Apple has considerably raised the price of its existing iPad mini models in markets outside the US. The increase was noted on Tuesday following the company’s update to its online stores after introducing new iPad and iPad Pro models.
The price hikes have gone up even in the UK with the buyers seeing the 64GB iPad Mini go up from £479 to £569 in a day while the 256GB model went up to £749 from £619. The price increase indicates a 19% and 21% hike respectively and has made the existing mini iPads more expensive than the new model of the 10.9-inch iPad. The 64GB iPad is starting at £499 while the 256GB model is at £649.
Other European countries have also been affected by the price hike, for example in Italy, the iPad models have gone up by 18% from 559 Euros to 659 Euros for the 64GB model and the 256GB model has gone up from 729 Euros to 859 Euros.
While other markets outside the EU have also been affected by the increase, the hike has been more modest with some getting an 11% hike for the mini iPad models like it has been with the Australian market. India and other Asian Pacific region markets have also been affected.
Apple has not yet commented on why it has increased the price for markets outside the US but it may be because of how strong the dollar is fairing and the rising inflation costs. It remains a mystery though considering that other latest-generation hardware products from Apple have kept their old prices.
The iPad mini was launched in 2021, the latest in its lineup of iPads making it a 6th generation model. The model has a refreshed design from its predecessor and has a USB-C port which is very unusually for Apple devices that have the Lightening connector.
The mini display design is an 8.3-inch liquid retina display with True Tone and P3 wide colour. The resolution is 2266 by 1488 and offers 500 nits of brightness. To improve performance, the 6th generation mini iPad was built with the A15 Bionic chip which Apple has also used in its iPhone 13 models.
The mini iPad has an advertised battery life of about 10 hours, a 12MP wide rear camera, and a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with a Centre Stage to assist when making video calls. The iPad is available in two models, wifi and cellular.
Apple is expected to launch new models of the iPad and iPad Pro and an Apple TV this month-end and next month respectively and all models are available for pre-order. Apple’s third-generation TV also comes with a USB-C charging port, it seems Apple is trying to follow the new guidelines for standardised charging systems for devices being sold to EU markets.
The updated 4K version of Apple’s TV features an A15 Bionic chip with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support and comes with a Siri Remote that has been revised. The A15 Bionic chip means that the new version will perform up to 30% better than the previous version. The new Apple 4K TV will also use 30% less power than its predecessor because of improved efficiency from the chip. It is expected to have a starting price of $129 for the 64GB model with a Wi-Fi enabled feature only while the 128GB model which has an Ethernet port and Thread Mesh networking protocol support will start at $149.
Apple also announced the coming of an improved version of the iPad Pro which will be available in Apple stores from 26 October. The new iPad Pro has an M2 chip part of Apple’s M-series chips offering power efficiency and enhanced performance. An Apple Pencil for hovering over the screen is also promising to enhance user interaction.
According to Apple, the pencil will be detected even at 12mm above the display screen so users can get a preview of the mark before it is made. Apple has said that this new feature will allow artists and other users to sketch, illustrate, or mark with better accuracy and less effort and handwriting conversion to text is promising to be faster. Whether the new iPad Pro will deliver we will wait until it comes out in stores.
Apple has been very busy with the recent launch event, and upcoming gadgets but Apple has also cut back on orders of iPhone 14 Plus. The model was recently launched and according to reports, supply chain partners have been asked to cut back on production to about 40% because of a slow in sales in markets outside China.
The iPhone 14 Plus has sold well in China but hasn’t seen better sales in other markets which may be why Apple is cutting back on production. Apple may likely focus more on getting more iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max devices out in other markets to improve sales of its new lineup. The iPhone 14 Plus also saw low pre-orders, the worst when compared to iPhone 13 mini and iPhone SE. This is despite the consideration that iPhone 14 Plus is reasonably priced.
The most recent iPhones have an SOS emergency feature that can connect directly to a satellite if a user is not within any cellular or Wi-Fi signals. With this feature, a user can send a message to emergency personnel when in an emergency. Apart from the SOS feature, Apple has also added Crash Detection for serious accidents. If a user was in a serious accident and is unable to reach their iPhone the Crash Detection feature will contact emergency services automatically.
The iPhone’s display screen comes with a ceramic shield to protect the screen when dropped and all models in this series are IP68 water resistant so they can withstand 30 minutes in 6 meters depth of water. None of these Apple models has seen any increases in price in markets outside the US
