Rumors of an iPad Mini have been floating around for a while. How many people would actually buy one? Asked if they’d pick up a 7-inch iPad mini that cost between $249 and $300, a full 52 percent of those polled by shopping site PriceGrabber said yes. Doing the math, that means 48 percent aren’t interested. But delving further, only 22 percent of all those surveyed currently own a tablet. Among those, 68 percent have an iPad or iPad 2, while 10 percent own Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
Why would half of those polled want a smaller iPad? The answers varied, with many people citing more than one reason.
A leading 64 percent pointed to the lower price compared to an iPad or iPad 2. Next, 54 percent said the smaller size would make the tablet more portable. A quarter of potential buyers said they’d pick it up as a gift. Some would buy it for work. And others would grab it just because they “love Apple products and always buy the company’s latest and greatest products.
Among the features deemed most important in an iPad mini, the lower price was named by 84 percent. 3G connectivity was touted by 65 percent. The smaller size and an ultra thin body were each named by 60 percent. Other factors cited included the Retina display, Siri support, a unique and new design, and the belief that an iPad mini would be launched with iOS 6.
Apple naturally has been mum about the possibility of a miniature iPad. The late Steve Jobs reportedly nixed the idea, seeing little reason for a 7-inch tablet. But with Tim Cook at the helm, the company has shown it’s willing to think outside the Jobsian box.
