“Last year’s iPad mini was easy to recommend, and this year’s is even easier,” Anand Lal Shimpi writes for AnandTech. “To my surprise however, the iPad Air continues to hold some advantages that may resonate well with some users.”
“The biggest in my eyes is the iPad Air’s wider gamut display with full sRGB coverage. The mini’s Retina Display is good, the Air’s is just better,” Lal Shimpi writes. “There’s also more thermal headroom on the iPad Air, which can come in handy if you’re doing compute intensive work on it. If neither of those things matters to you, then the decision becomes one of usage model and portability.”
“If you’re on the fence about upgrading from an older iPad (or even the first gen mini), the iPad mini with Retina Display is a tempting target. Compared to virtually all previous iPads you’re going to notice a substantial increase in performance thanks to Apple’s A7 SoC,” Lal Shimpi writes. ” In fact, I’d go as far as to say that the performance improvement over the previous generation mini (featuring Apple’s A5) can be just as noticeable of an uprade as the display. The new mini is a leap forward in performance compared to its predecessor.”
Read more in the comprehensive full review – highly recommended – here.
Related articles:
Wired reviews Apple’s Retina iPad mini: Unparalleled, mind-blowing, buy it now – November 15, 2013
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s Retina iPad mini: ‘Tightly elegant, an absolute pleasure to use’ – November 15, 2013
CNET reviews Retina iPad mini: A powerhouse, packed-to-the-gills, top-end tablet beast; Editors’ Choice – November 14, 2013
Associated Press reviews Retina iPad mini: Unmatched by cheaper Android tablets – November 12, 2013
Dalrymple reviews Retina iPad mini: ‘As much as I love the Air, I still find myself reaching for the iPad mini’ – November 12, 2013
Apple starts online sales of iPad mini with Retina display, no in-store pickup available – November 12, 2013
I’m at a loss as to why Apple is not supporting full sRGB on this otherwise superb device. I’m broke anyway, but still dismayed.
I also notice that MDN has ignored the published reports about the Retina Mini’s screen being inferior in color reproduction to the screens of other small tablets.
Published reports about image retention also.
Those reports on color reproduction etc. also say that except for design professionals the difference is not discernable.
Um. The question is why leave a spec vulnerability for competitors to exploit when Apple prides itself on color accuracy, supporting full sRGB on the iPhone and all other Apple devices?
Though no professional, I do a lot with photos and photomanipulation apps on my iPhone 5. You don’t have to be a professional to notice the difference, merely have another ubiquitous Apple device you’re likely to compare it to, like an iPhone.
I received a shipping notice for my iPad mini Retina today and it arrives on November 27. I’ll let you know how the screen is, but knowing Apple I firmly believe the screen will be great.