Apple iPad mini with Retina Display: Reviewed
by Anand Lal Shimpi on November 16, 2013 8:00 AM ESTFinal Words
When I concluded our iPad Air review I assumed the iPad mini with Retina Display was a true no-compromise, smaller alternative to the iPad Air. In many senses that’s true. Wireless connectivity is identical between the models, battery life is pretty much the same as well. Peak performance is close and you no longer have to accept a lower resolution display. Last year’s iPad mini was easy to recommend, and this year’s is even easier. To my surprise however, the iPad Air continues to hold some advantages that may resonate well with some users.
The biggest in my eyes is the iPad Air’s wider gamut display with full sRGB coverage. The mini’s Retina Display is good, the Air’s is just better. There’s also more thermal headroom on the iPad Air, which can come in handy if you’re doing compute intensive work on it. If neither of those things matters to you, then the decision becomes one of usage model and portability. I believe the iPad Air does a better job of approximating a primary computing device, particularly in its ability to give you a reasonable sized virtual keyboard to work on. The iPad mini on the other hand is substantially more portable. Although the iPad Air is light enough to come along with me more than any prior iPad, the mini’s form factor makes it even more likely that’ll I’ll bring it with me (the best tablet is the one you have with you?).
As much as I prefer the iPad Air’s display and as much as I love having more performance, I’d probably lean towards the mini personally. The lower weight and smaller form factor are just tough to give up. Apple could’ve made the decision a lot easier by giving the mini true display parity with the Air though.
The mini with Retina Display sits at an interesting point in Apple's iPad lineup. Priced at $399, the higher-end mini is priced identically to the iPad 2 - which Apple continues to sell. I honestly can't see a situation outside of having poor vision where I'd recommend the iPad 2 over the iPad mini with Retina Display.
If you're on the fence about upgrading from an older iPad (or even the first gen mini), the iPad mini with Retina Display is a tempting target. Compared to virtually all previous iPads you're going to notice a substantial increase in performance thanks to Apple's A7 SoC. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the performance improvement over the previous generation mini (featuring Apple's A5) can be just as noticeable of an uprade as the display. The new mini is a leap forward in performance compared to its predecessor.
While Apple has the 10-inch tablet market more or less locked up with the iPad Air, the mini faces stiff competition. The biggest comes from Google with the $229 2013 Nexus 7. You get an incredibly affordable device and a display with full sRGB gamut. What the mini offers is a faster SoC, a wider display (a Nexus 8 would be nice) and of course, iOS. I’ve heard varying opinions on iOS vs. Android when talking about tablet or smartphone use. Some users prefer Android on one and iOS on the other, vice versa or find themselves exclusively in one camp. This one is best left up to personal preference. At $229 the Nexus 7 is a great option. If you prefer iOS however, the iPad mini with Retina Display is quite nice. The price hike vs. the standard mini can be a tough pill to swallow, but the A7 and display are definitely worth it.
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emoemeka - Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - link
And how many of those have ASUS sold? Nobody wants a convertible tablet! People buy tablets because they want tablets. Those who want laptops buy laptops.beggerking@yahoo.com - Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - link
go to slickdeals and search T100. amazon reviews,also surface pro /pro 2
dell venue pros
people buy them to replace both their laptops and tablets.
RadarTheKat - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link
You mentioned the price to buy a new one, but failed to mention the resale price associated with iGadgets. There are always two prices. When both are considered, the value is relatively greater for some products versus others. Please keep this in mind in the future when comparing apple products to their competition.tech4tac - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link
"which *literally* everyone else can see"hmmmm... Must be why Apple had to print an apology.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
The mini was a reactionary product to counter the growing success of Android 7" tablets--a size which Jobs was adamantly against as he saw the 8.9" form factor as perfect. Both OS developers "borrowed" from each other over the years but the last few iOS versions (i.e. 5, 6, 7) make the two devices look even more similar. Features that appeared on Android prior to iOS (such as notifications bar, control center, and the similar-looking default wallpaper) make the two difficult to distinguish from afar. That said, just buy what works best for you & be done with it.
So calm down & have some Koo-laid. This one's on me.
EarFull - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link
Question for those in the know: Would a Firmware or Software update remedy this color gamut issue? I use a lot of Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom AND associated plug-ins and can change a LOT about a photo digitally. Also, with Spectraview I can change the characteristics of my displays.Thank you
Patrick
JC86 - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link
This is just my personal observation/hope but I wouldn't recommend the iPads this generation because they seem like stop-gap iteration refreshes before next year's model that will likely include TouchID sensors throughout the lineup.The TouchID sensors that Apple introduced this year with the the iPhone 5S is clearly where the future of the entire iOS lineup is headed. My guess is that Apple didn't include the TouchID sensor with this generation's iPad lineup because of 1) component costs/supply and more importantly 2) iOS 7 has yet to support multiple user accounts. A feature that I believe will be coming in iOS 8. Since the iPhone is a much more personal device compared to an iPad that is often shared with family members, having TouchID setup with the ability to recognize who just unlocked the iPad and customize the settings and apps accordingly seems like the natural evolution of the TouchID hardware/software integration. Which is why even though my iPad 2 is getting a little old in the tooth, I'm still going to hold out and not upgrade until next year so I don't have significantly obsolete hardware within a few months.
blue meanie - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link
Agreed. Between the Touch ID and "retro" color gamut, it looks like I'll hold onto my chunky iPad 3 another year and wait for the iPad mini we all wanted last year. Given the "non-modular" (polite way to put it) nature of tablet manufacturing, key parts really should be of the same, contemporary caliber. I would argue that the display and processor need to be at the top of that list. I would not feel great about a significant investment (LTE and appropriate, yet overpriced, storage) in this iPad if they come out with a proper mini next year.Why is 16GB still an option? $399 should really get one 32GB.
brianlee - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link
I'm interested in comparing the sRGB color gamut between screens from Sharp and LG. Since the iPad Mini Retina in this article did not have the artifact issue (marco.org), it must be the display from LG. Does the Sharp display have better colors despite the artifact issue?hummerchine - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link
Some of the comments here kill me! There must be some huge Apple haters out there...I fully admit to being the opposite. But man...slagging on Anand? His reviews are far more detailed, thorough, and unbiased than anything out there. He tells what is great...and what isn't...about the new iPad mini with RD.What exactly do you want him to do? The guy is RIGHT ON!
Satyajit - Friday, November 22, 2013 - link
Any clue as to when we can expect a review of the refreshed macbook lineup?