iPad Mini Unboxed!
My journey towards getting the iPad Mini started very early this morning as I wanted to beat the queues at the Apple Store in Manchester. After a train ride to the city and a short bus ride to the shopping centre, I was surprised to see the Apple Store had already been open for 30 minutes since 8AM and there was already a sizeable queue building up already. I didn’t have to wait to long and from entering the store, selecting the iPads, paying for them and a little chat with the Apple store person, I was in and out within 5 minutes, with my receipt arriving via email just as I left the store! I did notice a lot of people were selecting the white 16GB models, these were quickly selling as this was the first iPad mini model to sell out via online orders.
So after a bite to eat and a slow journey home with several people peering at my Apple bag on the train home, I am now proud to unbox the iPad Mini.
The Build
Far lighter and thinner than I thought when I watched the Keynote, I was pleasantly surprised to see how the iPad Mini fits comfortably in one hand. The looks and aesthetics of the Mini reminds of the 3GS with the beveled edges.
One can really tell and feel that Apple, instead of shrinking the iPad down to a miniature size, they really went back to the design board and redesigned the entire thing from scratch. The main thing I noticed the moment I picked it up was just how light it was, and the main thing that stunned me so much was the size of the screen which I’ll come to next. The volume and screen-rotation lock buttons have moved to the right-hand side and the headphone socket is placed on the top, rather than the bottom, (and just confirmed a few days ago, stereo speaker) and the new Lightning connector can be found at the bottom.
The Screen
The one thing that surprised me the most was the size of the screen. A 3.9” difference between the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini didn’t seem much at the time but when I opened up the box, there was a whole lot more screen than I expected.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 Unboxed
Performance
It’s a little hard to say in the 60 minutes that I’ve been playing with the iPad Mini, the A5 processor is running apps, games and websites all very smoothly. The WiFi seems super fast in this model compared to the bigger iPad models, still too early to tell as I need a good week or so to break this baby in. Favourite app running at the moment is Spotify, fantastic interface and the stereo speaker sounds crisp and the bass can be heard on tracks as well.
Battery Life
Apple are stating the iPad Mini battery holds a 10 hour charge. Hopefully with Apple using the newer A5 processor, which has gone down in size from 45nm to 32nm, this will make the Mini more energy efficient.
Verdict So Far
This is probably the best Apple product I’ve picked up so far this year, this really does feel like a premium product despite it’s size. The smaller size, thinner shape and lighter weight makes for a much better mobile experience. It’s easy to hold and manipulate in the hand but still feels solid, durable and well-built enough to accompany you wherever you choose to bring this. You will not be disappointed with this iPad. Oh, and did I mention this comes with Siri? Make it even better!
Editor’s Note: The iPad Mini is not yet officially available in the Philippines. Some online stores though have started selling it. SRP for the gray market 16GB model is at Php19,700. Check out Widget City if you want one before anyone else.
This Unoboxing was contributed by:
Steve Currington is a self confessed Apple addict for nearly two decades, a true Techie, Xbox Live addict and home cinema enthusiast. Known to many people as “Gadget Man”.
