I wrote an opinion piece last year speculating on Apple’s plans for its 2017 iPad line-up. A couple of factors led me to suspect that Apple may be planning to drop the iPad mini.
First, there was the fact that the starting price for the iPad mini 4 is exactly the same as for the iPad Air 2: $399. You’d already have to have a very strong preference for the smaller form-factor to want to shell out the same cash for the mini – especially given that you could combine phone and small tablet functionality by buying the Plus model iPhone.
Second, a KGI report suggesting that the 10.5-inch model would be the successor to the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro, while the new 9.7-inch model would be a low-cost model. That made it seem possible that Apple might be targeting an even lower price than $399, putting further pressure on the mini.
And now, consistent rumors of what we can expect from the iPhone 8 give a third reason to wonder whether the iPad mini has a future
