alt Hacker News> 8.3", $ (iPad mini, affordable) > 11", $$ (iPad, standard)
iPad mini ($499) is more expensive than base iPad ($349) [1][2]
[1] iPad mini → https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-mini [2] iPad → https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad
> 8.3", $ (iPad mini, affordable) > 11", $$ (iPad, standard)
iPad mini ($499) is more expensive than base iPad ($349) [1][2]
[1] iPad mini → https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-mini [2] iPad → https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad
They're suggesting a hypothetical lineup would be cleaner if that weren't the case.
I don't disagree, but Apple seems to treat the Mini as an afterthought side project that gets updated every 3 years or so, compared to the mainline iPad being updated yearly from 2017 to 2022. Then it had a gap until 2025, apparently taking a while to get the slim bezel redesign down to the affordable model.
If the mini were the default affordable entry point they'd need to keep it up to date but they've decided not enough people want a mini for it to be worth that effort.