The Apple iPad Mini is the new apple product to cherish now. As the name suggests, it’s the miniature or downsized version of the already famous iPad. Launched 3 days prior to the release of Windows 8, Apple would obviously want to capture the 7” tablet market. Nevertheless, I still believe the iPad Mini is Apple’s reply to Amazon’s Kindle. Wonder what else Apple is insecure about! But then, this is a review, so if you are aggrieved with that overloaded and heavy purse, which is making your pants a little tighter, this, is the place to be. Believe me; you’ll love to shed that extra weight after you finish reading this article.
Dimensions: Measuring nearly 8” diagonally (7.9”), the iPad Mini snuggles into your hand. You can hold the iPad in one hand and operate it with another. The external dimensions stand at 7.87” high with 5.3” width. The weight being only 308 gm. (312 gm. for the LTE version), the iPad Mini feels like a light paper and with the external dimensions, ease of use will be greatly enhanced. The iPad Mini surely looks like a pocket book which you can carry around in your hand anywhere you like.
Looks: Featuring an aluminum body finish, the behind of the iPad Mini looks beautifully metallic. The iPad Mini features rounded edges much like the other older apple devices. The aspect ratio is 4:3 unlike its arch counterparts! The iPads are the only apple devices which haven’t been ported to the 16:9 arena. The iPad Mini’s screen features a 1024x768 pixel per inch; nearly the same as the iPhone 3GS, which may be a little dampening for hardcore apple fans. Coming to the placement of various convenience keys, Apple has retained the Home button on the Mini, volume buttons on the right side, the speakers below, and the best part is it compatible with the new Apple connecter, the Lightening Connector.
Features: Apart from the aesthetic looks, the iPad Mini isn’t a revolution or a revelation. The features are pretty much the same as the new iPad. Except for one thing, this is the processor. The iPad Mini features the old dual core A5 processor. But a few report suggests, Apple may have beefed up the RAM. Nevertheless, feature wise, the iPad Mini is a downsized version of the new iPad only with an older processor. Of course, the new iPad Mini is Siri compatible. Regular iPad users may take a little time to get used to the iPad Mini as the icons are also significantly smaller.
Price: The iPad Mini has been priced significantly higher than was previously predicted. When its competitors are selling their 7” tablets for a throwaway price, iPad Mini starts at £269 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version and £369 for the 16GB 4G enabled one. A few things to keep in mind: apart from the price, the iPad Mini would use nano sim cards, the battery life is said to be nearly 10 hours with surfing the net via Wi-Fi or using any app or watching videos, on the data network, it’s said to be nearly 9 hours.
Verdict: As the tag line goes, ‘it’s every bit an iPad’; it is so, except for the processor part. Nevertheless, apps are working beautifully and the surfing the web is a breeze. So, now, my question to you would be; what do you want for Christmas?