Apple bets iPad Mini will bring more tablet users

The price-point for the iPad Mini is set at $329; Apple says it's not just the size setting this one apart. It's the screen resolution which is compatible with apps for larger iPad devices, it's lighter and uses a dual-core A5 Chip - and a 10 hour battery life.

What are experts in the mobile space saying about the new addition?

"What excites me about the iPad mini is that it should give marketers genuine mobile conversion," said Greg McAllister, Co-Founder and CEO, PushPoint Mobile. "Right now, some studies show that up to 90% of mobile conversions come from tablets, but that's not necessarily true. Those conversions could come from someone sitting on their couch (and in most cases, probably do), so labeling those transactions as 'mobile' is a misnomer. The iPad mini's portability means that mobile tablet conversions will be, for the first time, truly mobile. This will open up an entirely new level of conversion analytics, and in turn, the potential for a much deeper understanding of the consumer."

Data from Velti suggests iPad Mini could be the hottest selling tablet according to customer engagement. Full screen, rich media ads have higher engagement rates, notes the company, and the Mini screen will be larger than Kindle's Fire but smaller than larger iPads. Kindle Fire CTRs for 300X250 banners, for example, is 3.34% - nearly double the CTR for iPad 3.

Kurt Hawks, General Manager, Greystripe said, "What's important to marketers about the iPad mini is this: there is going to be an increase in high-quality mobile users as a result of the iPad mini's debut. We know from industry studies that 56% of tablet owners make over $75K, and 46% have made a purchase after interacting with a tablet ad, so this creates a new, potentially very lucrative frontier for digital marketers."

iPad Mini will be available for pre-order October 26.

Tags: Apple iPad Mini, Greystripe, mobile marketing, PushPoint Mobile, tablet marketing, Velti