Wednesday, October 24, 2012

iPad Mini in Singapore


Apple's new iPad Mini, 7.9 inch version of iPad tablet, will be released on November 2 2012 in Singapore by all of the three telcos - SingTel, StarHub and M1. Apple's fouth generation iPad will also be released on the same day. Pre-orders for iPad Mini will start on Oct 26. The price of iPad Mini starts from $466 for 16 GB Wi-Fi model. 32GB price is $578 and 64GB goes for $708. Cellular version prices are much higher: $788 for 16GB, $788 for 32GB and $918 for 64GB. Price of the device started a debate around the world. Some found it expensive and some thinks that it is the right price. I think the price is high but Apple will probably sell good because it has a brand in the domain and loyal followers. But yes, it is still expensive and as a person not using any Apple product, there is not reason for me to buy an iPad Mini when there are cheaper and very good mini tablets in the market.

Ok, this one is a shocker. The iPad mini is priced at $329 for a 16GB version with Wi-Fi only. The one with Cellular connectivity will start at $429 for the 16GB. That is expensive.

7 inch tablets have been a hit by consumers in Singapore with their compact size which still provides an ideal screen size for multimedia applications such as games, e-books and videos (you can basically hold it in your palm and it has half the weight of the standard iPad). According to the research firm GfK Asia, sales of 7-inch to 7.9-inch tablets grew from 45,000 units in the period from January to Septe mber last year to 75,000 units in the same period of this year in Singapore. For many users, current 9.7 inch version is too big to carry around or to hold up for a long period of time to use a multi media application.

There are cheaper 7-inch tablet options, like the Google Nexus 7 which has a higher resolution screen compared to iPad Mini which is sold for $399 (16 GB Wi-Fi model). Still the iPad Mini is the thinnest and lightest among 7-inch tablets in the market and also it is one of the few 7-inch tablets with both front and rear facing cameras.[1]

iPad Mini, iPad in your palm, will go on sale in Singapore by November 2 2012.
iPad Mini runs on dual-core A5 chip and although it is ultra light and portable, it provides a long 10 hours of battery life. A great tablet to hold in one hand in a ultra crowded MRT train.

[1] - Apple iPad Mini: All the iPad at (nearly) half the cost

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