The full size iPad right now ranges from $499 to $829. In order to stay competitive in this market and challenge the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (starting at $249), Kindle Fire HD (starting at $199) and the GoogleNexus (starting at $199), Apple released the iPad mini, ranging from $329 to $659. With Apple’s product priced much higher than the competition, consumers are asking each other if Apple is asking for too much for the mini and furthermore if this is a sign the tech giant is becoming slightly over-confident in their pricing models.
When we look at the market share of the mobile and tablet market, understandably so we acknowledge that Apple has a commanding lead. This lead, however is slipping away to Android-based devices. According to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, Apple had 81 percent market share in 2011 however that has been reduced to 52 percent for 2012 while Android-based devices have climbed to 48 percent for 2012.
The growth in competition has led Apple to release a smaller version of the iPad however the aggressive starting price may defeat that purpose. Simply put, consumers are able to purchase the GoogleNexus (Android-based device) for more than $129 less than the iPad mini.
We want to know, do you feel the Apple mini is priced a bit too high and are you more inclined to purchase the iPad mini or another mini tablet device?