs to be included in other Apple products. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t surface in the higher-end 9.7-inch iPad, but could it make an appearance on the next iPad Mini, too? (At least one leaked photo -- albeit of unknown provenance -- suggests the answer is yes.) It all depends on whether the new Mini makes a leap into more “premium” territory in 2013.
Price: $329, or higher? (or, lower?)
Apple’s iOS devices historically stay the same price, more or less, year over year. That would mean a 16GB Retina Mini would cost $329.
But, $329 was always a bit of an unusual price. Maybe the Retina Mini climbs a bit higher if its features are more step-up. Then again, maybe the goal for this year's Mini is to remain affordable in a landscape of cheaper tablets.
One Mini, or two?
What about an even lower-priced iPad? The non-Retina Mini could stick around as an additional product, with a price that possibly drops a bit. That would create a two-tiered iPad Mini product lineup, and a larger 9.7-inch iPad. And, considering Apple hasn’t released a new iPod Touch this year, a lower-cost Mini would step into that role a bit.
Or, is that too many iPads? If the Retina Mini can stay at the same price as last year’s model, then maybe that doesn’t happen.
Stay tuned
Apple’s October 22 event is around the corner: we’ll know the answers soon enough, and we’ll be out in San Francisco bringing the news as it happens.
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By Scott SteinScott Stein is a senior editor covering iOS and laptop reviews, mobile computing, video games, and tech culture. He has previously written for both mainstream and technology enthusiast publications including Wired, Esquire.com, Men's Journal, and Maxim, and regularly appears on TV and radio talking tech trends. Full Bio