Apple has unveiled its widely-anticipated 7.9in (20.1cm) tablet, the iPad Mini. The device, which is 7.2mm (0.3in) thick and weighs 0.68lbs (0.3kg), was announced at an event in California. The entry wi-fi-only model, with 16GB storage, will cost £269 in the UK and be available on 2 November. The iPad Mini will compete directly with cheaper similar-sized tablets recently launched by Google, Amazon, Samsung and others. Apple's vice-president of marketing Phil Schiller told
attendees that the device was 23% thinner and 53% lighter than the
third-generation iPad, which was released in March this year.
Change of heart
The iPad Mini launch ends years of speculation that Apple was
considering launching a new, smaller version of its bestselling iPad
range.
In 2010, late founder Steve Jobs described 7in tablets as being "too small".
However, the company's apparent change of heart comes in the
face of mounting pressure from its closest competitors, who already
offer smaller - and crucially, cheaper - products. In the UK, both Amazon's new 7in Kindle Fire HD and Google's Nexus 7 cost £159.
During the presentation, Mr Schiller stressed the importance
of being able to hold the device in one hand - a nod to the more
travel-friendly appeal of the smaller devices. However, Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum, said he had expected the iPad Mini to be more competitively priced. "We got a mix of a bit of new Apple and bit of old Apple in the same announcement," he said. "This is new for Apple to be responding to competitors instead of pioneering their own way. It's old Apple as they've gone into this market with a premium pricing strategy. At the moment this doesn't place a lot of pressure on the Kindle Fire or the Nexus 7." He added that the iPad Mini was an indicator that Apple might
be nervous about losing its control over a market which it has
dominated in recent years.
During the nineties, Apple found itself outpaced in the home
computer market by Microsoft and Windows-powered computers - a period of
the company's history it will be conscious to avoid repeating. "The popularity of the Kindle e-reader and the Android
smartphones made consumers aware of Amazon content and Google services,"
said Francisco Jeronimo, research manager at consultants IDC. "The low price points of the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon
Kindle Fire have been attracting consumers looking for more affordable
devices that also come with the content and services they already use or
want." But he added: "This new product from Apple will disrupt the market again. The iPad Mini is now the new category killer."
The other iPad Mini wi-fi-only models will have a recommended retail price of £349 for 32GB and £429 for 64GB.
Kick in the face
Apple also announced a lower-key upgrade for the full-sized
iPad. Calling it the "fourth generation" iPad, Mr Schiller said its new
A6X chip meant it had twice the CPU (central processing unit) power of
the third-generation model.
Paddy Smith, online editor for Stuff.tv, said some Apple
users might see the iPad upgrade as a "kick in the face" as the previous
model was just seven months old. "I think a lot of people will be upset to see a new full size iPad so soon," he said. "For many people that represents a pretty major purchase, something you wouldn't want to do more than once a year."
Stuff.tv's Mr Smith agreed that Christmas shoppers could be hesitant.
"I think if they look at the competition and they see that
the Google Nexus 7 is £100 cheaper it's going to be hard to ignore that -
unless you're buying for a hardcore Apple fan." However, IDC predicted that the new device would boost Apple's already dominant position in the tablet market. It forecast that Apple would hold a 68% share of the market in 2012, compared to 29% for Android tablets. Both would fall off slightly next year with the launch of Windows 8 tablets, IDC said.
The firm also announced upgrades to its Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini ranges of computers. "Its new iMac machines have been made 80% thinner at the edges than previous models", Mr Schiller said.
Don't get stuck with a fancy--but battery draining--device. Check out these handsets that are built to last.
A smartphone that lasts all day can be a life saver. While trendier
phones like the iPhone 5 can last a good six hours or more, some models
are rated for a full 20 hours or more, which includes heavy data usage.
Here are my top picks.
1. Motorola Droid RAZR M
This brand new Android-powered phone, which works on the
Verizon network, is rated to last a surprising 20 hours of normal
use--checking email, browsing the Web, and even checking YouTube clips.
(Some smartphones give you only the "talk time" rating for usage.) The
phone still has a sharp 4.3-inch screen that uses a technology called
AMOLED--so, it's bright and clear but not power hungry. One important
spec: Even with the amazing battery longevity, the phone still connects
to Verizon's high-speed LTE network. Turn off some of the wireless
options and you'll get even better battery life.
2. Lumia 920
Keep an eye on this new Windows 8 phone, which should be
available in late October. The battery life is rated at 17 hours for
talk time, but 10 hours for data use. That's about four hours longer
than the iPhone 5 and much better than many Android phones on the
market. The main perk to this phone is the camera, which uses image
stabilization techniques, shoots in low light, and can even take
multiple shots in succession. The Windows 8 tile interface is also
easier to use.
3. Samsung Galaxy SIII
Another phone with an AMOLED display (a stunning 4.8 inches),
the SIII is rated for nine hours of talk time, which is a bit less than
the Lumia 920 but still higher than many Android phones. But it also has
some rather unique battery-saving features. For one, the phone knows
when you are looking at it. When you look away, the Smart Stay feature
dims the screen automatically. Another bonus: The SIII is the "halo"
phone for Samsung, which means they make extra accessories for it, like a
dock for charging up.
4. Motorola ES400S
This is one of those old-school phones from a few years ago,
but it has one clear advantage: It will last about 12 hours of talk time
and won't break easily. Since the older Windows 6.5 operating system is
on board (one that is now two versions out of date) you won't see any
snazzy apps or multimedia tools. However, the phone is ruggedized for
serious field use. You can drop the phone, use it on a wintry day--even
spill water on the screen and expect it to keep humming along all day,
without getting damaged.
Earlier this week, Nokia officially announced prices for the Lumia 920 and 820
models in Russia, Italy and Germany. Despite news of pricing in Europe,
Nokia refused to specify how much the devices would cost in the UK and
when they will be made available. Pricing and availability in the
America is still unknown. A lot has been made of how much the Nokia
Lumia 920 is going to cost compared to it's fellow Windows Phone
flagships; the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Samsung ATIV S, and most
importantly, how the prices compare to the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy
SIII.
Comparing how much devices cost based on pricing in different markets is
tricky at the best of times and somewhat nothing more that speculation
as different countries have different taxation systems. Unfortunately,
while Nokia continue being evasive, people will carry on speculating to
such an extent that it could be detrimental. Anyway, we will try our
best in applying reason and common sense in our comparison.
In Russia, the Lumia 920 will cost 24,990 roubles (£496/$800), while the
820 will go on the market for 19,990 roubles (£396/$640). In Germany,
the Lumia 920 will cost €649 (£517/$834) and the 820 model will be
available for €499 (£398/$642). In Italy, the 920 will be priced
slightly lower at €599 (£477/$769).
Although Nokia would not confirm UK pricing, we have reason to believe
that the Lumia 920 will more than likely to be closer to Italian
pricing, so, somewhere around £475 SIM-free. The device will be free on
contract when it's available on EE's network. The Lumia 920 seems a
reasonable proposition when compared to the iPhone 5 yet the Lumia comes
with a lot more features. Whichever way you look at it, the Lumia is
definitely cheaper that the iPhone 5. It comes with NFC, PureView
camera, PureMotion display, Nokia Maps (actually works!) and more.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy SIII is round about the same price
as the Lumia 920. That is despite the Galaxy SIII being a few months
older than the Lumia 920. We suspect Nokia is holding back on announcing
UK and US pricing as they want to make sure they hit the sweet spot.
Best smartphone of the CES 2012 show this year has to be the Nokia Lumia 900 with Windows phone 7.5 at last making a punch in the mobile phone market.
"It's the first one built for and designed for the North American market," said Stephen Elop, Nokia's CEO. He unveiled the new phone at CES in Las Vegas.
The Lumia 900 is somewhat larger version of the overseas Lumia 800
model and Polycarbonate never looked so good. The 900 additions: the larger,
4.3-inch screen (as with the 800: AMOLED, at 800 x 480 resolution); support for
LTE/4G cellular. The Qualcomm 1.4GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM should make Windows
Phone 7.5 just as quick and smooth as it is on the 800 and 710 models.
The back camera has a 28-millimeter focal length, meaning users can squeeze more into photos than with most camera phones. The Lumia 900 also has a front-facing camera for video conferencing.
Nokia worked closely with app developers to create apps that really take advantage of the Windows Phone "Metro" user interface, said Kevin Shields, a senior vice president at Nokia. He showed off ESPN and CNN apps that Nokia helped develop. "We're going to make the sports nuts who are Lumia customers delighted," said Nokia.
Both Microsoft and Nokia are hoping to boost lagging performance in mobile phones, which I think we all agree that of we have a great Windows mobile OS, then most of us would welcome a Windows unit to sync more effectively with our Windows desktop. Microsoft had just 1.5 percent share of the worldwide smartphone market in the third quarter of 2011, down from 2.7 percent in the previous year, according to research from Gartner. Nokia was still the top phone maker, with 23.9 percent share of the mobile device market in the third quarter. But its share has been steadily declining over the years; it dropped from 28.2 percent in the third quarter of 2010, Gartner found.
Nokia have no launch date for this phone yet as well as no details of the price tag. T-mobile may be the first operator to offer the unit in the UK.
