At the end of 2012, Apple introduced iPad Mini, which users immediately fell in love with. On October 23, 2012, in San Jose, iPad mini 1 was presented to the general public. December 14, 2012 Apple iPad Mini 1 was presented in Russia. A small and compact tablet immediately found its consumer in the tablet device market. Although the company previously adhered to strict principles regarding the size of the tablet, it eventually met its user halfway and released a mini version of the recently presented iPad 2.
In this article we will conduct a short review of the iPad mini 1, where we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of a small tablet iPad devices mini 1, let's evaluate a1455 mini iPad specifications, but don't be too critical, because this is Apple's very first portable tablet.
The first generation mini tablet from Apple has a diagonal of 9.7 inches with dimensions of 200x134.7 and a thickness of 7.2 mm. Quite light, weighing 312 grams, and compact, you can hold it with one hand, but you won’t be able to control it completely with one hand, since it’s not convenient, that’s why it’s a tablet. The version of the mini-tablet with Wi-Fi + Cellular functions has a nano-sim tray connector on the left, which allows you to perform the functions of a smartphone, and at the bottom there is a Lightning connector for charging and connecting a USB cable to the device.
The outer casing of the iPad Mini 1 is made of aluminum in silver and bluish-gray, almost black. Its 24-bit screen and multi-touch display are quite simple, and the resolution is only 1024 by 768 pixels or 163 dpi. Of course, this is not a Retina display, but the oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, which does not leave fingerprints on the screen, is still pleasing to the eye.
The mini tablet resembles an e-reader in appearance; it is not immediately easy to perceive it as an iPad. A little more good smartphone, it can easily be placed in a large trouser or jacket pocket. Overall, the mini version of iPad 2 looks good and is quite functional, in our opinion.
What the display can do for you
Of course, as far as the color rendering of the display is concerned, it looks a bit weak, and the air cushion between the display and the glass worsens the quality of color rendering. And to be honest, the most frustrating thing is the display. Any connoisseur of Apple technology will boldly declare that after the Retina display it is impossible to look at the display of the iPad mini without tears: the letters are not clear, the picture is blurry, there is no good clarity and brightness, the same applies to the quality of photographs, and looking at pages in Safari is not at all joyful .
But already in November 2013, Apple presented the updated iPad Mini with ultra-modern Retina display, to increase the number of sales of tablets that the public liked and at the same time get rid of criticism. At the same time, the design and color of the black model changed slightly to Space Gray , in addition, the iPad Mini model came out with an added, more capacious built-in flash memory of 128 GB.
Camera quality
As for the quality of photo and video shooting, of course, the main five-lens FaceTime HD camera The iPad produces only 5 megapixels with an aperture of 2.4 and 30 frames per second, there are also built-in light sensors on the back of the case, there is LED backlight for the iSight camera, auto focusing and face recognition functions. Therefore, the quality of the photographs, although not the best, although it fits well with the standards. If you watch a video, it’s even very convenient, since compared to iPhones, this is not discussed at all, but as for a mini iPad, one is not bad at all. At the same time, the volume of the speakers, of course, does not go off scale, but to truly enjoy good sound, it is better to use a high-quality headset that comes with the kit.
Button control
The controls on the iPad mini are quite standard and familiar to Apple devices. At the bottom below the screen there is a convenient multifunctional “Home” button, at the top there is Power to turn the device on or off, on the right there is a volume control key and a prohibition on rotating the screen at the same time. The home button itself is very responsive and obedient. In general, there are no questions about managing the device.
Production capacity
The mini tablet came in three models with 16, 32 and 64 GB of built-in flash memory. At the same time, its performance is served by 512 GB random access memory. In 2013, after modernization, the fourth version of the iPad mini model was introduced with built-in flash memory with 128 GB of memory. operating system from Apple A5 it runs on two cores.
But the main advantage of this device is that it was released as a reduced size copy of iPad 2, maintaining its characteristics. Therefore, programs written for a large iPad can be easily installed on its mini version, especially since the screen extension of both devices is the same. True, the mini-tablet has a slightly smaller font of letters and numbers, but this is not particularly a hindrance, given its compactness.
Battery power
As for the battery, its capacity has comparatively decreased due to the mini version. So, thanks to a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 4400 mAh, the iPad mini can operate for up to 10 hours.
Communication quality and variations
In addition, the iPad mini came in three versions, two of which: one with Wi-Fi support, and the other with Wi-Fi + Cellular support . At the same time, the version with GSM support feels good in LTE, GSM/EDGE networks , DC-HSDPA and others, and the model with CDMA support, in addition to the above, also has CDMA EV-DO networks. Both versions support Bluetooth 4.0.The third model does not support communication, but has a WI-FI function and wireless bluetooth technology 4.0.
Price policy
Depending on the hardware of the tablet, the price requested by the manufacturer for the iPad Mini 1 model also varies. Thus, for the 16 GB version they asked for from 329 to 459 dollars, and for the 32 GB model - from 429-529 dollars, respectively, for 64 GB - from 529 -USD 659. Now a used version costs about 7,000 rubles, while a new one fluctuates around 20,000 rubles.
conclusions
Having a mini-tablet is quite convenient for those who often travel on public transport. After all, watching a video or reading a book on an iPhone is too inconvenient, but an enlarged version of an iPhone or a smaller copy of an iPad is even very good. Stylish, black with good screen coverage, a metal body on the back, fits comfortably in the hands and does not attract much attention to itself.
Unfortunately, as of June 19, 2015, the iPad mini has actually been discontinued from sale and no updates are being made. However, iOS 6 can be updated from iTunes to iOS 9.3 version.
Having studied all the iPad models and their characteristics, you can understand how the technologies for creating Tablet PCs have developed and progressed from 2010 to the present day.
After all, these famous gadgets, both a few years ago and now, are equipped with the most modern parts. And you can see development from them.
Moreover, some analysts suggest that iPads will eventually be the first to displace a significant part of the market from desktop computers, surpassing them, if not in power, then at least in mobility and ease of use.
iPad 1
The first iPad went on sale in 2010 and became a truly revolutionary gadget, which received many technologies that other tablet PCs did not have at that time - an IPS display and a powerful gigahertz Apple processor A4.
High operating speed, a screen with a diagonal of almost 10 inches and a capacious 6667 mAh battery made the iPad 1 popular.
However, it was still just an experimental model, with a number of shortcomings and shortcomings.
Among the disadvantages of the device was the relatively short duration of operation on a single charge - even such a battery was not enough for large display and the resource-intensive iOS operating system.
In addition, the iPad was quite thick by the standards of other tablets and did not come with a camera, which is why it could not be used for video chatting.
But its body has rounded edges and stylish volume control buttons on the right side.
The developers’ original solution was the button for switching lock modes and screen orientation, which lights up green when turned on.
Another impressive characteristic is the tablet’s built-in memory, the maximum capacity of which was 64 GB.
Although the rather modest RAM parameters did not allow installing more modern versions on the tablet.
Technical specifications:
- Screen size: 9.7 inches;
- resolution: 768 x 1024;
- processor: single-core, 1000 MHz;
- cameras: none;
- memory capacity: 256 MB RAM and from 16 to 64 GB built-in;
- Battery capacity: 6667 mAh.
iPad 2
The next generation of iPad, which appeared in 2011, was more advanced and had many fewer shortcomings.
First of all, this concerned the amount of RAM that had increased to 512 MB - quite enough to run modern applications and installation of new operating systems.
In addition, the model received two cameras at once - the main one with 0.69 megapixels. and frontal with resolution (640 x 480), gyroscope and dual-core processor.
Most other characteristics, except for a more powerful processor, remained at the same level. Visually, the gadget was distinguished by the edging of the Home button, which matched the color of the body.
Tablet parameters:
- screen: 1536x2048 pixels, 7.9 inches;
- chipset: 2 cores, 1300 MHz;
- cameras: 5 and 1.2 megapixels;
- memory: RAM – 1 GB, ROM – 16, 64 and 128 GB;
- Battery capacity: 6471 mAh.
Another plus is the most affordable price in the entire history of the series. The basic version of the model can be purchased for only $329.
At the same time, decent capabilities and quite affordable prices allow the gadgets to compete well with the top versions of other manufacturers.
And not only among amateurs Apple products, but also among users who prefer high performance and modern technologies.
Comparing the iPad mini and iPad mini 2 will allow you to conclude how important all the improvements that Apple has introduced in the newer tablet are. The devices differ little in appearance. At the same time, the transformations affected many functions. iPad mini Retina is equipped not only with a new screen. He has more powerful filling compared to its predecessor. Despite the fact that the devices are not new today, many will be interested in comparing the characteristics of the gadgets. Users have so far successfully used the iPad mini, released on November 2, 2012, and the iPad mini with Retina display, released on October 22, 2013. It's no secret that there is a category of users who prefer to update their gadgets as soon as a new product comes out. In modern English language even a new term “Mac nazi” has appeared, which characterizes a big fan of Apple products. Comparing devices allows you to find the answer to the question of how justified the upgrades are. Users will also be able to conclude how relevant are products released 2-3 years ago. Today they cope with many tasks no worse than the new products of 2015.
The appearance of the iPad mini and iPad mini 2 is practically the same. At first glance, it will be difficult for an inexperienced user to distinguish between two mobile devices. However, despite the similarities, there are still differences. The body dimensions of the first generation tablet are 200×138×7.2 mm. At the same time, more new model slightly thicker than its predecessor - its dimensions are 200x134x7.5 mm. Such an insignificant difference is practically not felt when using the tablet.
The iPad mini with Retina display is 29 grams heavier than the first generation gadget - its weight is 341 grams. Such an insignificant difference is hardly noticeable to the average user. The location of the buttons remains unchanged. They are made of metal High Quality and press with little force. The body remains metal - it is made of anodized aluminum. The frames visually seem very thin, which is an indication of the device high level. All connectors remain in the same place - at the top left you can find a headphone jack, at the top center there is a microphone. The Power button remains in the same place - at the top right. On the right side there is a button for auto-locking screen rotation, which is very convenient. Nearby are the volume control buttons. Both models are produced only in two colors already familiar to Apple - silver and space gray.
Display
The biggest difference between the two Apple tablets is the . The disadvantage of the iPad mini could be considered the lack of a Retina display. This is actually a marketing name for an LCD screen in which the pixel density is so high that it is not visible to the human eye. If in the first generation gadget the resolution is 1024 × 768 pixels (equal to 163 dpi), then in the iPad mini it is 2048 × 1536 pixels (326 dpi). At the same time, the screen is equipped with an excellent anti-reflective coating, which is so important when working in bright light conditions. Moreover, mobile devices are equipped with an IPS matrix.
Retina display has higher pixel density Camera
At first glance, there are no differences in the camera on the two tablet models. The resolution of the rear camera of the iPad mini and iPad mini 2 is 5 megapixels. It allows you to shoot Full HD video in 1080p format. It has a resolution of 1.2 megapixels. An important advantage of the front-facing camera of the iPad mini with Retina display is the presence of a back-illuminated sensor. This innovation allows you to achieve high image quality even in low light conditions.
Cameras have the same resolution Testing of the rear camera shows that the newer tablet produces slightly better image quality than its predecessor. But still, image comparison shows that the camera iPad Air, released at the same time as the iPad mini 2, copes with its tasks more efficiently. A comparison of the first and second generation tablets speaks in favor of the latter. The camera absorbs noise better and allows you to achieve excellent quality photos and videos, despite the resolution of 5 megapixels. Among the disadvantages is still the lack of flash.
Features and performance
The second-generation tablet is equipped with a more powerful dual-core Apple A7 processor, clock frequency which is 1.3 GHz. Its predecessor is equipped with an Apple A5 processor with a frequency of 1 GHz. The two tablets have 1 GB and 512 MB, respectively. Of course, the filling makes the second generation tablet more productive and ensures performance. At the same time, the newer gadget may heat up, which was not the case in its previous version.
Powerful processor makes iPad mini 2 more productive Battery capacity mobile device the first generation is 4440 mAh, and the second is 6471 mAh. Such indicators provide
Apple's new tablet is called iPad mini. It's small, it reminds me e-book. The display here is bad. But this can be forgiven, given the other features.
Design, construction
Like any other device from the company, the iPad mini will instantly make you either want to give up your money, clutch the tablet to your chest and run away without looking back, or burnt hatred. There are a lot of people who don't accept the company's design games. Many believe that the popularization of complex technology does not bring anything good and computers, smartphones, tablets should remain the domain of guys who are REALLY UNDERSTANDING. Well, Apple continues to bring these technologies to every home. Let's say I don't think any girl would seriously want to try a Windows tablet. Because it is unfashionable, because it is difficult, because it is not heard by millions of people - even those who do not know how to use a computer have heard about the iPad. I’m silent about tablets with Windows. And Android is not far behind, smartphones are one thing, but tablets for the most part are still a pitiful sight. This applies to operating time, displays, and performance. In the article about the announcement of the iPad mini, I wrote about the reasons that probably prompted Apple to release this product. You can read all the lyrics there, but here let’s talk about a specific gadget.
As with the iPod mini, I want to point out how cheap Apple is. It would seem, why not put EarPods in the kit right away? After all, it is clear that a person will use a tablet, including for music, and for conversations on Skype or FaceTime. The strange tradition of not including a headset began with the first iPad and continued this year. You'll either have to buy a headset separately or use what you have. I would recommend EarPods, apparently, there are some settings and they make the sound of the headphones paired with the tablet very good. However, this applies to both iPhone and iPod.
The box is very small, made of cardboard, two times smaller than the packaging of a regular iPad. Most reminiscent of a Kindle box. And the tablet itself most closely resembles an e-reader; at first it’s generally unusual to perceive it as an iPad. It's easy to hold with one hand and fits easily into a jacket pocket or even the back pocket of jeans.
Naturally, this is very convenient, especially for those people who often use a tablet in public transport. It's not just a matter of where the iPad mini can be hidden. When you are reading a book or playing a game, holding the device with both hands, it is not very visible. Especially if it's mini black colors. The body is completely black and rear end, and a frame around the display. From a distance you won't understand what it is. I note that here the case is unibody, made of aluminum, the metal pleasantly cools the hand. The back of the case is matte, the display is covered by glass with an oleophobic coating. Fingerprints are clearly visible on both the front and back, although the black color does a good job of hiding them. After two days of active use there are no scratches yet. I personally really like the design, it’s one of those things that you don’t seem to need, but you want to have on hand - although I can’t imagine how to fit the mini into the ecosystem. Considering that there is both a regular iPad and a MacBook Air.
The device comes in two colors, black and white, I’ve seen both, I like black better, but white too. In general, it is not white, the frame around the display is that color, and the back of the case is silver.
Reminds me of the design of the iPhone 5. It seems to me that this option is clearly for girls. The version with a radio module has a plastic antenna plug on the back, while the version with Wi-Fi has a completely metal body.
On the bottom of the case there are speaker holes (or speakers), a Lightning connector, on the top there is a 3.5 mm jack, and a microphone. The exact dimensions are 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm, weight - 308 grams. The version with the radio module weighs 312 grams.
The speaker volume is sufficient for listening to music or watching videos, but it is better to use a headset.
Display
For starters, here are the facts: the display diagonal is 7.87 inches, resolution 1024 x 768 pixels. At the presentation, everything related to resolution was carefully avoided; still, in the days of Retina, they would have shown a “revolutionary” gadget with a regular screen.
Now the lyrics. The weakest point of the device is the display. As an ardent lover of Apple technology, I can come up with many excuses for the screen and the company, but... But in fact, if you have used an iPad with Retina, you will immediately understand. The display here is disgusting. Bad. The guys at Apple taught us to see beautiful letters, as if drawn on the screen. They taught us to enjoy sharpness and brightness. And now I see slightly blurry letters on the mini screen. I’m watching a movie, but my brain is busy with something else, namely comparison with a regular iPad, where the same movie looks much better. I’m keeping quiet about photos and browsing pages in Safari.
I understand everything, in fact, this is a new segment for Apple, essentially a test of the pen in an unexplored area, it is not clear whether it will work or not (apparently it will). The price would probably be different with Retina. There is no point in scaring off users. From a business point of view, everything is correct.
Everything is also true from the point of view that people who have not used an iPad with Retina do not notice the catch. I don’t mean those who saw it in pictures and then go broke on the Internet about bad Apple. And those for whom the iPad with Retina really helps in their business. I specifically invited several owners of such tablets to evaluate the tablet, at first they were delighted with appearance, at first they say about the display that it is not bad, then they notice: “It’s a pity that it’s not Retina.”
It's really a pity.
Control
The placement of controls is traditional for iOS devices, under the display - Home button, on the top is the on/off button, on the right is the volume control and the mute lever (it also prohibits image rotation). The main control element is the display, as in other Apple devices, it instantly becomes addictive even for those who are used to dealing with buttons. The management here is very good. And given the size and weight of the device, it is now much easier for both children and girls to play or use programs. Although, with representatives of the fairer sex everything is a little more complicated. For example, my girlfriend noted that she would never exchange a regular iPad for a mini - yes, her tablet weighs more, but it also has a larger display, and this important point(uses iPad for work). I think this opinion will be shared by many. I personally am attracted by the compactness of the iPad mini, it’s really great, but after Retina it’s impossible to look at the display without shuddering.
As you know, there are very narrow bezels around the display. Accordingly, if you hold the device in one hand, then pressing with the edge of your thumb, you could launch some programs. Apple came up with a solution: the areas next to the frame do not respond to clicks, or rather, you need to hit the icon exactly. In life, there are no problems due to the frame; I didn’t notice that the mini was any different in terms of control from its big brothers.
Memory and modifications
There are six modifications in total, the main differences are the availability of 4G, and the traditional Apple memory division, 16/32/64 GB. Strictly speaking, there are not even six modifications, but nine, since the iPad mini A1454 is equipped with a module that supports the following standards: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Bands 4 and 17). And the iPad mini A1455 supports CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5 , 13, 25). Apparently, LTE will not work in Russia.
Nutrition
The stated operating time is 10 hours in normal mode, and the specifications do not specifically say what exactly can be done; the description is vague “Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music.” The device holds a charge well, that is, you won’t be as surprised as when using an Android tablet, you’ve been lying in the car for an hour fully charged, and suddenly ten percent is gone. Here, working hours are controlled and predictable. It may not be worth counting on ten hours, but nine hours is quite possible. Just don’t forget about the brightness; it’s hardly worth keeping it at maximum; it’s quite comfortable to work with the device in any conditions, even if the brightness slider is set to half.
It’s interesting that the kit comes with the same network adapter as with the iPhone 5, and not the old one as with the regular iPad. In any case, it will take about four hours to fully charge. You can charge both from USB and network adapter. This is another device that uses the new Lightning connector. You know, this may seem funny, but many might think that they made more money on accessories for Apple equipment third party companies. Naturally, this is the wrong way of looking at things; even before the advent of Lightning, the company earned millions from selling original cables, adapters, cradles, power supplies and other add-ons. The company named several reasons for using Lightning, including compactness and reliability, but let's not forget that Apple always tries to tailor clothes to suit itself. IN in this case these clothes are a huge accessory market, billions of dollars and hundreds of companies. I note that Apple did a good job of reminding who’s boss. Do you want to make things for a new connector? Let's gather together for the conference. We listen about the chips in the cable and their features. Let's write it down. We pay. Or we don’t pay, it’s still unclear. We produce accessories. We obtain the right to the inscription “Made for iPhone (iPad, iPod)” on the packaging. We get the right to be in Apple Store. Left-right. Left-right. Are you used to the old connector? Lots of fakes? Are funny people making millions on cables for two cents? Press everyone, line them up, remind them who and what.
I would like to note that only Apple consumers forgive such tricks. For example, while the still well-known company Sony, those same consumers poured buckets of slop every time the company tried to come up with something of its own. Take WP-port for Walkman players. Well, or some other kind of pampering.
Personally, I have come to terms with Lightning. One cable for iPad with a regular connector. One for iPhone 5. An adapter purchased for the occasion. And another one, with a long cable. We must somehow get used to living in a new way! Left-right, left-right.
Operating system and performance
Now update 6.0.1 has just been released, the list of changes is as follows:
- Fixed a bug that prevented installation iPhone device 5 over-the-air software updates.
- Fixed a bug that could cause horizontal lines to appear on top of the keyboard.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the camera flash to malfunction.
- Improved reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted Wi-Fi networks WPA2.
- Addresses an issue that could prevent iPhone from using cellular networks in some cases.
- Introduced a single Cellular Data toggle for iTunes Match.
- Fixed an issue with password protection that in some cases could result in Passbook card information being granted access from a locked screen.
- Fixed an issue that impacted Exchange meeting functionality.
I haven't noticed any significant changes yet.
The A5 processor has been familiar to us for a long time from the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, it also costs iPod touch fifth generation.
An old horse won’t spoil the furrow, and he’s not that old. The tablet works quickly, and this applies not only to basic applications, but also to games. In the screenshots you can see which toys I launched, there were no problems with any of them. But in terms of launch speed, and in terms of speed in general, the regular iPad (the “third”, as they call it) still seems better to me.
Here are some screenshots from a program that measures performance. Especially for those who need graphics! More graphs!
There is Bluetooth, version 4.0, and Wi-Fi. There were no problems with connection. Wireless headphones You can and should use it, my choice is Parrot Zik.
The microphone is not bad, it can be used for communication via Skype or FaceTime. The voice recorder will have to be installed from the AppStore.
Camera
Or rather, cameras. Above the display there is a FaceTime camera (1.2 MP), video in HD (720p), you can read about FaceTime in a separate article.
There is a 5 MP camera on the back, sorry again, the weather in Moscow is disgusting, that’s why the pictures are dark. There is autofocus, backlight, video recording in HD (1080p), focusing on the object that you specify. The camera works quickly, there are no complaints here. I think the pictures are not bad. Naturally, the device is much more suitable for shooting than a regular iPad, if only due to its miniature size.
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conclusions
I won’t even write how much the device costs in Russia now - once again Apple pretended that our market, it seems, does not exist. This means that you will not receive any iPad mini supplies. In the US and some other countries, prices are as follows: $329 for 16 GB, $429 for 32 GB, $529 for 64 GB. The 4G and Wi-Fi version will be available in a few weeks, priced at $459, $559 and $659. The traditional Apple step is one hundred dollars.
You, dear reader, can best evaluate the device yourself. The gadget is charming, except that the display let us down. Although this is a subjective point. Logic dictates that it would be better for everyone to wait for the mini version with 4G, but if you are going to give it to a child, then Wi-Fi will be enough.
Among other tablets with a similar display diagonal, the mini stands apart. Naturally, we are talking about Android gadgets. Yes, a number of such tablets can easily replace a phone. But what do they look like? How long do they work? How stable? What are the basic features? How easy are they to manage? After all, how famous are these toys? After all, most consumers buy some things not only for themselves, but also to say something to the world? Accordingly, like some other things from Apple, the iPad mini may be a loser. When you compare it on an online store website with classmates.
But when you come to the store and pick up the mini, that’s when the magic begins.
I’m not campaigning in any way, but Apple has again turned out to be a charming gadget, no match for its competitors. The same iPad, only more convenient. Maybe mini will be your first Apple device. Well, then everything goes according to a familiar scenario. Refusal from Windows. Replacing the access point. The person no longer searches or chooses anything (and is not present on forums or discussions) and is ready to forgive Apple for any pranks.
We live in such strange times.
P.S. I really don't think the Nexus 7 will pass as a competitor. And any other tablet with Android. They can be cheaper, yes. But then it’s better to immediately buy thousands for three e-readers with a TFT display - savings, versatility, comfort. Do you want a tablet? A normal tablet that works for a long time, is beautiful, with a bunch of smart programs in a company store? Then only iPad, no matter what, be it mini or maxi. There are no alternatives yet.
Sergey Kuzmin ()
Well, Apple was honored to release a seven-inch tablet - less than three years have passed. There have been a whole bunch of seven-inch tablets on the market for a long time of completely different quality and cost, but they are all on Android, and if you are hooked on the Apple needle, then you probably still want to have a compact tablet from Apple, so as not to get up twice and Don’t bother yourself with some androids when you have such beautiful icons from iOS. Thus, this tablet in any case, it already has its own huge audience of iPad owners of various letters from 1 to 3, so it hardly makes sense to compare the iPad mini, for example, with or Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). But in any case, it’s interesting to see what it is, so we’ll now start studying it, fortunately the tablet came to me from the States, for which many thanks to the online store Reader-Sony.ru. Specifications
operating system: iOS 6.0.1
CPU: Apple A5 (ARM Cortex-A9), 2 cores, 1 GHz
RAM: 512 MB
Flash memory: 16 GB (can be 32 and 64 GB)
Display: 7.85", IPS matrix with LED backlight, 1024x768, pixel density 163 ppi
Net: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz)
Memory card: No
Back camera: iSight F/2.4, 5 MP with autofocus, 1080p video, face detection
Front camera: 1.3 megapixels
Input Output: Lightning dock connector, 3.5 mm stereo jack, speaker, microphone
GPS: No
Additionally: gyroscope, light sensor
Battery: built-in, 16.3 Wh, 4430 mAh
Dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm
Weight: 308 gThere are also models with support mobile Internet, and they have GPS/GLONASS. What can be noted about the configuration? The display is almost 8 inches, IPS matrix with LED backlighting, but not Retina - pixel density is 163 ppi, while Retina has 326 ppi. With such a display - a small frame around it - the tablet turned out to be really very compact and thin. Plus - it's very light: it's half the weight of the iPad 3. Equipment
The box is traditional, but smaller in size compared to the iPad. 
Contents: tablet, USB cable, power adapter, envelope with brochures and stickers with an apple. 
Appearance and Controls
The tablet looks very good. Slim, elegant. 
The back cover is made of aluminum with a special dark coating. By the way, despite the matte finish, the lid can be grasped quite quickly with your fingers, but the marks are visible only in reflected light. Users were concerned that the coating on aluminum would chip in the same way as in the iPhone 5, but here the ends are rounded, so the coating seems to hold up well.
The bottom end is the speakers and connector input. 
At the top right end there is a screen orientation switch or mute switch (configurable), sound adjustment keys. On the iPad, the sound is controlled by a rocker; here there are two separate buttons. Comfortable, although a little tight. 
The top end has a headphone output (it seems to be as thick as the entire tablet), a microphone, and a power button located in a traditional place for an iPad. 
Well, now let's compare this iPad with its older dad - iPad 3. Here they are, beauties. And here it is clearly visible that with a slightly smaller screen size (8" versus 10" - not such a big difference), the iPad mini is clearly smaller in the linear dimensions of the device itself. 
Well, here is their comparison in terms of thickness. iPad mini is just a baby compared to its older brother. 
Display
Let me quote a phrase from Sergei Kuzmin’s review on Mobile-Review: The weakest point of the device is the display. As an ardent lover of Apple technology, I can come up with many excuses for the screen and the company, but... But in fact, if you have used an iPad with Retina, you will immediately understand. The display here is disgusting. Bad. The guys at Apple taught us to see beautiful letters, as if drawn on the screen. They taught us to enjoy sharpness and brightness. And now I see slightly blurry letters on the mini screen. I’m watching a movie, but my brain is busy with something else, namely comparison with a regular iPad, where the same movie looks much better. I’m keeping quiet about photos and browsing pages in Safari. I read it and was surprised. To call a display on an honest IPS matrix with very decent characteristics “disgusting” is a serious statement. As I understand it, the author of the review has the word “retina” deeply ingrained in his brain, that is, Retina display. He knows that the iPad 3 is retina-ready. iPhone 5 has a retina feature. And the MacBook Pro 2012 has retina. And the iPad mini does not have a retina. So it's junk. They offended the child and took away the candy. Circus on ice! Yes, the iPad mini is not Retina. But the term Retina refers to the display resolution. The iPhone with Retina has 326 ppi (pixels per inch), the iPad 3 has 264 ppi, MacBook Pro 2012 - 220 ppi. This tablet has 163 ppi. Nevertheless, the display itself is quite decent. Good brightness margin, normal contrast, soft and deep color rendition, excellent (as usual with IPS) viewing angles. By the way, let's see how many ppi the main competitors have. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 - 196 ppi. Google Nexus 7 (which is actually ASUS) - 216 ppi. It lags behind the Samsung iPad mini slightly, the Nexus 7 has better resolution and ppi, but I wouldn’t say that this is very noticeable. Even if you put the iPad mini and iPad 3 with Retina next to each other, the difference won’t be much noticeable. Yes, letters and images look a little clearer on Retina. But if you give an iPad mini to an ordinary user and say that it has a Retina display, he will not even doubt that it is so.
So I don’t know why some journalists suddenly have such complaints about the display. Yes, not the best. Yes, it is worse than that of the iPad 3. But nevertheless, it is quite normal. (Almost exactly the same as the iPad 2, by the way.) Calling it disgusting is just bullshit. “Still, I would like to have a retina,” sighed the cat Bublik.Device operation The desktop of the loaded tablet looks like this.
The icon grid is exactly the same as in the iPad 3: 4 columns and 5 rows. We have repeatedly reviewed iOS and applications for it, so we will only look at the work of the most important applications for such a screen. The settings are no different from a large iPad, as far as I could tell.
The browser displays websites at a resolution of 1024x768 completely normally, and this does not cause any discomfort. We remember that the iPad 3 with Retina has a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, but the sites do not support this resolution, so almost the same thing fits on the screen on both tablets, it’s just that the picture looks better and clearer on the iPad 3. (This is especially noticeable in the text.) Here is the Lenta.ru website in the iPad mini browser. 
And here is the Lenta.ru website in the iPad 3 browser. 
In the screenshots, the difference is not visible at all, but when comparing tablets, it is noticeable: on the iPad 3, small text is more clearly visible.
Left - iPad 3, right - iPad mini
Sites scale smoothly and quickly, enlarged letters are drawn well. 
Video Everything is fine with the video. Especially considering the fact that now you can purchase videos of the required resolution from the iTunes store and it’s there in at its best: with different tracks and a set of subtitles. Uploaded the cartoon to High Definition. It looks great, plays in various modes (normal and full screen) without any brakes. 
Well, I checked how the film looks in normal SD resolution: it’s also completely normal.
It reads well in both portrait and landscape modes.
However, the difference with the iPad 3 is noticeable. The photo does not convey the difference well, but when you compare identical books on the iPad 3 and iPad mini, you can see that on the iPad 3 the text looks noticeably clearer and, accordingly, is more comfortable to read. 
The same goes for magazines in PDF. A4 magazines (relatively speaking) even on the iPad 3 are difficult to read in full-page version; they need to be enlarged, but on the iPad mini you can’t do without enlarging - they are small and illegible.
Skype I drove front camera for Skype and FaceTime. It transmits decently, the quality is normal. 
Performance
In practical terms, the tablet works smoothly and quickly, I didn’t notice any slowdowns, the performance is quite sufficient. The Geekbench 2 test gives 761 parrots (). 
This is completely normal, the iPad 3 has 764 parrots (). Battery operation The battery here is noticeably less capacious than that of the iPad 3 (16.3 Wh versus 42 Wh - more than twice), but the display itself is clearly smaller, the resolution is lower - in general, the tablet should have been emptied. It emptied . Time battery life this is traditionally excellent. As usual, I tested it on a purely practical basis. I set the brightness to a comfortable 50% with automatic adjustment. Internet. Everything works wireless network, the browser page reloads once a minute. So, I worked for more than 11 hours! At 11 o'clock the battery capacity remained at 3%. Video. A looped episode of a regular series in airplane mode with communications turned off - 10 hours 34 minutes. Even slightly more than on the second or third iPad. Book reading. All types of communication are turned off, the book scrolls automatically in the reader. 11 hours 45 minutes - almost 12 hours! In general, the performance for such a thickness of the device, in my opinion, is simply excellent! Features during operation I didn't notice any problems during the testing period. The only note is that some icons, especially those located closer to the right-left edge of the display, are not pressed clearly enough, that is, sometimes they do not work the first time.
Otherwise everything was fine. And, by the way, there was no heating of the bottom part (a minor problem with the iPad 3) even under significant load. Price The junior model that I tested (16 GB without mobile Internet) costs $329 in the States. The 16 GB version with mobile phone support costs $459. Model 64 GB without mobile communications costs $529, with mobile connection - $659. In Russia, an iPad mini 16 GB without mobile connection now costs approximately $518. conclusions In general, I can say that I liked the tablet. Lightweight, convenient, cute, but at the same time with a sufficient display size for comfortable work. There is only one noticeable disadvantage here - display resolution. And then - mainly compared to the display of the iPad 3. You quickly get used to the good, so if you have an iPad 3, then you will notice the difference. But in comparison with the iPad 2 there is no difference - these displays are almost the same, with the exception of the linear size. (It’s interesting how the human psyche works. The same journalists who were peeing at the iPad 2 display now call the iPad mini display disgusting.) Now let's answer the question whether it makes sense to switch from iPad 3 to iPad mini if compactness is important to you. I would say so. It’s better not to switch from iPad 3 to iPad mini, because Apple will probably release an iPad mini with a Retina display in a short time. But you can easily switch from iPad 2 to iPad mini. I personally consider the question of whether it is worth changing, for example, Nexus 7 to iPad mini, completely abstract. You should not mix flies with cutlets. Android and iOS are too different operating systems with very different approaches to users to compare tablets on these two systems. The iPad mini is a very good tablet for the entire line for iOS: it will certainly be in demand. When the iPad mini comes out with Retina, it is quite possible that I will think about replacing my iPad 3 with an iPad mini - it is more convenient. And for Android we have our own toys, and we will compare them with each other.