When Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) releases the still-unconfirmed iPad Mini, there is one key
feature that a large number of consumers are expecting and
desiring: a USB port. A whopping 78 percent of consumers surveyed
said that they want the smaller device to contain a USB port. The
Retina Display -- a popular staple among newer Apple products --
also ranked high with 77 percent of respondents saying that they
want the high-resolution display. Seventy-five percent want a
memory card slot, while 74 percent say the iPad Mini needs better
speakers than the third-generation model.
The survey, which was conducted by
TechBargains.com
, found that roughly one in four consumers believe that the
starting price will be $299; one in five think Apple will charge
$399. These price expectations were likely fueled by analyst
predictions, which have
gone as low as $249
.
This is the good (or perhaps predictable) news. But it is far
from the whole story.
While consumers have a long list of desires for the iPad Mini,
the actual number of people who plan to buy the device may not be
very large. According to TechBargains, only 18 percent of
consumers are interested in buying the new tablet when it is
released. Thirty-two percent said that they are undecided,
indicating that Apple has the chance to win over some consumers.
The remaining 50 percent are not interested in buying an iPad
Mini.
This does not compare favorably to the third-generation iPad.
When TechBargains conducted a similar survey in February, 48
percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying
the third-generation iPad, which was known as the iPad 3 at the
time.
"Given Apple's recent success it would be easy to assume that
all new Apple products will be wildly popular," Yung Trang,
president and editor-in-chief of TechBargains, said in a
company release
. "Our survey results indicate that theory is no longer the case.
According to our survey respondents, the so-called iPad Mini will
not be highly coveted because consumers are questioning the
necessity of a smaller iPad, especially if they own an iPad or an
iPhone."
According to TechBargains' survey, owners of Amazon's (NASDAQ:
AMZN
) Kindle Fire -- and those who do not yet own a tablet -- are
less likely to purchase the iPad Mini than anyone else.
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