Apple's iPad mini Reviews

First impressions of Apple's iPad mini

by Hedirman Supian

The Apple iPad Mini.

SAN JOSE - We've all heard the hype, and had probably already formed an opinion of it based on rumours and hearsay even before it was officially unveiled last night. But now I've had the chance to touch it and toy with it in the flesh, I'd say the iPad mini looks, and feels, like a much more refined iPad, but is not without its flaws.

On paper, the small trade-off in screen real estate for the iPad mini over its bigger brother - 7.9 inches compared to the 9.7 inches we've grown accustomed to - doesn't sound like much, but it feels much more diminutive than it looks. It's thin and lightweight, like a paper notepad in a similar size, and you can comfortably hold it in one hand.

The tech specs say the mini weighs 308 grams, and standing here in the California Theatre at San Jose, it certainly feels the touted 53 per cent lighter than the third-generation iPad. The difference is like holding the iPhone 4S first, then the slimline iPhone 5. You wouldn't think it would be that much lighter, yet it is.

The weight doesn't seem to have come at the cost of quality. The solid aluminium enclosure feels very well-built - in terms of design language and aesthetics, it shares a lot with the latest iPod touch. The only caveat is that the iPad mini's chamfered edges might be prone to scratches after wear and tear, just like on my iPhone 5.

Despite not sporting a Retina display, the iPad mini's screen is bright enough for playing games and for watching movies. While the screen is smaller, I was surprised to find that it was still a surprisingly immersive experience when I attempted to play a game or watch snippets of a movie.

However, the text was noticeably not as sharp and the screen wasn't as bright as on the third-generation iPad (I guess we can't call it the "new" iPad any more?).

I only had a short time to try out the iPad mini; prolonged usage will reveal whether users can live without the sharpness and vivid colours of a Retina display.

The biggest issue with the iPad mini, though, is one that has nothing to do with the device itself. Rather, it's the competition it's going up against, and more specifically the value-for-money argument.

The iPad mini - starting at S$448 for its lowest-end WiFi-only 16GB version, and peaking at S$958 for the bells-and-whistles 64GB WiFi plus 4G model - is priced higher than other similarly-sized tablets in the market. Compare this to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that was recently-launched in Singapore at S$399 (16GB, WiFi only), or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which starts from S$598 with 3G connectivity.

So, is Apple's new petite plaything worth the extra dime? I've had friends who love the iOS interface, but complain of how big and heavy the iPad is; the new form factor could be the deal-breaker for them. If you value light weight and portability, you'd be willing to pay a premium for the Apple experience.

But the cost-conscious, as well as those who need more screen real estate and processing horsepower, might want to wait for the chance to toy with the mini in the flesh before making any decisions.




Source:  www.todayonline.com