Hynek Hampl On Friday, November 2, 2012, the iPad mini went on sale in the Czech Republic and other countries. For now, these are only models with Wi-Fi connection, the Cellular version (with a SIM card slot) will not be sold until the end of November. Pre-orders on the Apple Online Store have already started, but the date of their delivery is moving more and more. This was also the reason why many Czech customers visited Apple Premium Reseller stores for new iPads, which were exceptionally open from 8 am on the day of the start of sales. We found a few enthusiasts in our editorial office who bought the iPad mini as soon as possible, so now we bring you a closer look at this brand new Apple product.
It could be said that the introduction of the iPad mini divided Apple fans into two camps. Some welcome the new 7,9″ tablet and wonder how well it will be used. The others don't understand this step and sometimes even criticize the entire company, saying that Steve Jobs would never do such a thing. Whichever of these groups you fall into, know that you can easily change your mind upon closer inspection and hands-on experience. So let's see how the iPad mini fared.
Contents of the box
The iPad mini box is really small. It resembles a thicker book, including the weight. The package includes the iPad mini itself, a Lightning cable, a charger, obligatory stickers with the Apple logo and brief instructions. The uninitiated may be surprised at first that the cable is not marked in any way. This is because the new connection is double-sided and can therefore be easily plugged in even in the dark. However, there is still USB on the other end, which you can struggle with in the dark. The cable holds firmly after plugging in, but you have to force it out. What may surprise more knowledgeable users of Apple devices is the included charger. Instead of the classic 10 W (or newly 12 W) charger, which we could find with all previous iPads, we find the iPad mini 5 W smaller flat charger normally supplied with the iPhone. This explains the thinness of the entire box, but raises the question of how quickly a less powerful adapter will be able to charge.
Processing
After opening, the iPad mini itself peeks out from under the foil. The first time you pick it up, you will realize its incredible lightness. It weighs almost half the weight of a large iPad. More precisely, it is 308 grams for the Wi-Fi version and 312 grams for the Cellular version. Just remove the foil and you will realize how well the iPad is processed the first time you touch it. It is immediately obvious that Apple did not skimp on materials. The aluminum body is solid, nothing bends anywhere and everything fits exactly to the millimeter. The material feels nice in the hand, like other Apple products. The edges connecting the front and the back are polished like the iPhone 5 and give the front frame a noble look.
The big visual difference compared to the iPad with Retina display is in the color processing. Rather than its big brother, the iPad mini is closer to the iPhone 5. In the dark version, black-painted aluminum is used on the back and sides, while in the white version, the back and buttons remain in the natural shade of aluminum. Unlike the larger iPad, the volume buttons are split and easier to press. The tiny Home Button, i.e. the one under the display, will probably surprise you the most. It didn't work for us and I measured it. Its diameter is only a millimeter smaller (1 cm) compared to the button on the iPhone (1,1 cm). Still, the press is accurate and reliable. Only the orientation lock/silent button let me down. Its small size can cause problems when switching with a finger, so it is safer to use a fingernail. In this case, we would rather welcome the solution used with the iPhone.
The sound system has undergone a big change. For the first time ever, we encounter stereo speakers on an Apple tablet. They are on both sides next to the Lightning connector and give the iPad a surprisingly new look. From the bottom part, we will now move to the top, where there are three elements, just like the bigger brother - the Power Button, the microphone in the middle and the 3,5 mm jack connector on the other side.
Performance
Next comes probably the second most discussed topic regarding the iPad mini – performance. It was necessary to save money on a small tablet, and it is definitely not the processing.
The iPad mini is powered by a dual-core A5 processor with a frequency of 1 GHz, which is supported by 512 MB of DDR2 RAM and a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics chip. Yes, these are the same parameters that the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S have. However, not many people know that Apple quietly put a new chip in the newly produced iPad 2 during the sales of iPad 3 and iPad 2rd generation. This silent upgrade it happened around February/March 2012, which is a year after the first generation A5 chip was introduced (including the deployment in the newly launched 3rd generation Apple TV, where the CPU is locked and only works with one core). It's still an A5 chip with the same performance, but this second generation is manufactured using 32nm technology. This made it possible to dramatically reduce the size of the chip by 41% and at the same time to have the operating memory connected directly to the chip. The new production technology is also associated with the fact that it has fallen consumption chip. This is also why the newer iPad 2 gets better battery results. And it is this updated A5 chipset that is also in the iPad mini. So if someone tells you that the iPad mini has hardware that is almost two years old, they are not right. This is a six-month old A5 chip, which is no match for the new A6X, but still at a decent level.
Where are we going with this information? The recently introduced 4th generation iPad is undoubtedly Apple's most powerful tablet. Right "underneath" is the less powerful iPad 3. And again we have to think. When introducing the iPad 3, Apple talked about the fact that this iPad has more graphics (GPU) and computing (CPU) power than the iPad 2, but most of it is "consumed" by the Retina display, including a large part of the 1GB of RAM. And during the tests, everything confirmed. The older iPad 2 and iPad 3 have practically the same performance (the iPad 2 even finished slightly better in GeekBench 2). Considering what we outlined in the previous paragraph, we have a rather interesting conclusion. At first glance, it may seem that the iPad mini is an underpowered tablet with an old processor. But which tablet is as powerful as the iPad 2? Yes, iPad mini. And given that it is located in a small iPad the second version A5 chip (with 32nm production technology), the iPad mini is not only as powerful as the iPad 2, but also lasts a little longer on a (smaller) battery. So the iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad mini are simply on the same level (retina display aside). This makes them second only to the new iPad 4. Similar to the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S in terms of performance. And it is also clear that it is unnecessary for Apple to throw out the cheap iPad 2 from the offer. It is also unlikely that Apple would absolutely write off the iPad mini next year and make it an old device like the iPhone 3G. As a result, in layman's terms, it would not even "keep up" with the iPad 2 and iPad 3. This cheaper revision of the powerful A5 chip only allowed it to make such a small device with a lower price.
So we explained the performance, but what does the situation look like in practice? From our testing, we can confirm that the iPad mini is just as fast as the iPad 2. Nothing lags, all transitions are smooth, applications launch quickly, and you can play all the games from the App Store without a single problem. And what else would you need massive performance on a tablet for? Those extra few seconds when loading applications, browsing the web, etc. won't kill anyone.
Display
Now we come to the hottest topic regarding the iPad mini. Display. As you probably well know, this is not the delicate Retina display we know from newer iPads. And this is probably the biggest weakness of the iPad mini. By all accounts, a great device doesn't have an amazing display, just a "normal" one. The reduction of the diagonal from 9,7″ to 7,9″ allowed a small increase in the display pixel density to 163ppi (pixels per inch) compared to 132ppi for the iPad 2 with the same resolution of 1024 × 768, but Retina with 264ppi and a resolution of 2048 × 1536 (iPad 3 and iPad 4) the display of the iPad mini cannot match.
If you're moving from an iPad 2, you'll notice a slight improvement in the display. However, if you're switching from a Retina display, it's sure to be a disappointment. Even so, it is a high-quality IPS panel with a sufficiently strong LED backlight, great viewing angles and a small distance between the touch layer and the display glass. Thanks to the glass, however, as with other tablets, I have to complain about glare from the sun.
You might be tapping your forehead now and wondering why Apple didn't use a higher resolution display. After all, the phenomenon called Retina extends to most of its product lines and is always unique among the competition and also a major marketing draw. But just think for a moment. Aside from the obvious benefits to the customer, what would be the impact of using a higher resolution? First of all, the demands on the performance of the device would be radically increased, the used A5 chip would certainly not be enough. Even if Apple's management bit the lower margins and let its engineers incorporate better components into the iPad mini, how energy-intensive would such a device be? A hungrier display and chip would require a better battery in order to maintain a ten-hour endurance, which with today's known technologies necessarily leads to an increase in the volume of the device and its weight. The iPad mini couldn't be quite so mini at that point.
Camera
Taking pictures with a tablet is always a bit of an emergency. The optics used are traditionally not of very high quality, and with an eight-inch (God forbid ten-inch) paddle in your hand, you look a bit ridiculous. However, when the worst comes to worst, the iPad mini will serve well and maybe even surprise. The camera is actually a cut-down version of the 8MPx camera from the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. It will offer 5 megapixels, autofocus, face detection, a five-lens lens, sensor backlight, f/2.4 aperture, and a hybrid IR filter. After all, you can judge for yourself how well the iPad mini takes photos:
Gallery
It shoots video in 1080p resolution and uses image stabilization, face recognition and sensor backlighting. At the same time, the videos from the iPad mini are surprisingly good and the stabilization works excellently. While filming the videos, it was cold, windy and my hands were shaking. However, this is not visible at all in the video. Don't forget to turn on 1080p quality when playing the following video.
[youtube id=”IAiOH8qwWYk” width=”600″ height=”350”]
More interesting in terms of usability is the front-facing FaceTime camera, which has a resolution of 1,2 MPx, captures videos in 720p resolution and includes a sensor backlight along with face recognition technology. You can use it especially for services such as FaceTime or Skype. Compared to the iPad 2, the image is much better, owners of newer iPads will not be surprised by anything.
Mobility and ergonomics
Whatever Steve Jobs said about seven-inch tablets, the 7,9-inch display, dimensions and weight of the iPad mini are simply ideal. Either Jobs himself discovered that the extra 0,9" would make the display much more usable, or Apple came up with it without it to bypass his criticized 7", but one thing is certain - it's a hit in the black in terms of mobility. The weight of only 308 grams is very pleasant in the hand. The large iPad does not hold so well in one hand, and the hand gets tired after holding it for a long time. In comparison, the iPad mini is 53% lighter and 23% thinner than the iPad 3/4. The dimensions of the mini are 20 cm in height and 13,4 cm in width. The large iPad is 24,1 cm high and 18,6 cm wide. And you can tell.
In one hand, the iPad mini holds up better than expected, both portrait and landscape. The display only has small edges on the sides for holding, but Apple solved it in its own way. How? With the new Thumb Rejection technology, which is represented in iPad mini and iPad 4th generation. This technology monitors the edges of the display and if it detects that you have a finger (thumb) on them, it ignores it. That way, you can hold the iPad without worry and it won't happen to you that the page turns in iBooks or that you accidentally click on a link in Safari. And it works exactly as Apple describes the feature. However, you must not put more than half a thumb on the display, because then the finger is already recognized.
Although the smaller display does not compare to the one that the large iPad has, it is still not to be thrown away. Everything you do on the iPad, you can do on the iPad mini without much hassle. Reading books, playing games, editing and creating documents, browsing the web (sometimes with more frequent zooming), watching videos, viewing images, etc. However, everything is often more comfortable, thanks to the light weight and smaller dimensions. This is probably one of the main reasons to consider the iPad mini.
If we talk about mobility, we should not forget the novelty in the form of support for Bluetooth in version 4.0. Even newer iPads have it, but the iPad and iPad 2 did not have it. The new version of the blue tooth is particularly pleasing with its lower consumption. So if you have a wireless keyboard, headphones or speaker connected to the iPad, the small tablet's battery will not drain so quickly.
And it seems to you that the iPad mini is not selling very well? So far, apparently so, but we have to take into account a few important facts. The iPad mini already has competition in the huge number of sold larger iPads and 7″ tablets such as the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. In addition, only the Wi-Fi version is currently on sale. For most people, the more interesting version with a SIM card slot will not appear on store shelves until the end of November.
Software
There is not much to talk about on the software side, iOS 6, the well-known operating system for Apple mobile devices, is pre-installed on the iPad mini. With the App Store, iBookstore and iTunes Store, it provides more content for its devices than any other company in the world. In the Czech Republic, you probably use the App Store with applications and games the most. Thanks to the same display resolution as the iPad 2, you have access to nearly 275 iPad applications with the iPad mini. Because of this, even a small mini becomes a game device, a music and video player and, last but not least, a work tool. If you purchase the Cellular version at the end of November and subsequently purchase one of the navigation devices on the App Store, the iPad mini will become a full-fledged GPS with a huge display and other functions as a bonus. One of the users even managed it build in iPad to car dashboard. The Wi-Fi version should be able to navigate as well. Just create a hotspot from iPhone 4/4S/5 and it should share location to the iPad (Tested: the iPad mini reads the location from the iPhone hotspot, but unfortunately it cannot do voice navigation).
A small surprise is the presence of the voice assistant Siri. This was missing from the iPad 2, which was attributed to weak hardware. Since the newer pieces of the second-generation tablet share the same chip and other internal components with the iPad mini, this is understandably out of the question. The reason why Siri is not present in iPad 2 and iPhone 4 is completely different. None of these devices contain technology to reduce noise from microphones. This is apparently necessary for full functionality of Siri. There is probably no need to add anything to the functionality itself, in the Czech Republic we will probably use it most for inquiries about the weather and marriage proposals.
Battery
Apple claims the same battery life as all other iPads – 10 hours on Wi-Fi (9 hours when connected via a SIM card for the Cellular version). However, from tests and use, you will find that it is still a few percent better. But nothing major. From our tests so far, we can only confirm the excellent durability, which shocked the world already with the first iPad. You'll get around 9 to 10 hours with brightness at around 75% and normal use.
The charging time is also important. While the iPad 2 averaged around 3 hours to charge, the 3rd generation iPad averaged a long 6 hours. If you don't let the iPad mini discharge completely and start charging at about 15%, you will have a full charge within 4 hours. Considering the weak 5W adapter this is a good time. If you discharge the iPad completely, you can increase the charging time to 5 hours. However, if you have a problem with about 4 hours, get a more powerful 12W Apple charger that comes with the new 4th generation iPad. It is guaranteed to charge your iPad mini faster.
Keyboard
Many questions about the iPad mini are also related to the keyboard software. How do you type on an iPad mini? If you hold the iPad mini in portrait mode, typing is a breeze. It even seems to be much better than on the iPhone and larger iPad. The edges from the screen and a less wide display are mainly responsible for this. You can reach every key with your thumb, and the size of the keys themselves is also pleasant. When turned to landscape, typing is already a little harder, even with longer thumbs. If the iPad mini is landscape, it is better to lay it down and type as much as possible with your fingers. However, the size of the keys is already worse compared to the large iPad. If you're comfortable with this typing style, iOS lets you split the keyboard into two parts at the edges of the screen, just like the original iPads.
Sound
Until now, all generations of the Apple tablet had a mono speaker on the back of the aluminum body. In contrast, the iPad mini has two stereo speakers. They are not on the back, but at the bottom on the sides of the Lightning connector. They play nicely for such a small device and the volume is about the same as the 3rd generation iPad. However, it is worse at the highest volumes. When playing music at about the last 3 levels of volume, the speakers already have something to do with the music and gently vibrate. If the iPad mini is lying down, it doesn't matter so much, but if you hold it in your hands at the highest volumes, it can be uncomfortable to hold after a while, as the vibrations are easily transferred to the aluminum body. With an iPhone or a large iPad, especially when playing games, it may happen that you cover the speaker with your hand. At that point, you start to wiggle and rotate the device in various ways to hear anything at all. This is not necessary with the iPad mini, the speakers play undimmed even when held normally.
To buy or not to buy?
Finally, a crucial question. To buy iPad mini or not to buy? As any good Apple salesperson will tell you, what matters is what you prefer in a tablet. Mobility or display? As for mobility, you can choose the iPad mini, which fits into a larger pocket and is really easy and pleasant to handle. Or you can reach for an iPad with a larger display area and a really high-quality retina display. Even the 9,7″ iPad is of course a very mobile device and you can easily take it with you everywhere, but the iPad mini is even noticeably better. However, you will only know this "in the field".
Last but not least, the price can also be important, which works in favor of the iPad mini. The basic 16GB Wi-Fi version costs CZK 8 including VAT, the iPad with Retina display costs CZK 490 including VAT in the basic 16GB Wi-Fi version. This is the price for which you can have a 12GB iPad mini (CZK 790 with VAT) or a 64GB iPad mini cellular (CZK 12).
For Apple fans, I would compare the choice to deciding between a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro with Retina display. You can get a MacBook Air cheaper, it won't have a perfect display, but it's a fully sufficient machine for normal work and entertainment. In contrast, you pay more for the MacBook Pro, you get a high-quality display and enormous performance, but you pay the price in terms of weight and dimensions.
At this point, many users are probably hoping that the next generation iPad mini will already have a Retina display and thus become the perfect portable device. However, there are big technological challenges in the way of this, so let's stick with the current first generation. This is because, despite the apparent disadvantage of the "standard" display, it is an excellent device and can become a suitable addition to a work laptop or a great first tablet for those unfamiliar with previous iPads.
[one_half last="no"]
advantages:
[Checklist]
- Design and build quality
- Stereo speakers
- Comfortable portrait writing
- Cameras
[/checklist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Lower resolution
- The speakers vibrate at higher volumes
- Small button to change orientation/silent mode
- Worse ergonomics due to small thickness
[/badlist][/one_half]
The iPad mini has already killed Apple in advance with that display with a poor resolution, rough as a grater.
I personally have a 3rd generation iPad, and when I went to look at the iPad mini in the store, it didn't seem so terrible. Contrary to what everyone says everywhere. Comparing the resolution of this display to a grater seems very exaggerated to me.
Franto, for God's sake, even if it doesn't have a Retina display, it's a really high-quality display. And on top of that, you would have an iPad mini with 4 hours of battery life or weighing more than half a kilo. He's not talking about the fact that it would be more expensive and you probably wouldn't like that either, see?
I don't think so, it's still better than the previous generation and also it's an iPad for only 8,5k here! If it had a full retina display, it would cost 2-3 thousand more.
Does anyone have a scratch ala scuff gate? I assume that the black version wears off in the same way as the colored aluminum of the iP5. You won't put much money on this case, and it will more often end up among the things in your bag (necessarily between different Lightning adapters, lol).
Very nice review, even before I read it, I ordered it and now I'm really looking forward to it... it's probably everyone's opinion, but it's my first tablet and it will definitely be good
Nice article. I have had the Mini since the first day it was on sale and I have to say that satisfaction prevails. It's a matter of opinion what Steve would allow or not. But the aunt is no longer here and I think the mini was a good move by Apple and for those who are deciding whether to buy or not and don't mind losing a few pixels, I can only recommend it.
Very nice review. I already had it in my hand and I have to say that I really have a hard time deciding between the mini and the 4th gen. Ipad... :) I have to set my priorities :))
Good day. I have three questions.
1. You write that the 12W charger is "guaranteed to charge your iPad mini faster". Do you have it verified? It's just that I saw a test video where an iPhone I don't know anymore (about 5k) still only took 12W after connecting it to a 5W charger, so it logically charged just as slowly. I'm really interested in this. Does the iPad mini charge faster (ie take more than 5W like from its small charger)?
2. Really "speakers play undimmed even when held normally"? Have you tried it? In one of the recent reviews, the reviewer was not very complimentary about the sound when held normally, when you cover one speaker.
3. I've been really annoyed since the beginning on my iPad2 by not being able to smoothly partially mute the sound with a single press of the mute button without almost immediately turning off the sound, forcing you to mute the volume by repeatedly pressing the mute button. You normally turn down the volume on your iPhone to the desired volume, just like you would on a TV. I verified at the store that the iPad mini behaves the same as the iPad 2 (I assume 3 and 4) in this regard. So far, in the discussions for almost 2 years, I have not even come across anywhere that anyone has addressed it, or that it bothered them. Does anyone know how to do this?
Thanks for the verified answers.
How about photos with WiFi version and WiFi sharing from iP4? Will the photos contain GPS data from the phone? Navigation seems to work, but I can't find it anywhere with photos. Thank you
I would put the dimensions in the minus column. The display is simply smaller and the convenience of working with the device is also smaller. I don't understand how the author of the article can take this size as ideal and thus deny the centuries-proven A4 size, which means that the iPad could easily be larger. The only thing that limits the larger iPad is its weight, which also has a very psychological effect in the case of the iPad mini. Its plus is certainly not the size, especially if you are the owner of a 4″+ smartphone, where the sizes are much more pleasant for mobility. In addition, you can agree with Samsung and go straight to the Galaxy Note, which is a better device according to this logic.
I have an iPad 3 and I bought a Mini for it precisely because it is smaller and sometimes more practical. Better for reading and for playing some games as well.
Have you tried the mini and iPhone applications? How do they behave when they get older? So how do I duplicate the resolution on the ipad2? Or bezia in native?
you can have it in the original, since the application is in the middle of the screen or you can zoom in twice...
Please fix this little mistake on an otherwise perfect review :) "It didn't work for us and I measured it." Delete the comment afterwards of course ;)
Loudspeakers vibrate at high volume - And what do you think they should do? :D
iPad 2 not vibrating properly? ;)
I bought 16GB black today. the size is excellent, I wouldn't want more. I'm just trying to find a browser through which I can play flash... (my video, video cards, etc.)... :/
I recommend Puffin browser. He can flash.
I've had an iPad mini since the first day it came out. I switched to it from an IPad 2. I knew what I wanted - a smaller, lighter version and I did well. I'm really satisfied with it, really excited. It's even more amazing with the smart cover :-) It's beautiful to write on and it's just great that I can keep it with me thanks to its size. I won't give this one away :-) And Siri is fun, which I didn't have for 2 :-) I can only recommend it. My friend has an ipad4 and the display is really beautiful, but I wouldn't change it. Because I don't think the quality of the display is any worse, and the main thing that works for me is that it is compact, small and light, and the display is also beautiful, only sometimes the bigger one like the 2,3,4 would be useful...
mini
It bothers me that in 5 months epl will present the ipad mini 2, which will have an 8mea camera and in the fall ipad mini 3 with retina!!!
Even so, I would prefer it over the scum like Halaxy tab and co...
yes, I believe that the next event will bring ipad mini with brilliant retina dspl :-)) it's a shame that apple sells for the same prices as in USD and in EUR
I have an iPad retina and an iPad mini and I hardly use the retina at all, my son plays with it... the iPad mini is simply great, light, ideal for reading books, surfing, after all, an adult iPad is heavy and after a long time it hurts my hands, what as for the display, yes, it's not retina, but it's perfectly suitable for casual entertainment with a tablet
I'm sickly wary of Apple and I'd hate for it to get scratched somehow. I would like to use it mainly at home on WiFi with a smart cover. Therefore, I would like to ask if anyone has already scratched the black version, and if so, whether it was due to its transport or custom. using. I personally like the black version, but if the color doesn't last very well, I'd rather go for the white version. Please advise.. Feel free in the mini poll in the comments. Thank you!!
I've had it since it was released, I use it every day and it's still like new, I have a smart cover.
could you please explore the GPS sharing option in more detail? I have an iPhone 5, I would like to buy an ipad mini, but I want to know if the GPS is shared via the hotspot for tomtom navigation, navigon, etc... Thanks
I read this article with great interest and I am glad that there was finally someone who was able to objectively compare what was needed.
I myself actually decided on the i pad mini earlier. Thanks to this author for a stimulating post.
I would like to add a short note: I have a 10-inch Android at home. Total skepticism. Never again anything other than the Apple iPad and the iPad mini. It will cost me more than twice as much, but it will be simply usable. And here it goes, friends.
I'm a hardcore Apple fan, but I have to say that I would never buy their latest products. I had one of each Iphone and was excitedly waiting for the five…. First time I have to say thank you I don't want to…. I had the first version of the Ipad almost immediately after it was released in the US... I bought an Ipad mini yesterday and I am beyond excited... It is exactly what I imagined...
and now, please... Ipod Touch or Ipad mini? The price is similar... the mini has a bigger screen, which can be an advantage, but you probably won't carry it in your pocket. Otherwise, it's probably the same... Skype supports both, iMessanger and programs of this type have both as well in what way is it better? has anyone tried to compare them?
Please, how is it with the 2-year statutory warranty in the Czech Republic if I buy an iPad mini at the official Apple Online Store intended for the Czech Republic? Can I claim a free device repair in the second year as well, without needing a certificate that the defect was caused by a manufacturing defect and not by use?
The warranty is of course 2 years. No need for an appraisal, just send it back to them and they will replace the bad part.
I'd like to say that anyone who is hesitant to buy an iPad mini doesn't have to be! It's a great device and Apple definitely succeeded!!;) I have an iPhone 4S and I was worried about the lack of retina and I want to say that it's not as bad as some reviews say.. If you don't want a big screen, I highly recommend it mini!!