Apple's Phil Schiller defends iPad mini price
- — 25 October, 2012 18:10
Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller has defended the iPad mini's price tag, claiming that it's the quality of the newly announced device that will help it beat the competition.
The 7.9in tablet, which was announced at Apple's special event on Tuesday, is pricier than Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Google's Nexus 7. However, Schiller has said that the iPad mini is a premium product that customers will see is worth paying that extra money for. (SEE ALSO: Apple shares fall following iPad mini pricing announcement)
"The iPad is far and away the most successful product in its category," Schiller told Reuters, referring to the full-size iPad's 70 per cent market share. "The most affordable product we've made so far was US$399 and people were choosing that over those devices."
"And now you can get a device that's even more affordable at US$329 in this great new form, and I think a lot of customers are going to be very excited about that," he said.
Schiller is so confident about the iPad mini that he even demonstrated a side by side comparison between Apple's 7in tablet offering with Google's Nexus 7 tablet during the unveiling this week. "Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and they've failed miserably," Schiller said. "These are not great experiences."
What do you think about Apple's decision to put quality before price? Would you pay US$329 or more for an iPad mini?
Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section below.
See also:
iPad mini cases, covers & accessories Can a £269 Apple iPad mini compete in the bargain tablet market? iPad mini wins praise in initial "hands-on" reviews
