The basics
Last year, Apple surprised many by revealing the downsized iPad mini which stole the show with its compact form factor and slick new design, but it lacked the high resolution Retina display of its bigger brothers. That's all changed now, as joining the new iPad Air, Apple has packed in a Retina display into the smallest member of the iPad family, along with with upgraded internals. With the new screen on centre stage, can the new iPad mini step up to its bigger-sized brother? Let's take a look in our full review.
The good
Apple has stuck with the same design as last year’s iPad mini, which in itself is a departure from the tapered look of previous iPads – and it’s still as impressive as when it was first revealed. It’s a slimline and lightweight slate that feels solid in the hand thanks to the premium build quality, and it weighs hardly anything. It's the more portable flavour of iPad, and works just as well out and about as it does on the couch.
You can’t miss the crystal clear and bright 7.9-inch Retina display up front, that many of you thought was missing from last year’s version, but it’s here, and it looks equally as good, if not better than the iPad Air thanks to the smaller screen size to squish all those pixels in. Apple has had to bump up the thickness (by 0.3mm) and weight (by 23g) slightly to include the Retina display, but we think it’s a worthy trade-off, especially with the improved 2,048 x 1,536 resolution that makes photos and videos pop. Text is almost like reading a book or a paper, and while it won’t be as easy on the eyes as a non-backlit E Ink display, it’s the closest you’ll get with a traditional screen.
Just as crucially, under the new display, Apple has tucked in the same 64-bit A7 processor and M7 motion coprocessor that powers the iPhone 5s and the iPad Air, making it an incredibly rapid tablet - last year's iPad mini was substantially underpowered by comparison. Apps fly with zero slowdown, while top games like Infinity Blade III look incredible thanks to its improved graphical prowess.
Battery life is still as brilliant as ever, even with the new screen which should put more stress on its longevity. Apple rates the new mini with a 10-hour battery life, and we were able to squeeze out a respectable nine hours of use, which included heavy bouts of gaming, browsing the web, watching plenty of videos and getting productive with iWork, which comes free with the mini. Needless to say, you'll be impressed with the new iPad mini.
The bad
Tablets are not exactly known for their brilliant sound quality, and the new iPad mini is no exception either. The stereo speakers included on the mini will certainly make do for occasional listening, but they’re not as loud as the pair found on the iPad Air, and they’re also positioned awkwardly. When using the mini, it’s easy to cover up the speakers when held on its side such as when you’re playing games, which will muffle the sound, meaning it’s best to keep a pair of headphones handy.
Apple’s armed the iPad mini with the same five-megapixel camera as on the iPad Air, as well as an improved FaceTime HD camera on the front, but they’re not the most brilliant snappers - quality isn’t bad, but not great either. The front-facing shooter will do you fine for video calls, and while taking photos with the mini is much easier than with the full-sized Air, it’s still not ideal.
And just like we found with the iPad Air, iOS 7 still hasn’t been given the full tablet treatment just yet. It’s functional, but we can’t help but wish Apple would make more use of the larger screen real estate that’s on offer - and while it’s easier to digest on the mini’s smaller screen than it is on the Air, there are still some odd design elements that could be improved, not least the bizarre kitchen sink control tray.
The price is also a huge factor to consider with the new iPad mini, especially when compared with the extremely well-priced Nexus 7, which offers a similar feature set for a lot less cash. Apple is focused on premium build quality and materials, which means you’re met with a hefty £319 pricetag for the base 16GB model. If you’re wanting to add a data connection on top of that, that’ll be an extra £100 for the privilege, while the price goes up and up for more storage. It’s still cheaper than the iPad Air while offering practically the same specs, but it’s still a lot of money for either of Apple’s latest slates.
The bottom line
Many of you screamed for an iPad mini with a Retina display, and now Apple has delivered. It’s an improvement on last year’s iPad mini in every way possible, but we can’t help but think it’s still a little on the pricey side. With rivals like the Nexus 7 offering incredible value for money, it’s not hard to think that Apple could have priced its mini-me iPad better, perhaps by using last year's internals instead of this year's - or hey, switching to a plastic case. But if you’re after a fully fledged Apple slate with no compromises and a compact footprint, Apple’s new iPad mini with Retina display is perfect for you.
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