Plummeting Sales Lead Apple To Ditch iPad Mini

Weak sales of the iPad Mini has led Apple to discontinue manufacturing the 7.9-inch device. Instead, the Cupertino-based tech giant would concentrate on the new 9.7-inch iPad and iPad Pro line to cut losses. Apple will also continue with production of the upcoming 10.5-inch iPad with thinner bezels.

The tablet market is already saturated, sales data indicate. As Apple exits from the 7.9-inch tablet market, it has placed the iPad Mini 4, introduced in 2012, on sale, GSM Arena reports. Apple discontinued almost two months ago the iPad Mini 2 and no longer sells the 32GB version of the iPad Mini 4, according to MacRumors. It cut the price of the 128GB iPad Mini 4 to $399, the old price of the 32GB model.

BGR notes that the competition also came from Apple when it manufactured the 5.5-inch iPhone Plus whose screen was big enough for light reading, browsing the web, reading and writing emails, and playing games. It negated the need for the iPad mini. Apple admits to fierce cannibalism of its own products resulting in the mini tablet being sized out of its own category.

ZDNET adds that Apple’s new release, the entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, also undercuts the price of the iPad Mini by $70. Apple fans are expecting for more news about the iPad and other products of the tech giant at the yearly developer’s conference, specifically the Apple keynote address on June 5. Updates to Apple’s software platforms, such as the macOS and iOS, are likewise expected at the event.

There are speculations that Apple will also announce a 10.5-inch iPad Pro model and a Siri Speaker. It would match the offer of Google Home and Amazon’s Echo platform. iPad fans are also hoping that Apple will give some news about the speculate discontinuation of the iPad Mini.