It is hard to see Apple keeping the mini around for much longer. I assume they are simply running down stock and will remove it soon, before end of the year.
The mini makes a great point-of-sale terminal. It's large enough to display the order and sign on, but small enough that you don't have to clear the counter in order to be able to swivel it around.
If the cheap mini goes away will there be some Android OEM that steps into that market? Or will business owners just suck it up and buy the 128GB version?
I doubt it. The Mini is a great tablet for little kids. It's just the right size for toddlers and they can still hold it even when you put an Otterbox Defender on it.