[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04etiD8vSng[/youtube]
I introduced you first reviews for iPad 4, and now it's the tablet's turn iPad Mini which of course also reached the Americans close to Apple. The tablet has a 7.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768, has an A5 chip with a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, a 5-megapixel camera and an HD front camera, Lightning port, 10 hours of autonomy, it is the thinnest and the lightweight iPad tablet, and from Friday you should be able to purchase the Wi-Fi Only version from Romania.
Almost everyone praises the design of the tablet, the fact that it is thin and light, and so far all the reviewers have put a lot of emphasis on the fact that it is easy to hold in one hand and "convinces" you to use it constantly . There are two big weak points of the tablet: the first is the screen, which unfortunately does not have the quality of the Retina Display in the iPad 3/4, and the second is the price, which has been criticized by many, but mainly due to the fact that on there are cheaper products on the market.
In the end iPad Mini it is presented as the best tablet made by Apple to date, but whether you need it or not, you will find out when you hold it in your hand. In Romania, the tablet could cost 1600 - 1800 RON at resellers of Apple products.
I use my iPad mini for tasks rather than watching videos or playing games, but I use it a lot. This is a Wi-Fi model, which was on all the time and I have yet to see anything cause a significant drain on the battery. The battery is lasting days for me and it is on 24/7.
In fact we found the brightness and color reproduction to be improved over the iPad 2, comparable to the latest Retina displays. Colors are very pleasing to the eye and viewing angles, as ever with an Apple display, do not disappoint. You can line up as many friends as you like and sit them shoulder-to-shoulder, they'll all have a bright, clear picture. Yes, mini owners may have to do with some resolution envy, but at least they won't be lacking in any other respect.
And it does raise the floor here. There's no tablet in this size range that's as beautifully constructed, works as flawlessly, or has such an incredible software selection. Would I prefer a higher-res display? Certainly. Would I trade it for the app selection or hardware design? For the consistency and smoothness of its software, or the reliability of its battery? Absolutely not. And as someone who's been living with (and loving) Google's Nexus 7 tablet for a few months, I don't say that lightly.
While we're on the subject of the screen, let's not beat around the bush — if there is a weakness of this device, it's the screen. But that statement comes with a very big asterisk. As someone who is used to a "retina" display on my phone, tablet, and even now computer, the downgrade to a non-retina display is quite noticeable. This goes away over time as you use the iPad mini non-stop, but if you switch back to a retina screen, it's jarring.
On the other hand, what will make some think twice about buying an iPad mini is the price. Starting at £269 for a WiFi only model, this is £100 dearer than the Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7, which is now available in a 16GB version for £159.
Whether it's worth it depends on how much of a premium you put on great design and a vast ecosystem of apps. Apple will sell a lot of these little beauties, that's for sure.
The iPad Mini is a design shift from the iPad, and perhaps the biggest one in the iPad's entire history. Despite how popular the iPad's been, it's not really a device that's very comfortable to use when not sitting down or at a desk. It's a use-when-you-get-there device, or use-when-comfortably-seated. An iPhone or iPod Touch is truly mobile, and the iPad is only halfway there.
Even though this screen isn't state of the art, it's OK If you've ever laid your eyeballs on the ultra-smooth text rendered by the Retina iPad, its text will look fuzzy by comparison, especially at teensier type sizes. But the tradeoff it presents compared to the 7-inchers — fewer pixels, but more space — is reasonable enough.
In shrinking the iconic iPad, Apple has pulled off an impressive feat. It has managed to create a tablet that's noticeably thinner and lighter than the leading small competitors with 7-inch screens, while squeezing in a significantly roomier 7.9-inch display. And it has shunned the plastic construction used in its smaller rivals to retain the iPad's sturdier aluminum and glass body.
What will surprise you is the weight. The specs already show that the iPad mini is lighter than the Kindle Fire, 308g vs 395g (and 340g for the Nexus 7); even if you add on a Smart Cover, it's still lighter than the uncovered Kindle Fire. It's thinner too. This is a device that will be ideal for holding in one hand for reading on train rides or other commuting; or you might even forget it's in that coat pocket.
Apple quotes up to 10hrs of wireless browsing over Wi-Fi for the iPad mini, or up to 9hrs if you're using the tablet's cellular connection. In practice, with a mixture of browsing, some video playback, games, music – both locally-stored and streaming – and messaging, we comfortably exceeded Apple's estimate. In fact, we exceeded 11 hours of use before encountering a battery warning.
Those tablets don't have the complete experience that the iPad does. Come on: The iPad is still the gold standard for tablet computing after all. With stellar hardware and hundreds of thousands of apps, the iPad is the Kleenex of facial tissue. The Tivo of DVRs. It has all the perks of using an iOS device: AppStore, iMessages, FaceTime, etc.
