Uh, for whom is Apple’s new iPad mini intended?

“The iPad mini has long had a rather odd position in the model lineup, but things got weirder still with the new iPad mini launched today,” Ben Lovejoy writes for 9to5Mac.
“In updating it, there were two routes Apple could have taken: [1] Make the iPad mini a cheaper version of the entry-level iPad; [2] Make it an ultra-portable iPad Pro,” Lovejoy writes. “The former route would have required pricing at around the $299 level, with specs equivalent to the 9.7-inch iPad. The latter approach would have been creating a true premium model in ultra-portable form – which would have included near-bezel-free design with Face ID, and support for the Apple Pencil 2.”
“The model Apple announced today is some odd in-between device. Price-wise, it’s still more expensive than the 9.7-inch iPad, ranging from $399 to $679. Spec-wise, you get some of the iPad Pro features, but not all,” Lovejoy writes. “So … who is this model for? If you’re buying on price, and are happy with basic features, you’ll buy the 9.7-inch model. But if you want an iPad Pro in 7.9-inch format, you’re out of luck.”
Apple’s new iPad mini brings Apple Pencil support, Retina display and the A12 Bionic chip
 
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We’re perplexed, but, then again, we’ve never been in the market for an iPad mini. We could definitely see how a low-price, entry-level iPad mini would be attractive as devices for kids. If you pushed the specs up to “Pro” level, we’d remain unconvinced as 7.9-inches is just too small for most pro-level work.
It’ll be interesting to see if the new iPad mini sells or if this is the last iPad mini we’ll ever see.
Do you want the new 7.9-inch iPad mini? If so, why would you choose it over the 9.7-inch iPad or the new 10.5-inch iPad Air?
SEE ALSO:
Apple launches all-new, A12 Bionic-powered 10.5-inch iPad Air and 7.9-inch iPad mini – March 18, 2019