Apple iPad Mini Review

The Apple iPad Mini isn’t officially available locally yet but there are several online stores and gadget shops in malls that offer it already at premium prices. We were able to secure a unit and we’ve been playing around with the device for a couple of days now. Initially we were thinking it would take a while for us to write a review but it turns out the iPad Mini experience was very straight forward and predictable. It truly is a smaller iPad 2! That’s not necessarily a bad thing though since having a smaller and thinner form factor lends itself to different uses that the 10-inch models aren’t good at.

iPad Mini Spec Sheet

• Apple A5 Chip
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB/32GB/64GB Storage Options, no microSD
• Option for LTE Model
• 7.9?inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi?Touch display with IPS technology
• 1024-by-768 resolution at 163 pixels per inch (ppi)
• 10-hour Battery Life
• Lightning Connector
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, can record 1080p Video
• 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera

Read on for our full review!

It’s ridiculously thin and light

The best thing about the iPad Mini really is the form factor and the hardware design. Johnny Ive and his team have successfully made the sleekest and most gorgeous looking 7.9-inch tablet in the world. The iPad Mini is incredibly thin, measuring less than a third of an inch thick and weighing in at a little over half a pound. Check out some of the photos we took of the device in different angles below.

Believe me when I say that the iPad Mini will shock you once you pick it up, especially if you’re used to the 10-inch iPad. The 7.9-inch for factor truly is fascinating because it opens up a whole new way of using and appreciating the iPad.

Great for reading eBooks!

Due to the thinness and lightweight nature of the iPad Mini, it’s now perfect for reading eBooks! I’m a huge bookworm myself so this is probably what I liked the most about the new form factor of the iPad. I didn’t have any problem at all holding up the iPad Mini with one hand while reading for long periods of time. In fact the iPad Mini for me has been the perfect coffee shop companion for the last few days!

This obviously applies as well to RSS reader apps like Flipboard and Pulse (two of my favorites).

App selection still king, Android has a lot of catching up to do

An obvious advantage of the iPad Mini when compared to Android tablets is the number of high quality tablet applications available. There are just so many fun games and apps to download on the app store that are not available on Google Play. For example, there’s Field Runners 2, Avengers, and of course Camera+.

Typing is easier on Portrait or when you use your thumbs on Landscape

Here’s another interesting experience with the iPad Mini. With the original iPad the best way to input text is by propping it up with a stand and type on the virtual keyboard on landscape mode. You can still do that with the iPad Mini but it might be a little too cramped because of the smaller screen. However due to the thinner form factor you can actually comfortably type using your thumbs either in portrait or landscape. Think of it as a giant cellphone of sorts, lol.

If you’re a thumb typer like me then you’ll like the iPad Mini!

Screen resolution is a downer especially if you’re used to Retina Display

It’s not all nice though. One of the biggest criticisms thrown at the iPad Mini was the screen resolution which is just at 163 pixels per inch. That’s a far cry from the Retina Display of the New iPad or even other Android tablets in the same category. I honestly don’t know what Apple was thinking (other than “hey let’s increase our revenue margins”) when they decided to bring this down to just 163. It really is disappointing and kinda frustrating. It is very noticeable mind you especially if your eyes are used already to higher resolution devices.

 

SEE ALSO: Unboxing the iPhone 5

 

 

iOS 6 is a bit boring… I miss widgets from Android

Lastly I just have to take a quick swipe at iOS6. I’m a huge Apple fanboy and I’ve owned pretty much all the iDevices released since the original iPhone. I personally feel that iOS as a platform has stagnated and the only thing driving it really is the App ecosystem which is composed of third-party developers. iOS itself as an operating system is practically the same for most users when it started gaining steam several years ago.

As most of you know I’m a huge fan of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and I seriously miss the widgets and the live wallpaper on it when I switch to the iPad Mini. Hopefully Apple will pick up on this and start doing serious innovations with their software in the coming months.

Verdict: It really is a small iPad 2, lol

So what’s the final verdict? Well like what we said at the start, the iPad Mini is really a small iPad 2… and that’s not a bad thing. Other than the poor resolution and the expensive price (7-inch Android tablets sell for much less), I think most of my gripes with the iPad Mini are mostly on the software side and that is something that even the 10-inch 4th Generation iPad has.

Should you get the iPad Mini?

• If you’re an New iPad user (3rd generation) and you don’t want to jump ship to Android or Windows, you can probably sell it and get this one IF you use it more for reading eBooks and you want something more portable.
• If you’re an iPad 1st Generation user you’re definitely due for an upgrade! If you want to stick to iOS, you just have to pick between the iPad Mini or the 4th Generation iPad. The iPad Mini offers extreme portability while the 4th Generation iPad offers much more power and screen real estate.
• If you’re a Nexus 7 user, I’d say stick it out with Android, especially if you like your widgets and Live Wallpaper. 😛
• If you’re a tablet virgin (lol) and you have budget, go ahead and get one. 🙂 If you’re on a tight budget and want something a little more techie, go for the Nexus 7 instead.

That’s it for our review! We’ll probably do a drop test on this as well as soon as we get an Otterbox case for it. Kinda like what we did with the iPhone 5, hehe. Watch out for that one!

If you guys have any questions about the iPad Mini, just post them in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer them!