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Tech: Reviewers love iPad Mini
Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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The Loop -
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I was really surprised with how much I used the iPad mini in my daily routine — more than the 10-inch iPad. There are a couple of things you have to remember with the iPad mini. First, it isn’t just a smaller iPad, but rather it feels like its own device.
Anything that is simply shrunk down or scaled up feels amateurish. The iPad mini feels like an iPad, it’s something you can have fun with and accomplish tasks on.
The second thing is that what seems like a little bit of extra screen real estate on the iPad mini makes a huge difference. Everything just works on the mini — all of your old apps, iCloud, everything. It works.
The iPad mini is a well thought out device and it’s exactly what you would expect from Apple.
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Engadget -
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This isn't just an Apple tablet made to a budget. This isn't just a shrunken-down iPad. This is, in many ways, Apple's best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life. No, the performance doesn't match Apple's latest and yes, that display is a little lacking in resolution, but nothing else here will leave you wanting. At $329, this has a lot to offer over even Apple's more expensive tablets.
Those comparing this to the Kindle Fire HD will have a hard time, as that's a tablet manufactured to a fixed cost and designed to sell you content. This is very much more. Similarly, the hardware here is much nicer than the Nexus 7 and it offers access to the comprehensively more tablet-friendly App Store, but whether that's worth the extra cost depends entirely on the size of your budget -- and your proclivity toward Android.
Regardless, the iPad mini is well worth considering for anybody currently in the market for a tablet. Its cost is compelling, its design superb and it of course gives access to the best selection of tablet-optimized apps on the market. To consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet.
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The Verge -
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APPLE RAISES THE BAR YET AGAIN
The iPad mini is an excellent tablet — but it's not a very cheap one. Whether that's by design, or due to market forces beyond Apple's control, I can't say for sure. I can't think of another company that cares as much about how its products are designed and built — or one that knows how to maximize a supply chain as skillfully — so something tells me it's no accident that this tablet isn't selling for $200. It doesn't feel like Apple is racing to some lowest-price bottom — rather it seems to be trying to raise the floor.
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 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.
The iPad mini hasn't wrapped up the "cheapest tablet" market by any stretch of the imagination. But the "best small tablet" market? Consider it captured.
GOOD STUFF
Fantastic design and build quality
Software selection second to none
Great battery life
BAD STUFF
Screen is lower resolution than the competition
Can sometimes be a little awkward to hold
Expensive
9.0/10
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Telegraph -
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Apple could probably have matched the pixel density of the 7-inch tablets if it had wished to but that would have changed the screen resolution, meaning that existing iPad apps would have run with black bands of unused pixels alongside them. As it is, the 1024x768 display means the existing library of 275,000 tablet specific apps are all available.
I tested a few more recent - and demanding - apps to see how the iPad mini coped and found no problems at all. The mini is powered by the same Apple A5 chip found inside the iPad 2 and apps didn't seem to run slowly, nor did the device get particularly warm.
When it comes to tablet-specific apps, the iPad is still some way ahead. You won't find the amazing Touch Press apps, such as Shakespeare's Sonnets or The Waste Land, on anything other than an iPad, for example. Android will catch up, just as it has with smartphone apps, but for now the gap is significant enough that it should make you think twice about buying a rival.
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.
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TIME -
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Still by staying out of the $199-tablet fray, Apple avoided the sort of market-eradicating scenario which might have instantly rendered the Android contenders irrelevant. If you’ve got around $200 to spend on a tablet, they remain well worth considering.
If your budget’s got more wiggle room, the iPad Mini is the best compact-sized tablet on the market. Apple didn’t build yet another bargain-basement special; it squeezed all of the big iPad’s industrial-design panache, software polish and third-party apps, and most of its technology, into a smaller thinner, lighter, lower-priced model. The result may be a product in a category of one — but I have a hunch it’s going to be an awfully popular category
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AllThingsD -
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This makes sense, but it means that, unlike its closest competitors, the Mini can’t play video in high definition. Apple insists the device does better than standard definition, if you are obtaining the video from its iTunes service, since iTunes scales the video for the device, so it will render somewhere between standard definition and HD. It says some other services will do the same. But the lack of true HD gives the Nexus and Fire HD an advantage for video fans. In my tests, video looked just fine, but not as good as on the regular iPad.
The cellular models, which will start at $459, will be available in a couple of weeks.
The $329 price may well tempt some budget-conscious buyers who have lusted for an iPad. But Apple believes the lower size and weight, not the price, are the key attractions.
If you love the iPad, or want one, but just found it too large or heavy, the iPad Mini is the perfect solution.
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Guardian -
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Those in favour: excellent build quality; very light, comparatively large screen, not significantly wider than competition (for putting in coat pockets), excellent text rendering, huge selection of apps, music, books and films, pain-free setup from iCloud backups for existing accounts; 3G/4G LTE option; fast-growing range of accessories.
Those against: price is higher than rivals – at £239, it's £40 more than the 16GB Nexus 7; no expandable storage; letterboxing of films; no HDMI out (though AirPlay is a wireless equivalent).
Lining those pluses and minuses up against those for the Nexus 7 – which garnered four stars – there's no doubt that this is indeed a five-star device. The 20% difference in comparative price is more than made up by the difference in build quality and software selection.
Apple is going to sell a lot of these – quite possibly more than the "large" iPad – in this quarter. The only way Apple could improve on this product would be (as some people are already agitating) to give it a retina screen and somehow make it lighter. That might happen at some point. You can wait if you like; other people, in the meantime, will be buying this one.
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SlashGear -
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As the pre-launch rumors proliferated, some questioned whether Apple really needed a product that slotted in-between the 4-inch iPhone and iPod touch, and the 9.7-inch iPad. Others questioned what sort of price bands Apple would target: whether the iPad mini would be a budget option to directly take on the spray of low-cost Android tablets.
Instead, the iPad mini is a product that’s resolutely “Apple”: it distills the essentials of the 9.7-inch iPad – iOS app compatibility, multimedia functionality, premium build quality, and comprehensive connectivity – without diluting them to unnecessarily meet a budget price point the company has no real interest in achieving. The iPad mini isn’t a cheap tablet in comparison to $199 Android-powered options, but it feels better in the hand, has a huge number of applications specifically intended for tablet use, and delivers what it promises to in a cohesive and predictable way.
What it also means is that the iPad mini isn’t the iPad you buy simply because you can’t necessarily afford the larger iPad with Retina display. There are legitimate arguments for the smaller model, not undermined by flimsy construction or compromised capabilities. If you spend much of your time mobile, the iPad mini is easier to transport; if you’re a keen reader, the iPad mini is easier to hold and navigate through. If you’re addicted to the internet and don’t want to view it through the 4-inch window of the iPhone 5 or iPod touch, Safari on the iPad mini delivers more size at a scale that’s still bag or purse-friendly.
In the end, it’s about an overall package, an experience which Apple is offering. Not the fastest tablet, nor the cheapest, nor the one that prioritizes the most pixel-dense display, but the one with the lion’s share of tablet applications, the integration with the iOS/iTunes ecosystem, the familiarity of usability and, yes, the brand cachet. That’s a compelling metric by which to judge a new product, and it’s a set of abilities that single the iPad mini out in the marketplace. If the iPad with Retina display is the flagship of Apple’s tablet range, then the iPad mini is the everyman model, and it’s one that will deservedly sell very well.
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Battery life vs. the competition [Engadget] -
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Member Since: 4/16/2012
Posts: 3,027
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will the ipad mini be a 7 inch??
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Member Since: 10/9/2009
Posts: 6,108
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Originally posted by diam0nd
will the ipad mini be a 7 inch??
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7.85in. So really it's like 8in.
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Banned
Member Since: 3/7/2012
Posts: 8,365
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Its gonna be such a good Christmas.
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Member Since: 10/9/2009
Posts: 6,108
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Oh.... Along with the iPad Mini, it looks like we will be getting redesigned iMacs, a 13in Retina MBP, updated Mac Minis, and possibly updated iPads (3rd Generations) with the new lightening port.
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Member Since: 10/16/2005
Posts: 16,872
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Quote:
Originally posted by a1016neo
possibly updated iPads (3rd Generations) with the new lightening port.
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Noooooo!!!! I'm not ready for my iPad 3 to be outdated. 
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Member Since: 2/29/2012
Posts: 17,071
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Originally posted by vuelve88
Noooooo!!!! I'm not ready for my iPad 3 to be outdated. |
Right? I feel like my iPad 2 is already old when it really isn't 
But honestly, I am looking forward to the iPad Mini 
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Member Since: 5/18/2012
Posts: 20,576
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I'm not liking this. I have the iPad 2 and I think 7" is a bad size. I think 9.7 or whatever the iPad is sized at is perfect.
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Member Since: 6/14/2012
Posts: 2,710
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Quote:
Originally posted by a1016neo
7.85in. So really it's like 8in.
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thats as big as CHRIS BROWNS DICK yaaaas im getting that for xmas
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Member Since: 2/25/2012
Posts: 377
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What is the point of this? Ever heard of an iPod touch?
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Member Since: 10/16/2005
Posts: 16,872
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Originally posted by CoolestPerson12
I think 7" is a bad size. I think 9.7 or whatever the iPad is sized at is perfect.
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What a size queen. 
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Member Since: 8/13/2012
Posts: 3,236
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I'm starting to think that Apple is running out of ideas... Who needs an iPad mini?
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Originally posted by RCL
thats as big as CHRIS BROWNS DICK yaaaas im getting that for xmas
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fffffff 
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Member Since: 5/18/2012
Posts: 20,576
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Quote:
Originally posted by vuelve88
What a size queen. |
You know what they say, "the bigger the better".
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Member Since: 2/29/2012
Posts: 17,071
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The Mini will be a bit cheaper than the iPad, right? Probably the highest GB storage one will be on par with the iPad's lowest as far as prices go. If so...
As for size, I think I'll find that the iPad Mini would be a more compact/portable iPad being that I mainly use theiPad for web browsing and movie watching, but I always found it a bit vulnerable to damage and theft whenever I take it to school or the bookstore. I understand the Mini would technically be more prone to theft due to size, but honestly I'd rather my Mini get stolen rather than my iPad or Macbook if we really want to be honest here  My Mini will be the one I now take to study sessions, the bookstore, library, etc all the while automatically syncing everything to the other and the iPad will stay at home.
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Member Since: 12/28/2011
Posts: 4,274
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Mess won't this be like an iPod touch 
I still might get it though 
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Member Since: 10/16/2005
Posts: 16,872
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I think the main selling point of the iPad mini is not really the size, but the cheaper cost. It will win over the customers who would otherwise purchase something like a Kindle Fire.
I think it's a smart move. Apple doesn't want to lower the price of their iPad, but they don't want to lose out on potential customers, so they are offering an alternative at a more reasonable price.
I really enjoy using my iPad to read books. In the last month I have become addicted to reading on it.
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Member Since: 7/29/2010
Posts: 6,509
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Quote:
Originally posted by vuelve88
I think the main selling point of the iPad mini is not really the size, but the cheaper cost. It will win over the customers who would otherwise purchase something like a Kindle Fire.
I think it's a smart move. Apple doesn't want to lower the price of their iPad, but they don't want to lose out on potential customers, so they are offering an alternative at a more reasonable price.
I really enjoy using my iPad to read books. In the last month I have become addicted to reading on it.
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this +1 
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Banned
Member Since: 6/25/2011
Posts: 37,192
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The thing about my Nexus 7 is that it's LITERALLY the perfect size for a jean pocket. A 7.85 inch screen won't do it
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Member Since: 5/14/2007
Posts: 25,912
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Member Since: 10/9/2009
Posts: 6,108
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Renderings of what the iPad Mini will look like:
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