The iPad, with its bigger 9.7" screen, is usually used at a distance of about 1.5 - 2 feet from my face. Because of its weight, I usually have it resting on my leg when doing some reading or on the table when watching movies. The iPad mini, because it is so much lighter, is held up closer to my face. This effectively means I am actually seeing the same screen size on both iPads, even though they are physically different sizes. I did a rough measurement, and it turns out, just holding the iPad mini at about the same distance you would hold your iPhone (about 5 to 6 inches closer than the retina iPad) will result in your eyes seeing the same screen size.
I use the iPad mainly for reading, gaming and watching videos, and it turns out, the mini is perfect for that.
Now, lets get into the review.
Performance
This is likely one of the first thing you would be wondering about the iPad mini. I am happy to report that performance is great. Yes, it comes with the A5 processor that came with the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, but what you may not realise is that the A5 is also the processor in the third generation iPad released in March this year. The third generation iPad came with an A5X CPU. This is essentially the A5 CPU with extra graphic processor cores bolted on in order to support the retina display that needs to push out four times more pixels. Given that the iPad Mini’s display is the same resolution as the iPad 2, it doesn't need that extra graphic processing power. What this means is that, the iPad mini is just as fast as the third generation iPad for pretty much everything except for the most graphics intensive apps.
So, is that fast enough? I have included a video below to show you what you can expect from the iPad mini. I believe you will agree that the performance is just delightful.
Some people would have you believe that you need the most powerful processors out there right now in order to enjoy good performance and that last year’s processor just won't do. That's just utter rubbish.
There are several reasons for that. Firstly, Apple makes both hardware and software, and that allows Apple to fully optimize the operating system specifically to the hardware, and vice versa. This means Apple can use a processor that is just powerful enough to run the software fast enough. This is important because there comes a point where putting in ever more powerful processor results in diminishing returns, and beyond that, it actually becomes detrimental, as ever more powerful processors consume more battery without gaining any measurable benefits. What we want is a processor that provides a good balance between performance, energy consumption and cost. The mini has a truly remarkable battery life that blows the competition away (you can read about it here).
Secondly, apart from the iPad mini, the latest iPod Touch, iPhone 4S and iPad 2 which are all currently being sold also uses the A5 processor. There are millions upon millions of A5 based devices currently still being sold, on top of over a hundred million already out there. This means app developers would be optimizing their apps to run well on A5 processor for a long time to come, and you enjoy the benefits of a great performing iPad mini.
Display
The iPad mini comes with the same resolution display as the iPad 2, but shrunken down from 9.7 inches to 7.9 inches. This is not a retina display, but the increased pixel density resulting from the shrink does makes things look better, but it's still no retina display. Is that an issue? Personally, after using it for several days, I can confidently say the iPad mini’s display is good enough.
Would I like a retina display? Sure. But would I like a retina display on the iPad mini if it means a bulkier, heavier and more expensive iPad mini? No!
When the iPad moved to retina displays, Apple had to increase the battery capacity by 70% in order to power it. This adds cost, weight and bulk. On top of that, making super high density displays are very costly, especially when you are pushing the limits of current manufacturing processes. To put 2048x1536 pixels on a 7.9 inch display would increase the cost very significantly. Over time, as manufacturing processes improve, the cost will go down, but at this moment, it's just not there yet.
Will an iPad mini with retina display come out a year from now? I believe Apple would very much like to do that, because their aim is to have all their devices on retina displays. Can they do it? I think there's a very good chance of that happening, though it’s not a sure thing just yet.
The key thing to take away from this is that the current iPad mini display is good enough, and I would not trade it in for a retina display if it adds cost, weight and bulk.
The other concern that some have with a smaller iPad mini display is how it will affect app usage. Let me put your concerns to rest. The 7.9 inch display size was not an arbitrary decision. Apple chose this size for a very specific reason. You see, on the original iPad, the user interface elements (icons, buttons, toolbar, switches, etc) were physically bigger than on the iPhone, because it had a lower pixel density. This means they are all bigger on the iPad than on the iPhone. Moving from 9.7 inch to 7.9 inch, the pixel density became exactly the same as the iPhone. That means the graphical user interface elements on the iPad mini is now exactly the same physical size as that of the iPhone. So, it will be no harder to hit a button on the iPad mini as it is to do so on the iPhone.
Here is a photo showing the physical size of stuff on iPhone and iPad mini, it's the same:
Here are several photos showing how apps look like between the iPad and iPad mini:
Apps
There are over 275,000 apps optimized for the iPad. All the best quality apps, and widest selection of apps made specially for tablets are on the iPad mini. We are not running just stretched out smartphone apps, like some other mobile OS that I won't mention ... Hahaha.
The reason why iPad apps will always be more optimized than apps for other mobile operating systems is because there is a fixed resolution and physical size to which developers can optimize the user interface to the pixel. When designing apps for other mobile OS that has so many different physical screen sizes and differing resolutions, developers go for the lowest common denominator approach, resulting in apps that are more generic and not optimized for anything. They may work okay, but they are definitely not the best.
Build Quality
The body is precision crafted out of a solid block of aluminium, with a precision cut glass on top. The build quality of the mini is just in a different league from anything out there in this category. I suggest you take a very very close look (use a magnifying glass if you wish) at everything, from the microphone hole, to the speakers and lightning connector port, power and volume switches, etc. Until today, I am still amazed by the level of precision of Apple products.
iPad or iPad mini?
This really comes down to how you would be using it. If you are planning to get it as a replacement for your computer or laptop, the iPad would probably be a better choice. If you plan to use it to do a lot of typing, like replying tons of emails, the iPad’s bigger screen gives you a bigger on screen keyboard to type on. The iPad mini’s on screen keyboard is not bad to type on, and I actually typed this entire review on the mini (using the iA Writer app), but it is a bit easier on the big iPad. Also, the new iPad's A6 processor is twice as powerful, so for certain kinds of apps, it does give a significant performance boost, but only if you actually use those apps.
If you plan to use the iPad mainly for media consumption, like browsing, reading, playing games, watching movies and such, then the mini will do just fine.
Ultimately, I would encourage you to go down to your nearest Apple retailer and take the time to try out both iPads to see which one best suit your needs.
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