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November 05, 2012

iPad Mini Not Generating as Much Interest as Previous Apple Releases

By Oliver VanDervoort, Contributing Writer

When Apple (News - Alert) releases a brand new product, there are generally a few rules you can take to the bank. The first is that the product will be hinted about and whispered about for months until it is finally confirmed. The other rule of thumb is that the device will generate lines of people around the block who are waiting to get the device. The iPad Mini certainly fit the bill when it came to the first rule. There were rumors and whispers about what the newest iteration of the iPad would offer for months before the company actually confirmed it existed at all. As far as the second rule of thumb goes, New Yorkers were certainly excited to see the new device in person, but demand around the world was actually surprisingly tame.





Image via Shutterstock

Friday marked the launch of the iPad Mini and while Sandy couldn’t keep people in New York City from lining up outside the Apple store, crowds in cities like Tokyo, Amsterdam and Sydney were dismal. Part of the problem for the iPad Mini is that there are already plenty of tablets that offer a smaller screen and they generally tend to cost less than what Apple is charging. It doesn’t help that other companies have also released or announced new, revamped tablets in time for the holiday season. 

While reviews for the new device have been relatively positive, the price tag (News - Alert) seems to be a major hang-up for consumers. Apple said that it expected to see between one and 1.5 million iPad Minis over the first weekend of its availability. That could mean that they will sell half as many iPad Minis as what was sold of the 3rd generation iPad in its first weekend on the market. There are still plenty of analysts who believe that in the long run, the iPad Mini will do just fine.

"While launch lines and initial weekend sales may not be as impressive as previous iPad launches, the iPad mini will be a hit product for Apple and become a more significant part of the story over the next two to three quarters," Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster said in a recent statement.




Edited by Brooke Neuman
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