Why buy an iPad mini when you already have a larger, full-featured iPad among your many gadgets?

Photo credit: Martin Hajek

That’s something Apple may want to look into, as most consumers may find a smaller tablet superfluous assuming they already own an iPad or any other 9 to 10-inch tablet. And as the iPad mini is expected to sell at a higher price point than other 7-inch tablets, how can Apple win the market for affordable tablets over?

Here’s what I think Apple might want to focus on when it launches the iPad mini next Tuesday, October 23.

Here’s my take – people prefer Apple devices not because of their specifications, but rather because they are light, easy to use and built with high quality standards. Apple will have to make sure the iPad mini is thinner than most, if not all of its competitors and focus on that positive aspect of the tablet, because when it comes to gadgets these days, thin is in. Speaking of specifications, Apple might also want to veer away from the specs and lean towards discussing features.

Features and specs, although often mixed up or bundled into one, are two different things. Features help define a device and separate it from the rest of the pack. Specs are mostly related to numbers the average Joe cannot identify with. Apple has to convince people to buy the iPad mini because it has certain unique features, rather than specs that could possibly trump other low-priced slates.

It isn’t really rocket science. It’s more about the steak rather than the sizzle this time around. Though, consumers have certainly become more tech-savvy these days, there’s still no shortage of comparative Luddites who couldn’t care less whether the screen measures 7.85 inches or whether the tablet supports 4G LTE or not.

In fact, many people still don’t know that LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution, let alone explain LTE in a few words. It’s the features, not the specs that will likely make consumers gravitate towards the iPad mini and part with their money once the tablet is released.