The disappearance of iPad mini has put the 7-inch tablet market in a bit of an awkward position

Yesterday, Apple held a press conference to officially release the fourth-generation iPad Air and the eighth-generation iPad. However, this made the iPad mini among iPad products look a little lonely. News that the product might be shelved also began to spread. The 7-inch tablet market is indeed becoming more and more embarrassing in 2020.

The silent iPad mini

At Apple's special event on September 15, Apple updated the iPad Air product line, making the iPad Air comparable to the capabilities of the iPad Pro. It also uses a full-screen design and is equipped with the latest 5nm A14 Bionic processor. The Touch ID button is integrated into the top button, and the interface is replaced with a standard USB-C. It also supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and the latest Magic Keyboard launched by Apple in the first half of the year. Apple can be said to have transformed the iPad Air series, which once focused on entertainment, into a productivity function.

At the same time, Apple also released the eighth-generation iPad, which looks almost the same as the previous iPad Air, only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, is equipped with an A12 bionic processor, and is compatible with the smart keyboard. However, the price of this model starts at only 2,499 yuan.

Such a price makes the iPad mini, which is still on sale, a little embarrassing. The price of this model starts at 2,921 yuan, which is more expensive than the eighth-generation iPad, but the screen is only 7.9 inches, the hardware configuration is basically the same, but it does not support the smart keyboard and is only compatible with Bluetooth keyboards. Obviously, Apple is likely to hope to use the eighth-generation iPad to replace the current iPad mini.

Recently, there have been reports that Apple will not update the iPad mini in 2020 or 2021 because the series has too few users and it plans to focus its R&D efforts on the iPad and iPad Pro products. At yesterday's press conference, Apple did not release a new iPad mini product, but Apple obviously believes that the A12 Bionic processor guarantees the experience, otherwise the eighth-generation iPad would not still use this processor, which also means that the iPad mini may not be removed from the shelves, but it will not be updated, and it will not be a problem to sell the current configuration for another two years.

The iPad is transforming

From the perspective of form, the iPad mini is not in line with Apple's definition of iPad. Apple is constantly emphasizing the productivity attributes of the iPad series, just like the "What's computer" slogan this year, which is actually telling the outside world that the iPad is not only a good tablet product, but also can perform many computer functions. Therefore, Apple has equipped the entire iPad series with a keyboard and Apple Pencil, and supports connecting a mouse and trackpad. It also provides the new iPad Air and iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard, turning the iPad into a "What's computer".

However, due to its limited form factor, the iPad mini is unable to demonstrate its advantages in productivity. For example, if the iPad mini is equipped with a keyboard, it cannot be designed with a full-size keyboard. The keys are crowded together, and the error rate increases significantly during typing. Similarly, drawing with the Apple Pencil on the iPad mini is obviously not as smooth as on the 10-inch, 11-inch, and 13-inch iPad products.

Judging from the development of iPadOS, Apple is strengthening the system's multi-window capabilities, and only when the screen size is large enough can multi-windows become meaningful and more efficient to use. Once the screen size is insufficient, even if multiple windows are opened, the clarity is seriously affected during use, and the improvement in efficiency will become very limited.

Obviously, the iPad mini's form factor is in conflict with Apple's iPad series. The task of attracting consumers through price advantages has now been handed over to the cheaper and more cost-effective eighth-generation iPad.

The 7-inch market is being eaten away by mobile phones

In addition, the iPad mini is also suffering from the dilemma of being cannibalized by the smartphone market. As a product with a screen size of 7.9 inches, its advantage in display area has become less and less obvious. In terms of portability, although it is worse than other tablet products, it is definitely not as good as smartphones.

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, which has a screen size of 7.6 inches when unfolded. The screen size of many flagship phones is also approaching 7 inches, such as the 6.9-inch screen of the Samsung Note20 Ultra. It is basically confirmed that the screen size of Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 Pro Max will also reach 6.7 inches. The continuous increase in the size of smartphone screens has also made many people lose the motivation to buy and use small-sized tablet products. Large-screen smartphones are becoming small tablets in the hands of consumers.

Similarly, in the Android tablet camp, small-sized tablet products of around 7 inches have basically disappeared, and the era of Kind Fire tablets, which were once popular with low prices and small sizes, is gone forever. Samsung and Huawei in the Android camp have also basically regarded screens of 10 inches or more as standard specifications for tablet products, and are also emphasizing the performance of such products in productivity.

What will happen to 7-inch tablets in the future? This is indeed a question. However, the 6.2-inch Nintendo Switch is still selling well, and the 7-inch Kindle also has stable sales. Perhaps tablet products represented by the iPad mini need a new positioning and breakthrough, or they may become "iPad Z Fold" or "iPad Duo" in two years.