Apple iPad Mini Design: 10 Features We'd Like to See

NEWS ANALYSIS: There’s talk that Apple will launch a new smaller size tablet called the iPad Mini this year that will be in the same price and feature range as the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Here are some features that most everyone will want if this new model actually appears.

Although Apple€™s new iPad has only been on store shelves for weeks, the company is reportedly planning to launch a new slate later this year, called the iPad Mini. As its name might suggest, the device will reportedly come with a smaller screen size and a far more affordable price tag, and compete against Amazon€™s Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. If and when the device launches, it could be a sales juggernaut.

That said, nothing in the technology space is guaranteed, even if it is an Apple product. For the iPad Mini to succeed, it€™ll need to include perks that would convince consumers to ditch plans to buy the Kindle Fire or Nook and pick up Apple€™s alternative. Chances are, many people will do just that just because the new device has an Apple logo on it. But like anything else in the technology space, no product€™s success can be assured.

In an effort to maximize the iPad Mini€™s chances of success, however, Apple should offer several specific features that could make the iPad Mini the most sought-after small tablet this year.

Read on to learn more.

Further reading

1. Retina Display

Apple€™s new iPad was the first slate model from the company to come with the firm€™s Retina display. The Retina display provides outstanding resolution and is quite widely believed to be the benchmark by which all other mobile devices should be judged. Let€™s hope it makes its way to the iPad Mini.

2. Give it at least 3G connectivity

Although the new iPad launched with 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity, if Apple wants its iPad Mini to compete against the Kindle Fire at the same price-feature point, the ultra-high-speed service won€™t be coming to the smaller tablet. Still, Apple can bundle 3G in the device to differentiate it from the WiFi-only Kindle Fire.

3. A dramatically reduced price

Apple is well-known as a company that will charge customers a significant premium just to get their hands on its products. But if the iPad Mini is going to go up against the $199 Kindle Fire, it€™ll need to be much cheaper than the lowest-priced new iPad, which comes in at $499. A $250 price tag would be ideal.

4. Ship it with iOS 6

Apple is expected to launch the iPad Mini at some point toward the end of 2012. When that happens, the last thing Apple should do is bring iOS 5 to the device. Apple will likely launch iOS 6 over the summer, making it a near-necessity for the company to bundle its latest software in the device.

Don Reisinger

Don Reisinger

Don Reisinger is a longtime freelance contributor to several technology and business publications. Over his career, Don has written about everything from geek-friendly gadgetry to issues of privacy...