The highly anticipated iPad mini is expected to be unveiled at the Apple Media event tommorrow. For as long as we can remember, we’ve all dubbed the smaller iPad as the “iPad mini.”
But now a notable Apple blogger John Gruber is saying the Cupertino, Calif., company may not name the device “mini” after all. The blogger said he believes the device is more likely to be named the “iPad Air” or simply the “iPad.”
“I don’t think Apple would want reviews of both a new iPhone and new-size iPad appearing at the same time,” Gruber writes. “The iPhone is too big, too cool, and garners too much attention — and it’s in Apple’s interest to keep that attention undiluted.”
“‘Mini’ just doesn’t feel like the right way to describe something that’s remarkably thinner and lighter but not that much smaller than the regular iPad,” Gruber says in the post.
Gruber points to the MacBook Air as an example of why Apple may decide to go with the name “iPad Air.” Gruber says the MacBook Air’s selling points are the same as the rumored iPad’s: thinness, weight and price.
Besides a different name than what we’ve all been using, Gruber also said he does not expect the iPad mini to include Apple’s higher resolution Retina display.
Gruber says fitting a Retina display onto the device would make it thicker, heavier and likely more expensive. Additionally, keeping the Retina display on the 9.7-inch iPad would help differentiate the two products.
Additionally, Gruber also explains why there’s a good chance the device will start around $249 and not higher. He says the device shouldn’t be compared to the starting price of the iPad Touch, $299, but rather, the price of competing tablets.
Gruber is known for typically being on the mark with his predictions as well as getting early looks from Apple at their new devices. Being just four days away from Apple’s Tuesday event, you can bet Gruber knows what he’s talking about.
