Apple iPad Mini 2 was expected to release this year but because of less numbers of Retina Display panels, the display of the device has been postponed to 2014. On the other side, the iPhone 5 is going to be released on the appointed date.
The iPad Mini 2 is going to sport a 7.9inch Retina Display. The first generation iPad Mini did not have Retina Display. When the iPad Mini was released with a high price tag without Retina display as compared to same sized tablets from other brands like Samsung that offered superior quality display and tech specs, a lot of people and technical experts criticized Apple.
The first gen iPad Mini was launched at a price of $329. The device managed to achieve good sales. In fact, the sales of iPad Mini were higher than iPad 4 sales. This shows people prefer 7inch sized tablet over other tablets that are of bigger size.
The delay in the launching of iPad Mini 2 because of shortage of Retina Displays show that Apple wants the device to come out in the market smoothly without encountering criticism from the day one. This time Apple does not want to release a new tablet with mediocre specs. Currently, customers prefer to buy 7inch tablets from other brands like Samsung. So, by making sure that iPad Mini 2 will come with Retina display, Apple aims to not to lose customers.
Rumors have it that Apple may release the newer iPad Mini this year without Retina Display. The device should be considered as an upgrade just like iPhone 4 is updated to iPhone 4S. The looks may remain same as the first gen iPad Mini but the manufacturers will offer improved internal components. Also another rumor coming from Apple is that the company is going to unveil a newer edition of Apple iPad i.e. iPad 5 that will sport better Retina display, enhanced CPU, improved camera and lastly the new iOS 7 for the phone.
Tablet devices has recently attained good popularity. In fact a research conducted by NPD Displaysearch, tablets that are available with large sized display, have plenty of productivity apps onboard along with physical QWERTY are outselling the regular sized laptop. In U.S. the demand for tablet PCs this year have risen by 67%. Now many customers in US are now opting for tablets over a regular laptop or desktop as it can be carried anywhere.
So far many brands like Samsung, Huawei and other less known brands have attained good popularity in the 7inch tablet section. Apple had entered the competition with the iPad Mini that was priced heavily. Also, the absence of Retina display even irked the potential buyers to make a purchase. Now, Apple wants the new tablet i.e. iPad Mini 2 to come out with competitive features. Hence, the launch of iPad Mini 2 has been postponed to 2014.
What Apple needs to do is offer a feature rich tablet PC at an affordable price. This will automatically bring back Apple into the competition.