iPad Mini - Apple's Entry to the 7" Tablet War

It has been talked about, rumored, and now it has finally been revealed. Apple has officially entered the 7" tablet market. The question that most people are asking now is if it is really worth checking out and what does it have to offer that is new versus that of what is already being offered by the larger iPad models that they have just released?

The iPad Mini is something of a technological marvel, at least that is how Apple people would put it. To begin with the iPad Mini in terms of pricing is placed at the upper end of the 7" tablet spectrum where the cheapest is at $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $459 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular(which is LTE capable) model. This is quite pricey compared to the Nexus 7 and other Kindle Fire models so how this will be received by the general public is going to be an interesting outcome.

In terms of the size factor the iPad Mini is in the larger size of the 7" tablet types as it sports a 7.9" screen. Apple claims that with this size you hold the iPad Mini with one hand(i wonder how big were the hands they tested this claim on) and that it is considerably lighter than its bigger brother(i would be surprised if it did weigh more considering it is much smaller). It also is quite thinner and has been compared to the thickness of that of a pencil. What Apple is expecting is that people who had avoided buying an iPad before due to its size now has no excuse to buy one especially that now it is easily handled in the palm of your hand.

Another thing that is different with the iPad Mini is that bezel isn't the same size all the way around like the previous iPad models. If held in portrait orientation, the left and right bezel is substantially thinner much like the iPhone. So if ever you place your thumb on the side you'd be touching the screen. The iPad Mini is also narrow enough to allow for thumb typing on the portrait mode(you'd most likely be using both thumbs) making it seem like a Giant iPhone.

Color options for the iPad Mini is going to be the classic Apple white or black, but it matches the iPhone 5 in terms of styling so the white version has a silver trim and the black has a slate trim.

The screen of the iPad Mini is not something one would have expected as it doesn't have the Retina Display that the big brother iPad 3 has. It uses the 1-24x768 resolution which is similar to the iPad 2. This entails that its aspect ratio is at 4:3 ensuring that apps and other contents should fit correctly. But unlike the iPad 2 where pixel quality can be quite noticeable because of the decrease in size, images and videos look a lot better.

Beneath the facade of the iPad Mini is the same tech that was used on the iPad 2. Which means that the iPad mini is running on the A5 chip processor that is a dual core chip and is still quite capable of running the latest IOS 6. Storage options are pretty much standard where one can choose between 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. There is no microSD card as usual. In the rear the iPad Mini has a 5MP isight Camera and the front facing 1.2MP Facetime HD Webcam camera. It also has Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/n with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz band for Wifi. Lastly for those sporting the Wi-Fi + Cellular data models will have access to 4G LTE. Like the iPhone 5 the iPad mini will be using the lightning connector.  Battery life is claimed to last upto 10 hours which is still something that would need to be tested.

Accessories were also added in the design of the iPad Mini. They have included the iPad Mini Smart Cover, which was originally designed for the iPad 2 and 3. It is metal hinge has been replaced by one that's covered in the same material as the cover, so the design is a bit more cohesive and is quite easy to snap on and off. It is small and light adding very little to the bulk and weight of the iPad Mini. It basically gives one a feeling of carrying a small paper notebook when it is used.

Overall, If you consider the spec sheets of what the iPad Mini brings to the table and feel that the iPad Mini is just your basic average iPad 2, then you are most likely correct. What it does bring that is different is the size and form factor. Is it worth spending on? that is something only can answer and will definitely have to try it on for size. I myself still prefer the Android 7" models over the iPad Mini mainly because of the Eco System and overall feature functionality that they have, but that is based on my own opinion. Quality of the build is something that Apple has proven to be consistent about and I would guess that is what kept people coming back for more.

If you want to get to see a comparison fo the iPad Mini with its bigger brothers click the following link:
iPad Mini Compared

Till Next Time...

-Metz-