Apple announced iPad in 2010 which created a new category of devices and since then it has created and dominated the Tablet market. Tablets which used to be expensive have now become more affordable and tablets with smaller displays have been highly successful.
Finally, Apple has released a smaller version of iPad called iPad Mini to take on the smaller / budget tablet category and maintain its dominance in the tablet market. With 7.9 inches display in a slimmer and lighter form factor, the iPad Mini aims to deliver the full iPad experience.
So how is the new iPad Mini ? We will find out below ...
The Display
The iPad Mini has a 7.9 inches display with same resolution as the original iPad and iPad 2 - 1024x768. Though, it is not a retina display like the new iPad, it still offers sharper picture than the iPad 2 due to the smaller screen size.
The display size seems to be slightly greater than a regular 7 incher, but since its diagonal length, the difference in viewing area is quite large. It has 35 percent more area as compared to 7" tablets.
Also, the iPad Mini has display with 4:3 aspect ratio which displays things better than tablets with 7" tablets with 16:9 aspect ratio like the Nexus 7 when viewing in portrait mode.
The iPad Mini's display can also recognize whether the thumb is resting on the display or it is moving. This will avoid unintentional clicks while holding the iPad. The bezels on the sides are also thinner, which make the display more prominent.
Overall the display is bigger than 7 inch tablets, but tablets like Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD have higher resolution ( 1280x800 ) which gives them more sharpness and more effective real estate.
Design
The iPad Mini has anodized aluminum body like the iPhone 5, it is just 7.2mm thin and weights at just 308gm.
That makes it much thinner and lighter than the Nexus 7 which has plastic body, 10.5mm thick and weights at 340gm. Compared to the 4th gen iPad, the iPad Mini is significantly lighter ( 53% ) and thinner ( 23 % ).
Processor And RAM
The iPad Mini is powered by Apple A5 Dual-core processor along with 512MB of RAM ( unconfirmed ) which is the same as the one found on the iPad 2.
The Nexus 7 beats the iPad Mini in terms of specs, it has quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 1GB of RAM. But the dual-core processor and 512MB RAM should still provide the iPad Mini enough horsepower for most tasks.
Camera
The iPad Mini has the lead over its competitors when it comes to camera. It has 5MP iSight snapper on the back which is absent on most 7 inch tablets.
The iSight camera has 5MP ƒ/2.4 aperture lens with Autofocus, Backside illumination, hybrid IR filter and face detection. It is capable of full HD 1080p video .
It has FaceTime HD camera which is 1.2 MegaPixels and offers 720p HD video.
Connectivity
The iPad Mini comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.0 and Lightning connector. But it will also be offered in cellular versions with 3G LTE connectivity using nano SIM card. The cellular version will also have A-GPS and GLONASS feature.
The Nexus 7 doesn't have a SIM version yet and comes in only Wi-Fi version.
Storage
The iPad Mini will be offered in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors. Like all Apple products, it wont have expandable storage.
The Nexus 7 is currently available only in 8GB and 16GB variants which is one of the major drawback. But a 32GB version is rumored to be launched soon.
Battery Life
The iPad Mini has 16.3watt hour battery and is claimed to offer 10 hours battery life while surfing the web using Wi-Fi , watching video or listening to music. While connected using cellular network it claims to offer 9 hours of web browsing.
The Nexus 7 also has 16Wh battery and promises 10 hours of surfing time. So, the battery life of iPad Mini seems to be quite impressive and on par with the Nexus 7, we will have to wait for the actual results to see if it really performs as claimed.
Price & Launch Date
The iPad Mini pricing will start from $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version. The 32GB version will cost $429 and 64GB version will cost $529.
The cellular versions will be more costly and start from $459 for the 16GB version, $559 for 32GB and $659 for the 64GB version.
Also, with the launch of iPad Mini and iPad 4, Apple has stopped selling 3rd generation iPad. The iPad 2 is still there at $399 and the iPad 4th gen pricing now starts at $499.
The iPad Mini can be pre-ordered in the USA now and will start shipping November 2.
Verdict
Pricing will be a major factor in deciding between iPad Mini and other 7 inch tablets like the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 starts from $199 for the 8GB version, the iPad Mini $130 extra but offers bigger screen, better features and more storage. Brand or OS preference will also be deciding factor.
So, for consumers looking for more affordable tablet, the Nexus 7 might be a better choice. For others, the iPad Mini is a better option.
Talking about Indian market, the iPad 2 still retails at price starting Rs 24,500, so the price of iPad Mini can be expected roughly around Rs 20500.
The Nexus 7 has not been launched officially but available in grey around Rs. 16-17k. It will only be a good option if launches under Rs 12k.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is also in the same price segment which would face strong competition with the launch of iPad Mini unless Samsung drops its price.
To know more ,we will have have to wait a month or so before the devices launch here officially.
Finally, Apple has released a smaller version of iPad called iPad Mini to take on the smaller / budget tablet category and maintain its dominance in the tablet market. With 7.9 inches display in a slimmer and lighter form factor, the iPad Mini aims to deliver the full iPad experience.
So how is the new iPad Mini ? We will find out below ...
The Display
The iPad Mini has a 7.9 inches display with same resolution as the original iPad and iPad 2 - 1024x768. Though, it is not a retina display like the new iPad, it still offers sharper picture than the iPad 2 due to the smaller screen size.
The display size seems to be slightly greater than a regular 7 incher, but since its diagonal length, the difference in viewing area is quite large. It has 35 percent more area as compared to 7" tablets.
Also, the iPad Mini has display with 4:3 aspect ratio which displays things better than tablets with 7" tablets with 16:9 aspect ratio like the Nexus 7 when viewing in portrait mode.
The iPad Mini's display can also recognize whether the thumb is resting on the display or it is moving. This will avoid unintentional clicks while holding the iPad. The bezels on the sides are also thinner, which make the display more prominent.
Overall the display is bigger than 7 inch tablets, but tablets like Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD have higher resolution ( 1280x800 ) which gives them more sharpness and more effective real estate.
Design
The iPad Mini has anodized aluminum body like the iPhone 5, it is just 7.2mm thin and weights at just 308gm.
That makes it much thinner and lighter than the Nexus 7 which has plastic body, 10.5mm thick and weights at 340gm. Compared to the 4th gen iPad, the iPad Mini is significantly lighter ( 53% ) and thinner ( 23 % ).
Processor And RAM
The iPad Mini is powered by Apple A5 Dual-core processor along with 512MB of RAM ( unconfirmed ) which is the same as the one found on the iPad 2.
The Nexus 7 beats the iPad Mini in terms of specs, it has quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 1GB of RAM. But the dual-core processor and 512MB RAM should still provide the iPad Mini enough horsepower for most tasks.
Camera
The iPad Mini has the lead over its competitors when it comes to camera. It has 5MP iSight snapper on the back which is absent on most 7 inch tablets.
The iSight camera has 5MP ƒ/2.4 aperture lens with Autofocus, Backside illumination, hybrid IR filter and face detection. It is capable of full HD 1080p video .
It has FaceTime HD camera which is 1.2 MegaPixels and offers 720p HD video.
Connectivity
The iPad Mini comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.0 and Lightning connector. But it will also be offered in cellular versions with 3G LTE connectivity using nano SIM card. The cellular version will also have A-GPS and GLONASS feature.
The Nexus 7 doesn't have a SIM version yet and comes in only Wi-Fi version.
Storage
The iPad Mini will be offered in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors. Like all Apple products, it wont have expandable storage.
The Nexus 7 is currently available only in 8GB and 16GB variants which is one of the major drawback. But a 32GB version is rumored to be launched soon.
Battery Life
The iPad Mini has 16.3watt hour battery and is claimed to offer 10 hours battery life while surfing the web using Wi-Fi , watching video or listening to music. While connected using cellular network it claims to offer 9 hours of web browsing.
The Nexus 7 also has 16Wh battery and promises 10 hours of surfing time. So, the battery life of iPad Mini seems to be quite impressive and on par with the Nexus 7, we will have to wait for the actual results to see if it really performs as claimed.
Price & Launch Date
The iPad Mini pricing will start from $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version. The 32GB version will cost $429 and 64GB version will cost $529.
The cellular versions will be more costly and start from $459 for the 16GB version, $559 for 32GB and $659 for the 64GB version.
Also, with the launch of iPad Mini and iPad 4, Apple has stopped selling 3rd generation iPad. The iPad 2 is still there at $399 and the iPad 4th gen pricing now starts at $499.
The iPad Mini can be pre-ordered in the USA now and will start shipping November 2.
Verdict
Pricing will be a major factor in deciding between iPad Mini and other 7 inch tablets like the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 starts from $199 for the 8GB version, the iPad Mini $130 extra but offers bigger screen, better features and more storage. Brand or OS preference will also be deciding factor.
So, for consumers looking for more affordable tablet, the Nexus 7 might be a better choice. For others, the iPad Mini is a better option.
Talking about Indian market, the iPad 2 still retails at price starting Rs 24,500, so the price of iPad Mini can be expected roughly around Rs 20500.
The Nexus 7 has not been launched officially but available in grey around Rs. 16-17k. It will only be a good option if launches under Rs 12k.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is also in the same price segment which would face strong competition with the launch of iPad Mini unless Samsung drops its price.
To know more ,we will have have to wait a month or so before the devices launch here officially.