“But I was surprised, the phone was the most expensive - for 16 GB with cellular, the Mini is $459, the current iPad is $629, and an unlocked iPhone 5 is $649.”
Some unlocked I phones are priced at 800 to $900. or as one of our younger relatives says, = 2 I pad minis.
Well, I was comparing like to like as best as possible. Higher storage capacities for all models are more expensive, of course.