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Ipad with retina display. Review of Apple iPad mini with Retina screen

Two years ago, we denied the need for a smaller iPad. And now with might and main we consider it to be the best tablet in the world. As soon as Tim Cook confirmed the release, I knew that I would definitely buy it. And here he is next to me. Is this a good tablet? Definitely. Should you change to this one? No options. True, this is not an ideal device.

Apple employs engineers, not wizards. The positives in new devices are always easy to find: the euphoria and joy of owning a new toy helps a lot. But to get to the bottom of the real cons in the first few days is almost impossible. I've been using the new one for three weeks iPad mini with a Retina display and found in it, in addition to obvious improvements, a few unexpected negative moments, many of which have not been written about in any popular review. Let's fix the situation, starting with ourselves!

For what?

Is the iPad mini with Retina display so bad that a separate article is devoted to its disadvantages? Of course, it's not like that at all. Even vice versa. I am sincerely, objectively delighted with this tablet: it is very fast, very light, very portable and functional. This is exactly the iPad mini we secretly wanted when we bought the previous model.

But, after reading dozens of foreign and a couple of domestic reviews, I was left with mixed feelings: as always, journalists are in a hurry, they want to shoot a review among the first and slide into a banal praising of the device and free quoting of marketing clichés from apple.com pages. And their readers are already talking about the minuses - on the forums, with angry responses towards the manufacturer. I think this is wrong. So that you are fully armed, I will freely walk ice rink on iPad mini with Retina display. Immediately make a reservation that we will not discuss the pros in detail.

Battery, charging and battery life

Year after year, Apple puts a charger and cable to iPads, refusing an extra pair of headphones. An interesting point: the iPad mini is not equipped with a new one, but with an old 10-watt one. The manufacturer saves, but in practice it changes almost nothing: the tablet charges for about 5-6 hours from zero to 100%. If you use it regularly and thoroughly, make it a habit to charge your device once every two days - and everything will be fine.

From the USB port, the new mini is practically not powered, except for the deep sleep mode. Considering that notifications are constantly coming there, you will have 20-25% at most for the whole night. Plug it into an outlet, there is no other option. I immediately warn you: with a capacity of less than 10,000 mA, they barely breathe when connected to a new tablet. These are the realities of using a new display and much more voracious hardware.

When playing resource-intensive things like , the tablet is discharged faster than the previous generation mini - mine refuses to live after 5 hours of continuous play. But here it is worth making an important remark: we are talking about the "heaviest" toy for iOS at the moment, which, in terms of processor load, even Infinity Blade III. Lighter toys will work around 7-8 hours, and in the “naked” Wi-Fi surfing mode without playing video and with low brightness, you can squeeze out not even 10, but as many as 11, or even 12 hours of work from the tablet . That's more than 99.99% of us need. During the day, you will definitely have the opportunity to find a charger, which means that the iPad simply cannot physically let you down at the right time (hello, iPhone!).

By the way, I'm so used to the long and stable battery life of the iPad that I constantly forget about the helplessness of iPhones in this regard. Countless calls and important emails that were missed because I forgot to turn off 3G and disable geolocation. With the iPad, you never need to deal with such garbage. Well, unless you want to set records: there are people on Twitter who squeezed 13 hours of continuous work out of the tablet. And when to live, eat, sleep? :)

Chassis, design and heating

iPad mini with Retina display comes in an iPad mini without Retina display. This could have ended. But no, Apple made a reservation that the case became thicker by a couple of tenths of a millimeter and heavier by several tens of grams. And now everyone wants to know: has he really become fat and terribly heavy, or can he be patient and somehow survive? Well, you understand, a whole tenth of a millimeter is not for you khukhry-muhry!

No, it is not thick and not heavy at all. The difference with the previous iPad mini is felt only when alternately weighing in the hands. And then all this looks more like a statistical error. In general, we immediately discount the weight.


The old cover did not survive the upgrade.

It would seem that in this situation, one can not think about the thickness at all. But no. You may not notice it, but covers and pads will not get off so easily. The new iPad mini doesn't fit as well into tight-fitting cases from the previous generation, like those with hard plastic clips on the sides. If the clamps are weak, then the novelty will not fit there at all as it should. And if they are strong, then with each “undressing” you will pray not to wrinkle or scratch the sensitive sharpened edges of the tablet.


Not only did the grooves burst, but the lid is now not completely closed.

Don't take chances with cases: take your tablet with you, go to the store and try on each option before buying. If it fits enchantingly tight or not completely, give up and look for another one. Unfortunately, not every manufacturer has heard this, and many of them are willing to say that their old cases are fully compatible with the new iPad mini. In addition to the clamps, pay attention to the cover, if any. The protruding piece of the new tablet, timidly peeking out of the case for the previous generation mini, is very frustrating: personally, I will have to look for a new case for every day to replace the one I already love.

Warmer

The new iPad mini is almost three to five times more powerful than its predecessor. This could not remain without consequences. Metal is an excellent conductor of heat, making it Apple's favorite material for the legendary MacBook cases. Only in Apple mobile gadgets there are no radiators, let alone coolers. Therefore, only the body plays the role of a cooler. You probably already guess what I'm getting at.

iPad mini with Retina display may become warm. Strongly. About the same as two years ago - and even a little stronger. For example, the game GTA: San Andreas is able to warm up the tablet to an unusual state, when the device is not hot enough to get burned, but already hot enough to really start to worry. Moreover, the heat is felt not only on the back panel, but also on the screen: the gadget is relatively small, and there is especially nowhere for the heat to go. Apple knew this very, very well. Why I think so - below.

Performance, Throttling, and iOS 7

The previous generation iPad mini was a smaller version of the iPad 2 with an outdated processor. Surprisingly, Apple got away with it easily: we attributed this to case limitations and heat dissipation, and then we went to the stores in orderly rows. In 2013, the trick was not repeated: the iPad mini with Retina display is equipped with an A7 processor. The processor is also A7. And in too. And so a reasonable question arises: why do these devices show different levels of performance not only in synthetic tests, but also in games?

Throttling


Graph from Anandtech's iPad mini review

Each A7 processor is different from the one in the other device - be it iPhone 5s, iPad Air or new iPad mini. Numerous A7 tests have shown that each of the three gadgets operates at a different frequency, which varies depending on the load on the processor. It is called "throttling": A programmed CPU performance limit to protect it from overheating. Throttling is implemented in all processors, from full-fledged computer CPUs to mobile ARMs. Thanks to throttling, your iPhone and iPad will not be able to overheat and be damaged by excessive load. I explain this so that no one “rolls a barrel” on the technology itself.

So, the new Apple gadgets - and the limits of throttling - are programmed differently. Best of all shows itself iPad Air. Under high load, it very smoothly, almost by one megahertz, reduces the processor frequency to 1.3 GHz. This is a very small drop that the average user will not be able to notice. Partly Air was lucky: only in its design it is provided.


Chart from the iPad Air review at Anandtech

But the iPhone 5s for real "crazy", as soon as it encounters a resource-intensive task. The processor frequency in the "esque" drops sharply from 1.3 GHz to 1 GHz, and then actively jumps up and down, sometimes dropping to 850 MHz - more than a third of the base value. But this is a third of the performance, which disappears into nowhere while your smartphone cools down.

If you are sitting in Safari at this moment, all these fluctuations will not be noticeable. But if you play GTA: San Andreas, you will see the moment when throttling is activated naked eye. The toy will simply start to noticeably slow down. The developers did not take into account the fact of throttling, so the engine loads the poor iPhone as if it had all 1.3 GHz. And there is 850 MHz, on the screen - 15 frames per second, and the back panel is slowly turning into a frying pan. In general, throttling greatly changes the balance of power in resource-intensive applications.

The successes of these devices are important in comparison. The iPad mini with Retina display uses the same frequency processor as the iPhone 5s. The throttling parameters in it are slightly better than in the iPhone: for example, the performance drop stops at about 1 GHz, which is already significantly better. But the main problem remains: as soon as you load a new mini-tablet, it quickly gives up a good quarter of its performance in favor of the temperature of the chip. The A7 turned out to be significantly hotter than previous chips, and therefore Apple had to make such sacrifices.

iPhone 5s is still more powerful

If the previous point is of interest primarily to developers, then the next “minus” can be easily understood by any ordinary user. The difference in actual, effective video performance between the iPhone 5s and iPad mini is not in favor of the tablet. All thanks to the resource intensity of the new Retina display. After all, the processor in the iPhone 5s works on a screen with half the resolution of the 2013 iPad mini display. This is partly confirmed by tests of the processing power of the processor:

But only video chip tests show the real difference:

The difference in effective 3D performance is more than 30 percent in favor of the iPhone 5s. Lower resolution - less load on the hardware. And here even an increased throttling threshold cannot change anything.

What does all this mean for each of us? The simple fact is that the most beautiful and high-quality games of 2014 will not only run slightly better on the iPhone 5s than on the iPad mini with Retina display, but also show a better picture. Next time, Apple should consider adding more powerful processors to its tablets than those that come with the company's miniature smartphones. This has already happened with the iPad 4 and A6x, so why not repeat the trick next year?

Having gone through the features of the processor, I want to note: everything is not at all as bad as it might seem after reading this section. With all the idiosyncratic downsides, performance is the first reason that should make you swap out your old iPad mini for a new one. Fact: not a single mobile game will slow down on this tablet for another year or two. The difference is noticeable to the naked eye: where the old model thinks for six seconds, the new one thinks only for a second and a half. iOS 7 dramatically increased the technical requirements for the device, and the first iPad mini finally ceased to cope with the modern load. Stuttering and stuttering don't exist on the mini with Retina display, except for a few that come from poorly optimized iOS 7.

iOS 7. Version matters

Very good. Especially her idea. Thanks to the seven Apple devices finally found not only a second life, but also a completely new vector of software development, which seemed impossible in the language of skeuomorphism. But let's be honest, just for a minute. First, iOS 7 icons are still ugly. We could get used to it, we could stop paying attention, but this cannot cancel the very fact of the soulless wretchedness of most of the icons on the main, home screen. Secondly, none of these icons and none of the official apps reveal the benefits of the gorgeous iPhone and iPad screens. Where there used to be ultra-detailed textures, now lies a two-tone gradient and expansive shapes. Finally, the operation of the system itself often leaves much to be desired.

Thanks to the bare-bones design of iOS 7, the difference between the old iPad mini and the new iPad mini isn't quite as strong as, say, between the iPad 2 and iPad 3 in the days of iOS 5/6. It, at a cursory glance, is dictated only by the desktop wallpaper - now much more detailed. We'll talk more about the screen. The main thing is that the “old man”, that the new product has strange brakes: for example, applications switch with twitches, or they close with a lag when using a five-finger gesture. The A7 processor has nothing to do with it: it’s just that iOS 7 is poorly optimized for new hardware, and Apple will have to work on the Apple system for a long time and hard work.

To really enjoy iPad mini with Retina display, you need to install the latest beta version on it. You cannot do this without registering a UDID, so take care of everything in advance so as not to be left with a brick at a crucial moment. The main advantage of iOS 7.1 is ultra-fast, truly smooth animations for the first time, as well as a clearly increased performance of the system itself. After iOS 7.1, the officially available version seems to be hello to Android OS. Unfortunately, there are rumors that the official , so for now we will have to bet with beta versions.

RAM

A talk about hardware would not be complete without mentioning RAM. Today, all Apple mobile gadgets are strictly 1 gigabyte of RAM. According to the owners of the buckets, this is very little. According to the owners of iDevices, everyone somehow don't care. The gigabyte limit, which applies to all top-end devices, has a good effect on the optimization of third-party games and applications: developers know which "ceiling" they need to focus on for at least the next six months. But it is already clear that the system is “suffocating” within the framework of such an amount of RAM. For example, on iOS 6, the iPad could keep almost 7-10 Safari tabs in memory without requiring them to be reloaded. Today, their number does not exceed 4-5, and sometimes even less (depending on the weight of open pages).

When the second iPad mini with Retina display comes out, Apple will happily announce that the device has more RAM, and we are right! Let's go to the store happily. Keep this in mind when buying the current mini, and mentally prepare for this so that you don’t get offended by the guys from Cupertino later. They need to earn money.

Retina display. Afterglow, contrast issues - huegate

We were genuinely surprised that the technical specifications of the latest full-sized iPad would be the same as those of the mini version. It wasn't quite Apple style. Somewhere the company had to really save money. Unfortunately, the savings are almost entirely on the Retina display. Most likely, you already know: the screen of the new iPad mini is recognized than that of the recently released iPad Air. The difference is in the depth, variety, and contrast of the colors displayed: the new mini is far more “passive” and cooler in color reproduction than the bright, sharp, and mesmerizing screen of the iPad Air.

The Russian transcription of the phenomenon sounds peculiar, but in the West this “scandal” was dubbed "huegate"- by analogy with Antennagate() and Scuffgate(). how iPad owner Air with little experience, I can confirm: the colors in the new mini are really not as bright as on the larger iPads. The spectrum of displayed colors corresponds to that of the very first mini model. Therefore, we can conclude: Retina screen iPad mini differs from the old display only by double the resolution. And nothing more.

There are two options for how to respond to this minus. If you have been using only a minicom for the last year and did not have a 9.7-inch Retina iPad at hand, then all these scandals and “gates” do not concern you at all. Any difference is known in comparison, and if you compare the new mini with the old, and not with some "fourth" iPad, the previous generation does not no one real advantage. Just take a new model and don't worry.

If you still have not decided which model of the new iPad to take, take a walk to the store and be sure to compare the iPad Air and the new iPad mini. The Air screen will definitely be better in all possible parameters. Excluding, perhaps, the clarity of the picture: the density of pixels per inch, and hence the detail of the image in the new iPad mini is worthy of the highest praise.

Color differences make you think twice about buying an iPad Air over a mini. But remember: whatever the difference in screens, the size of a large iPad still plays a significant role. Fact: mini is always more convenient and easier to take with you, carry in one hand, hide in a bag and so on. And the Air, no matter how light and thin it is, is still 9.7-inch "tray", which is not always comfortable to get in a public place. And even more so something to photograph them. Accordingly, if you are going to take mini, take mini. If you were attracted to the Air and were previously satisfied with full-size iPads, don't trade any further.

With the exception of color reproduction, the screen of the new mini is excellent. Huge viewing angles and high brightness make the picture incredibly solid, as if reproduced on paper. The old model here generally ceases to be quoted. Now the small text on the pages of websites does not look like a cluster of smeared pixels, and with a certain skill and good eyesight, you can read the news on the pages without using zoom. High definition picture is unusual for those who have used the old mini for a long time: I swear, the first few days I continued to see pixels and their well-defined borders.


More or less like this.

Here, however, we have to make an unexpected remark. In the second week after buying the new mini, I discovered a strange new screen feature that I've never seen before on either the iPad or the iPhone. If the screen displays a dark picture for a long time, and then abruptly switches to bright, gray and white colors, then the color reproduction changes significantly. Gray colors, and especially small text, seem to disappear on a white background, and all other shades become brighter - as if they were “burned out”. The essence of the problem is suspiciously reminiscent of . Only in the case of macbooks to all the “internets”, but something is silent about mini. Probably everyone is happy: it's better So than without a Retina screen at all.

Most often I "caught" this problem in the official client YouTube: after watching a long video with a lot of black, I folded it from full screen mode with a gesture - and for 2-3 seconds I almost did not see the text of the description, the comment block, and so on. There is no need to panic: the screen restores the normal balance of colors very quickly, and it is not so easy to achieve such a strange effect. However, this has not happened in previous models of Apple mobile devices. About problems with mini displays, which forced Apple to significantly delay the launch of devices for sale, was known back in . It is now clear that these were not just rumors. Have you observed such problems on your devices? Share in the comments.

P.S.

The retina display makes the iPad mini a modern device, but does not create a competitor for a full-sized version of the tablet. iPad Air is much better suited for home use: it's more fun to watch movies and surf the Web, because the benefits of a physically larger screen are obvious. But the new iPad mini is a versatile companion in the city and on the road, capable of everything you expect from a tablet. And if you move a lot through life, you are on your way with a minicom.

I didn't want this article to be filled with negativity. But there are never ideal devices - and therefore, in order to make a really right purchase, each of us must know not only the pros, but also the cons. Euphoria is always good, but it tends to fade away, leaving behind purely practical conclusions. Now, when you make a decision and go to the store for iPad mini, you will know for sure that it will not disappoint you. And this is the most important thing.

Impressions of Roman Yuriev from Retina iPad mini

The announcement of the new iPad models was a little unsettling, to be honest. turned out to be MUCH lighter and noticeably more compact than its predecessor, and in terms of power it is not far behind its larger counterpart. What to choose against the background of experience with two tablets at once - and? Everyone has it its advantages, but I still decided not to produce entities and use only one new generation tablet, having sold both predecessors.

iPad Air has a larger display, weighing only 120g, more than the second generation iPad mini, plus better color reproduction. In general, from the color reproduction of the display of the new iPad mini, and this also added its own confusion to the choice. However, 80% of the time I work with the iPad mini and it is always with me, there is even a chic shoulder bag for the gadget, in which the iPad Air will not fit in any way. The fierce shortage of a compact novelty almost became the reason for purchasing the iPad Air, but I still resisted and got hold of the Retina iPad mini, which I do not regret at all. And now, after such a long and dramatic introduction, my first impressions of the new product.

There was no WOW effect, except that it got a little excited from 128 GB of flash memory and the ability to abandon not only 1.5 GB “rips” of films, but also HD versions of 4–5 GB, plus all the software and toys that were previously distributed between the two tablets. Still, a big family and everyone has something on their device. Now it all fits easily into 128 GB and there is still a lot of space left (about 30 GB, to be exact).

That is, the first feeling is that the new iPad mini is exactly the same as the old one, it seems that it has not changed the tablet. So it was the first few days of using the device, when I basically sat on it and watched videos on the train. Although the increased weight of the device was slightly felt, plus the light gray color of the case was unusual.

When I returned home from a business trip (in which I got a new tablet), I began to work more closely with the iPad mini. And here I already felt the whole buzz of the gadget. First of all, I was glad that I took it, and not the iPad Air. The high-resolution display rocks, and in fact, I got the experience of surfing the web (when you really need picture clarity) like on the iPad 4 before, but in a more compact package. That is, there is no negative experience in connection with the reduced diagonal of the display.

Secondly With no iPad Air handy for direct comparison, I don't see any color issues with the new mini. Gorgeous display and excellent color reproduction. I do not understand the hysteria of the people about this. If you are still in the throes of choosing because of the display, then do not bother yourself with nonsense. Normal in iPad mini LCD matrix.

Thirdly, you begin to understand the whole twist from the clarity of the screen only after a few days of heavy use of the device. Watching YouTube videos, reading books in iBooks, toys - the brain rejoices, the eyes dance in ecstasy. At the same time, I “stuffed” my old iPad mini for a friend, and somehow there were no negative emotions about the display - everything is fine. That's what it means, high-quality adaptation of the OS and software for different resolutions. I picked up the Retina iPad mini again and again began to enthusiastically admire.

Fourth, especially pleased with the increased productivity. Faster switching between applications, no more Safari crashes (although obviously there still can be, given that the browser crashes on the iPhone 5s from time to time), editing texts in the WordPress admin panel goes like clockwork, finally the keyboard stopped slowing down when typing comments in the browser, etc.

I didn’t find any special heating of the tablet, although I haven’t played games yet.

So, don't expect some techno-maniac ecstasy from switching from an old iPad mini to a new one. Everything will happen everyday, and only after some time you will begin to realize how cool the novelty is. So the little things add up the overall picture of the ideal tablet. Yes, the Retina iPad mini is the perfect tablet in my opinion. It's the gadget I've been waiting for since I met , when I realized that 10 inches is a lot for a travel device that you carry around with you all the time.

The Retina iPad mini is the ultimate no-compromise tablet, with an ultra-clear display, over-the-top powerful hardware, and a chic assortment of software. There are no alternatives for traveling and everyday carrying with you, IMHO.

Impressions of Artur Malosiev from iPad mini with Retina display

I consider my purchase of the second generation iPad mini one of the most useful in the past year. Its great display and resources are enough to solve all my problems. According to past experience, I took only the Wi-Fi version, so as not to produce SIM cards at home, because the iPhone 5s turns into a modem at the touch of a button. In my opinion, this "minicom" turned out to be a good and reliable friend, the power reserve of which will be enough for the next couple of years.

If you have already bought a new mini, feel free to tell us about it. Like? How do you use? Are you going to take Air after? Thanks for reading - and Happy Holidays!

website Two years ago, we denied the need for a smaller iPad. And now with might and main we consider it to be the best tablet in the world. As soon as Tim Cook confirmed the release of the new iPad mini, I knew that I would definitely buy it. And here he is next to me. Is this a good tablet? Definitely. Should you change the previous mini for this one? No options. True, this...

It would seem that the next update of Apple tablets should have gone smoothly, but the company did the impossible: they returned the slightly fading interest in large 10-inch tablets again. The iPad Air is the smallest, lightest device in its category, while the iPad mini is exactly the same.

Now you can choose one or another diagonal without sacrificing functionality, screen quality, processor power or memory size - the two models are the same. In this article I will talk about a miniature tablet, which has been seriously updated compared to its predecessor.

Main characteristics

  • Operating system: iOS 7.0.3
  • Screen: 7.85-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536, 324 ppi
  • Processor: Apple A7, 2-core Cortex-A9, ARM-v8, 1.3 GHz. PowerVR G6430 Graphics
  • Memory: RAM 1 GB, Built-in 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB
  • Camera: Front 1.3MP FaceTime, Main iSight F/2.4, 5MP autofocus, 1080p video recording, Face detection
  • Data transmission: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). There are models with support for GSM/EDGE/UMTS/LTE and CDMA/GSM/EDGE/UMTS. GPS/GLONASS (LTE version only).
  • Connection: Lightning connector
  • Battery: 23.8 Wh, up to 10 hours of surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi, watching videos
  • Optional: gyroscope, light sensor
  • Dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.5mm
  • Weight: 331g (341g for LTE versions)
  • Price: from 399 euros in Europe, from 399 dollars in the US, from 15,990 in Russia (Wi-Fi model)
  • Package contents: cable, charger, brief instructions

Design, convenience

In most cases, when describing Apple devices, this point can be reduced to a couple of words: “nothing has changed.” Indeed, why change something that is already perfect: no one has come close to the exterior and tactile sensations of all-metal, matte cases of Apple tablets. Let me remind you that the new Google Nexus, Samsung GALAXY Note, Nokia Lumia 2520 are all plastic.

The only thing you can notice is that the SIM card slot has moved a third of a centimeter, and another small hole for the microphone has appeared on the insert for the antenna, which the first iPad mini does not have.

In the iPad mini Retina, the color has changed: black has become asphalt gray (Space Grey), similar to the iPhone 5s. This color looks better, fingerprints are not visible on it, the metal texture is clearer. In a word, the change is positive.

As for the dimensions, they are also indistinguishable from the first generation. The length and width match up to tenths of a millimeter - 200 x 134.7, while the thickness has increased by an imperceptible 0.3 mm - up to 7.5 mm. Weight increased by 20 grams (up to 331 g). With these parameters, the tablet remained one of the thinnest in the world, it is the dimensions that attract many buyers to the iPad mini: the share of 10-inch models continues to decline.

Connectors and elements are in place: lightning and stereo speakers at the bottom, the lock button is at the top, and on the right is volume control and silent mode.

Screen

After the introduction of 7-inch Android tablets with Full HD screens, it became clear that Apple would also upgrade its 8-inch tablet to Retina resolution (2048 x 1536 pixels), just like the older iPad Air. Rumors came true, iPad mini acquired a Retina screen and the main limitation of the previous generation was removed - in the first iPad mini, the dot density was 163 ppi - less than all competitors.

Now at this resolution the picture turned out to be very smooth, the density is similar to the iPhone - 324 ppi, the pixels are not noticeable at all. In short, a wonderful tablet screen. Brightness, maximum viewing angles and natural colors are all there. For anyone who wanted a lightweight and miniature Apple tablet, but was stopped by the low screen resolution, the new version is highly recommended for consideration.

Detailed testing of the iPad mini Retina screen was conducted by our expert Mikhail Kuznetsov.

The Apple iPad mini screen has got a Retina screen. With a diagonal of 7.85 inches, the resolution reaches 2048 x 1536, which gives a pixel density of 324 ppi. Fans of counting pixels will be satisfied - with such a density, one can hardly see hints of "pixelization" of the image, the resolution is more than enough.

The margin of brightness is up to 407 cd / m 2 at maximum. The lack of brightness can be felt only in the bright sun, in other cases the stock is enough. The contrast ratio was around 900:1, an improvement over the previous iPad mini (where we measured a ratio of 687:1). The anti-glare screen filter copes well with ambient light and does not allow it to fade or fade in direct light. The viewing angles are quite wide, the shades are slightly distorted, the image remains legible at any reasonable viewing angles.

Gamma has an optimal value of 2.23, and the stability of the indicator is high. All midtones are displayed with the correct brightness, dark and light areas of the image have good detail - this is certainly a plus.

The average color temperature is about 6800K, the image tone is only a bit colder than the reference one. It is worth noting that at maximum brightness, the image shade becomes even colder - the color temperature tends to 7000K.

There is a slight excess of the blue component in the color balance, but the admixture is not so strong. The average Delta E error is about 5.41 units, which indicates a good quality of the factory settings. The main thing is that there is no obvious imbalance - which means that it is easy to get used to the extra shade.

The color gamut of the screen is disappointing. Like the previous version, the Retina screen of the new iPad mini falls short of the sRGB standard. Primary colors are shifted in hue and lack depth. This makes images look washed out and less believable than on sRGB screens like the Google Nexus 7, for example. And the tint is only half the trouble, as the blues are too bright (+104%, Delta E=17.6). In general, there is an imbalance with individual colors. Hence the rather high Delta E color errors - an average of 7.73 units. Color rendition comes out sloppy, you can usually expect more from Apple devices.

Overall, the Apple iPad mini's screen has received one obvious improvement - the high Retina resolution. A small increase in contrast is also pleasing. At the same time, one of the key drawbacks of the previous generation of iPad mini remained in place - this is a stripped-down color depth, which does not reach sRGB and somewhat distorts the shades. Apparently, in terms of screen, the iPad mini Retina is still one of the weaker devices in Apple's range. The screen is well suited for casual use (surfing and the like), but it will be more pleasant to watch photos or videos on a "full-sized" iPad, and not only because of the screen diagonal.

Hardware platform and battery

Prior to the October 22 announcement, many believed that the mini tablet would have a weaker hardware platform than the 10-inch iPad Air. But Apple took a different path: iPad mini is completely similar to its large brother in the line. The most advanced Apple A7 processor (1.3GHz dual-core 64-bit processor, latest ARM v8 architecture). Let me remind you that the new cores are called Cyclone, and the entire Apple A7 chip is manufactured by Samsung using the new 28-nanometer High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process.

A few words about the 64-bit architecture. Apple chose not the path of thoughtlessly increasing the number of cores, which creates inconvenience for application developers, but the path of unification with other devices - Macbook, iPhone. All Apple devices now have a 64-bit architecture, making it much easier to create cross-platform applications for them. IN Android world developers focus on averages so that the program works on the maximum number of devices. As a result, in most cases, additional cores in 4- and 8-core devices are simply unused. In the case of Apple, you can create programs for all devices without focusing on differences between them in terms of the number of cores, which saves both time and resources.

In addition, the new platform turned out to be not only faster than multi-core competitors, but also more economical in terms of power consumption: new Apple smartphones and tablets work as long as their predecessors did.

In the case of the iPad mini Retina, the figures are exactly the same: 10 hours of work when watching videos, browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi. Due to the high resolution of the screen, the battery capacity has increased: 23.8 Wh versus 16.3 Wh in the predecessor iPad mini. The thickness of the tablet itself, let me remind you, has increased by only 0.3 mm: from 7.2 to 7.5 mm. I have always wondered how Apple, with the growth of quantitative indicators, maintains its usual dimensions within the same framework, but the fact remains.

The graphics accelerator in the new iPad mini is also on top - a quad-core PowerVR (Series 6) G6430 that supports OpenGL 3.0, DirectX 10 and OpenCL 1.x. This is one of the most powerful mobile graphics chips on the market right now. The amount of RAM in the iPad mini Retina has doubled compared to its predecessor - there is 1 GB, as in the older iPad Air. In addition, a faster version of LPDDR3 is used instead of LPDDR2.

So the mini-tablet is not inferior to the 10-inch iPad Air in terms of memory and processor power. If last year the first iPad mini was rather weak, now the new generation has taken 2 steps forward. And not only compared to Apple gadgets, but also Android competitors: at the moment, none of the Android manufacturers uses ARM v8 cores (devices with Cortex A53 and Cortex A57 will obviously not appear until next year) or Imagination PowerVR Series 6 graphics. Apple is ahead here.

This fact will once again push many to think about what is better - a standard 10-inch tablet or a miniature 8-inch one. Apple made them identical in terms of hardware platform and screen resolution, camera quality, memory size (built-in and RAM), battery life, so you can only choose the size. A very interesting step: when choosing an iPad mini, you don't have to sacrifice either quality or performance. For example, I prefer a miniature tablet, as it is so compact that it fits in any bag. The arrival of a 128 GB option is also a plus for a miniature device.

Camera

The iSight camera did not change: 5 megapixels, autofocus and spot focus. Despite the rumors, the new Apple tablets did not get 8 megapixel cameras from the iPhone 5, apparently, this is due to the fact that the resolution was not increased in the iPhone 5s either, there are the usual 8 megapixels (albeit with a large pixel size - 1.5 microns). So the quality of shooting remained at the level of its predecessor - quite an adequate level. There is also a module in the front, this is an HD camera, which will be useful for communication sessions via FaceTime. It will also allow you to take a self-portrait.

Software platform

The tablet is under the control of the latest version iOS 7.0.3. If on the iPad mini the software slowed down a little, now the tablet does not differ in speed from the iPhone 5s, all built-in applications, like third-party ones, “fly”. Also in version 7.0.3, it was possible to turn off animations in most menus, so you can make your tablet or smartphone even faster.

The main change in iOS 7 compared to the 6th version is the control center - a panel where data, network and wireless switches are collected, offline and night modes, player control buttons, as well as several fast apps(like a calculator and a flashlight). The control panel is called in the same way as the notification panel, only from the bottom of the screen. Personally, I have been waiting for its appearance for a long time, it was wrong to constantly enter the settings menu to enable the simplest functions, but better late than never.

The panel is not customizable, that is, you can’t remove unnecessary shortcuts (such as a timer) and add new ones, but you can choose whether it will be possible to call the panel on the locked screen or in open applications. The control center has AirDrop and AirPlay icons - wireless transfer of information, multimedia to compatible devices. For example, if there is another user with iOS 7 nearby, you can transfer a file, contact, with one touch.

The notification center (the panel at the top of the screen) has received expanded functionality: it is divided into 3 parts, you can watch either all notifications, or missed ones, or the “Today” screen, where the weather can also be displayed. The weather app has also been updated, with much more weather animations.

Multitasking has been brought to a remarkable form: now there are not only program icons, but also window thumbnails, the information in which is updated in real time. Approximately the same principle as in MeeGo or Blackberry 10. Swipe up to close applications. Branded features have been improved, with Find My iPhone now requiring authorization with an Apple ID and password to disable it. Additional protection of your data, in general. The new version of FaceTime has the ability to use it for voice calls without video.

Well, one of the most important innovations is the browser. The incomprehensible restriction on 8 open tabs has been removed, now you can open an unlimited number of them. The appearance of the windows has also changed, the miniatures have become more visual, larger.

Opinion

iPad mini with Retina screen is completely similar to the older model iPad Air - software, hardware, screen and operating time. You can choose the screen size you are interested in, and that's it - now you don't have to sacrifice anything. Let me remind you that the first generation iPad mini had only 512 MB of RAM, and the screen had a modest resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The price at the same time increased slightly, from 329 to 399 dollars for the initial configuration. As I said, the tablet will officially appear in Russia at a price of 15,990 rubles for a Wi-Fi configuration (the predecessor started at 13,000). The LTE version will cost 20,990 rubles for 16 GB. This will happen tomorrow, November 15th.

The new iPad mini retains the key virtues of its predecessor: a record-breaking thinness, the same design with narrow bezels and an all-aluminum body, loud stereo speakers, a huge software base and the same battery life. It was a little disappointing that the tablet decided not to use a fingerprint scanner, as in the iPhone 5s (this would have increased the cost), as well as the previous camera, although an 8 megapixel module would have been more appropriate. Otherwise, the tablet left the most pleasant impression, the Android competitors do not have the same combination of dimensions, quality of materials, speed and operating time, for which we can safely recommend the model for purchase.

We thank the company for the provided Apple iPad mini Retina First-Store.ru

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iPad mini with Retina display
Small miracle.

The iPad mini is great, whatever one may say. And the stunning Retina display is just the beginning. iPad mini with Retina display has the new A7 processor, advanced wireless technology, and powerful apps built into iOS 7. Now you have more options than you ever imagined. It is similar to the iPad Air in every way. In addition to an ultra-portable body that fits easily in one hand.

7.9" Retina display.
Four times more pixels.
In the same size.

Now iPad mini looks even more brilliant in the hand. The Retina display has over 3.1 million pixels, one million more than an HDTV screen. It has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, four times the resolution of the previous generation iPad mini. The pixels are so close that they cannot be distinguished by the eye. Therefore, videos, photos and text - everything looks incredibly clear. After all, the best pixels are those that are not visible.

Thin and light body.
Filled with many technologies.
And still fits in one hand.

The new iPad mini brings together many great new features. Stunning Retina display, incredibly powerful A7 processor, advanced wireless technology and more. But it is still the same "mini": thin and light. Its thickness is only 0.74 cm, and its weight is less than a third of a kilogram. You have even more options in your hands, but you will not feel the slightest increase in weight.

Incredible performance.
Mini is getting more powerful.

Apple's new A7 processor brings desktop-level 64-bit architecture to iPad. This means its processor is up to 4x faster and its graphics performance is up to 8x faster - all to get the job done. And you still have up to 10 hours on a single charge - for studying, working, playing, creating and whatever you love.

Processor A7

The A7 processor takes iPad to new heights of power and speed. Applications run faster thanks to the A7 processor. Game responsiveness is improving. Everything about iPad mini feels faster. Because he really got faster. Up to four times faster, to be exact. But that is not all. It supports the OpenGL ES version 3.0 standard - this provides graphics detail and visual effects previously only available on desktop computers and game consoles. And the 64-bit architecture of the A7 processor opens the door to even more complex and powerful applications. This means you have even more options with iPad mini.

M7 Motion Coprocessor

iPad mini is built for the fast paced life. That is why the M7 coprocessor is so important. It measures the movement of your iPad mini by getting data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. Therefore, many applications become even more realistic. The A7 processor could also perform this task. But the M7 handles it more efficiently and saves energy.

Still a durable battery

iPad mini is designed to be powerful yet energy efficient. Although it's up to four times faster than the previous generation iPad mini, it still lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.1 That's because the A7 is not only a powerful, but also an efficient processor. Wherever you go with iPad mini, you'll always have enough battery power to go even further.

Advanced wireless technology.
Strengthen connections everywhere.

Your favorite app, book or movie. Your FaceTime conversation or iMessage. With ultra-fast wireless connectivity, everything you love is always there on iPad mini. Staying informed and connected has never been easier.

Ultra high speed Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi speeds are up to 2x faster on iPad mini with dual antennas and MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology. With WiFi connection 802.11n dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) with MIMO support, download speeds can reach up to 300Mbps - twice as fast as on the previous generation iPad mini. Now, when you want to download a movie, send documents or photos via AirDrop, or simply open a website, the connection is even faster.

More ranges

iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular lets you connect to the internet even when there's no Wi-Fi signal. iPad mini supports even more bands and more cellular data networks around the world.2 Now, in most places, you can actually connect to high speeds- in some cases higher than with a broadband connection. And with flexible pricing plans, you don't need to sign a long-term contract.

Great apps for free.
Ready for work and rest.

iPad mini is the perfect everyday companion. Because it comes preloaded with apps that make your daily chores, like checking your email or calling your parents on FaceTime, a pleasure. And now you can download iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for free on iPad mini.3 You can write a great novel, create a great presentation, and compose music for your home movie—right on iPad mini. All these applications are optimized for 64-bit architecture. So they work quickly and smoothly, giving you even more options on iPad mini. From the moment you first turned it on.

FaceTime and iSight cameras.
Even more reasons to smile.
FaceTime HD camera

Sometimes you want to talk face to face. FaceTime video calls on iPad mini will make your communication even more beautiful. Start a video call over Wi-Fi or a cellular network and share it all on a gorgeous display.4 The FaceTime HD camera now features the latest light sensor with more pixels. With it, all your FaceTime conversations, self-portraits and group shots in Photo Booth will become brighter - even in low light.

5 megapixel iSight camera
Dual microphones

iPad mini hears which side you're speaking from. After all, he has two microphones. They don't just capture more sound - they work together to capture better quality sound and cancel out sound from sources you haven't directed them to. This way, you can hear people on FaceTime better due to the absence of background noise. And the sound on the videos becomes even clearer.

iPad mini and iOS 7.
Together they reveal their best sides.

iOS 7 is built for iPad mini, so it looks and works great. iOS 7 brings great new features like improved multitasking, AirDrop, and Control Center. With them, you will be easier and more enjoyable to cope with everyday activities. Everything you love about iOS. With enhancements you'll love even more.

iCloud.
Everything that's needed.
Wherever needed.

iCloud syncs content across all your devices—automatically. The service is integrated with your devices, so you can create a document in Pages on your Mac and then edit it on your iPad mini. The pictures you take on your iPhone appear instantly on your iPad mini with iCloud Photo Sharing. Or start watching a movie on iPad mini on the train and pick up right where you left off on Apple TV at home.

The first iPad mini was introduced in the fall of 2012 and has become a very popular device. You can blame Apple for following the market, but no one will deny the success of the iPad mini. Millions of buyers have made their choice in favor of the iPad mini with their wallet, which only confirmed the correctness of the path chosen by Apple.

In the fall of 2013, Apple updated its line of tablets, including the iPad mini. The compact tablet received updated hardware and the long-awaited Retina-screen, the absence of which in the first generation mini kept many from buying (including me). Now iPad mini with Retina screen is available for sale and I just couldn't help but buy it for myself. Did the iPad mini with Retina live up to my expectations and should you buy one for yourself?

Model selection

I already had experience using the "big" iPad 2, but I was not satisfied with its dimensions. It cannot be said that full-size iPads are very bulky and heavy, but I was uncomfortable typing with a landscape orientation of the screen, and carrying a piece of iron weighing 700 grams in my bag, with which you can’t even fully work with text in some kind of just tired of the moment. And I sold the iPad 2.

Then I clearly understood that full-size tablets are not my format. The gadget that you carry with you all the time should be compact, light and easy to use. I perceive the full-sized iPad more as a tablet for the home.

I did not buy the first iPad mini due to the lack of a Retina screen, and the hardware on it was already far from the freshest at that time. Therefore, I waited for the iPad mini of the second generation, which, from the point of view of hardware and screen, “on paper” completely suited me.

I chose an iPad mini with a Space Gray Retina display and 16 GB of storage without cellular. Still, while there is no 4G in most of our country (including my city), I don’t see much point in taking an iPad mini with a cellular module. And now there are more than enough Wi-Fi points, and in extreme cases, an iPhone or even a Mac can act as a router.

The 16 GB version is more than enough for me because I don't have as many apps and games on the iPad as I do on the iPhone, I don't have a huge photo library, music and movies. If you want to watch or listen to something, I prefer to do it using online services.

Purchase

Still, it's good that Apple has come to grips with the Russian market. Now you don't have to wait six months for new devices to officially go on sale. The iPad mini Retina, for example, was available for order in the Apple Online Store on November 15, that is, just a few weeks after the start of sales in the West.

Of course, the iPad mini got to other stores later. I took my iPad mini Retina at the end of December and I could not find it in the windows for an acceptable (read - officially set) price. It's good that there are online stores, in one of which I ordered a 16 GB iPad mini Retina for an acceptable 16 thousand rubles. After 3 days, the order has already arrived and I took my long-awaited tablet.

Box and accessories

You should not expect any revelations from the box and equipment of the iPad mini Retina. Standard box, standard package: tablet itself, lightning cable, Russian plug, documents and stickers. Nothing else, including headphones.

Housing and screen

iPad mini Retina in physical dimensions and appearance has remained almost the same as the original iPad mini. Rounded corners, small bezel around the screen, screen diagonal - 7.9 inches. Only slightly increased the weight of the device. Holding the tablet in both hands is comfortable enough, but when you work with it with one hand, it still feels a bit heavy. I hope that in the future Apple will put its compact tablet on a "diet", especially since its competitors weigh less.

The location of the connectors and speakers on the case remains the same. The case itself is also made of aluminum, its front part is covered with glass.

The iPad mini in Space Gray looks great. After the "faceless" black in previous models, "Space Gray" looks much more interesting. It is also worth noting that the paint does not peel off, as in the iPhone 5, while I use the tablet, no problems arose. It still looks like new.

The diagonal of the screen has not changed - 7.9 inches, but the resolution has grown to "retina" 2048 × 1536 pixels. The pixel density is 326 dpi, just like the iPhone, which is more than the iPad Air (264 ppi). We have to admit that you will not notice the difference between Air and Mini in terms of pixels - they are not visible on both mini and Air. However, the screen on the iPad mini is worse than on the iPad Air due to relatively pale colors, brightness, and contrast. Generally speaking, the screen is quite good, but there are not enough stars from the sky.

The screen gets dirty with a bang, you have to constantly wipe it from dust particles and fingerprints. But it's hard to call it a feature specifically of the iPad mini with a Retina screen. This is a problem with most modern mobile devices.

Another point that catches your eye is that the screen is “deeply” recessed into the case. Apple did not use any special technologies here (a screen without an air gap, for example) and the “depth” between the glass and the display itself is quite noticeable. This does not affect much in everyday use, but still I would like this point to be corrected.

Iron filling and performance

The new iPad mini comes with 1GB of RAM and the latest A7 processor, the same as the iPhone 5s and iPad Air. True, unlike its older brother iPad Air, its clock speed is 100 MHz less. There's no difference between the Mini and Air when working with the iOS interface and most apps, but Apple wouldn't be Apple if there wasn't any difference between the two at all. And she is.

In the GeekBench 3 test, the iPad mini scores about 2500, which is slightly lower than the iPad Air, but this is not about synthetic numbers. When working with resource-intensive games, such as GTA: San Andreas, Real Racing 3, the frame rate sags unpleasantly, which was not observed before. Apparently this is also due to the fact that most applications are not optimized for the 64-bit architecture of the A7 processor. Or maybe those same 100 MHz frequencies played their fatal role?

It is worth noting that many applications on the iPad mini Retina work the same or even worse (!) than on the iPhone 5, which has an A6 processor. Here the high screen resolution and the unoptimized software make themselves felt (especially for the iPad).

iOS 7 on an iPad mini Retina with a 64-bit processor works… far from perfect. The animation often twitches, changing the screen orientation is not always smooth. I hope that with the release of iOS 7.1, Apple will cover up this shame, because there is absolutely no desire to endure constant resprings and freezes. It's not Android, it's iOS - a system that has made a name for itself thanks to stable operation. And with this very stable work, iOS 7 has big problems.

Camera

The iPad mini Retina has a camera, it can take pictures of very average quality, but for a tablet this can be considered a good indicator. The video is recorded in good quality, slo-mo mode, as in the iPhone 5s, is not here, of course.


Photo taken with the main camera. Quality is very average

But the front camera made me happy. In good lighting conditions, the pictures are quite good (as far as they can be on the front camera). For selfshots and video calls, Skype is more than enough.

Vitality

Traditionally, Apple promises 10 hours of battery life for its tablets. With the iPad mini Retina, in practice it turns out a little less. With active use (browser (half an hour a day), mail (an hour a day), social networks (an hour a day), games (2-3 hours a day), video (half an hour a day), books (an hour a day). day)) the tablet is enough for 1-1.5 days or 8-9 hours of continuous work. If you moderate your ardor, then you can achieve 2-2.5 days. Again, everyone's usage patterns are different and these numbers may vary depending on your preference.

In any case, the iPad mini Retina remains a very tenacious device - you will not worry about the battery and keep looking at the battery charge indicator all the time. You can charge iPad mini and take it with you for the whole work day - you will definitely have enough battery. The iPad mini Retina takes about 4-5 hours to charge from the mains. With my usage pattern, I charge it about 4 times a week - quite a good result.

How I have been using the iPad all this time

Reading articles from the web

iPad mini is a great reading gadget. Books, articles from the Web, RSS - iPad mini Retina can easily cope with all these tasks. Applications for this App Store- a great many. Let me tell you what I use.

As an RSS reader I use Digg Reader. I used to prefer Feedly, but Digg seemed more convenient to me. Actually, its functionality is standard - you can subscribe to streams directly in the application, distribute subscriptions into folders, quickly share articles on social networks or postpone them “for later”. This is enough for me.

To keep track of news on topics of interest to me, I use Zite. Unlike the same Flipboard, it guesses my preferences much better, although, of course, it loses in design. You add all the topics you are interested in once to Zite and enjoy the news that comes quickly.

For delayed reading of articles, I use Pocket. Still, nothing better for iOS has yet been invented, despite the fact that Readability and Instapaper are also very good services. But Pocket has 3 fat pluses: it is supported by hundreds of applications, it is possible to “postpone for later” not only text articles, but also videos and links. And third, of course, tags. They help to categorize all the articles and keep the repository organized.

Books and magazines

On the iPad, you can read e-books and magazines without any problems. I will especially note that for the iPad there are many interactive magazines that are made specifically for the tablet. For example, this is how I read Slon.ru and Esquire magazines. Unlike paper versions, they have all sorts of interactive elements: graphics, animations, videos, and in some places even mini-games. This, if not turning everything upside down, but definitely transforms the experience of reading periodicals.

iPad mini Retina is quite suitable for reading PDF-magazines and books. In the vast majority of cases, the font size is quite optimal so as not to squint or zoom in.

But with ordinary e-books, not everything is so simple. I confess that when I bought the iPad mini Retina, I even thought that it could replace my Kindle reader. But this did not happen. E-ink remains the most for me the best format screen for reading large books. But here who likes it more.

I can't help but remember the dimensions of the iPad mini Retina. On the one hand, the display diagonal is higher than on the Kindle, which means that more content fits on the screen. But here this difference is not so critical.

But holding a Kindle reader in one hand is much more convenient, and this played a decisive role for me. Amazon was able to strike the right balance between the amount of text on the screen and usability. Not surprising, because for the iPad mini - reading books is only one of the tasks, and for the Kindle - in fact, the only one. But for small editions and iPad mini Retina is quite suitable.

As an e-book reader I use Marvin. It has everything you need to read books comfortably.

Working with text and notes

iPad mini Retina is good for writing short text notes and viewing documents. And don't forget that there are plenty of handwritten note-taking apps for the iPad, such as INKredible or Skitch, that can help you capture ideas at a work meeting or educational event.

I use Pages, iAWriter, and SimpleNote to work with text. Despite the difference in functionality, the essence of using these programs on the iPad is absolutely the same for me - write a small text. To fully work with text on the iPad, I don’t have enough nerves, which I’ll talk about below :-)

Fun is time

I took the iPad mini Retina in many respects with the expectation that this would be my main gadget for games. I must say right away that I made the right choice in my choice, despite the problems with some games.

As I said, the same GTA: San Andreas on the iPad mini Retina behaves strangely: the frame rate is low, everything slows down unpleasantly. At the same time, on the iPhone 5, the game practically did not freeze for me.

But my favorite Modern Combat 4 behaves very well in 95% of cases. Even when playing online with a large number of players, MD4 practically does not slow down, only occasionally there are small “lags”. At the same time, the tablet practically does not heat up.

Simple games like Flappy Bird, Dungeon Highway, Angry Birds iPad mini Retina "eats" with a bang, which, in general, is quite expected.

Cause - hour

I don't see tablets as full-time devices, but despite that, it was still interesting to see the iPad mini Retina in action. At work, I fiddle a lot with texts, constantly look through e-mail, social networks, and work with the WordPress admin panel.

The miracle did not happen - iPad mini Retina, in my opinion, is completely unsuitable for permanent work. But in order to quickly write a post, correct the text or sketch out a post plan, it is quite suitable.

Firstly, there is a real lack of a physical keyboard, with which typing is much more convenient. Secondly, there is no normal WordPress applications for iOS, which will not confuse the publication time and accidentally post articles to the site (which happened to me many times). And thirdly, iOS itself is simply not adapted for such things. On the MacBook, you can write text and look at its English original at the same time, while on the iPad you constantly switch between applications, and this, again, is discomfort.

This idea was said by all and sundry, it is banal and obvious, but it is worth noting once again: iPad mini is an ideal device for consuming content, not for creating it. Although, if you really want to, you can dodge by buying an external keyboard. But this will not solve the software problem.

iPad mini is the perfect device for consuming content, not creating it

Air or mini?

Despite some difference in performance, the only significant difference between Air and mini Retina is the size of the tablet. IN You must clearly answer the question - what size is more preferable for you? Because there is practically no difference in the rest of the capabilities of the tablets. If you like full-sized tablets - take the iPad Air, if compact - iPad mini Retina. Our infographic will help you make the right choice.

findings

Despite all the minuses and shortcomings of the iPad mini Retina, I was more than satisfied with my purchase. The iPad mini Retina is a pleasant and easy-to-use tablet that in the vast majority of cases copes with its tasks with a bang. Many of the shortcomings are related to the unstable work of iOS 7 itself, which will be corrected very soon in the final version of iOS 7.1.

The iPad is still a great device for consuming content, but not a great device for creating content. But as I said above, he is able to solve simple work tasks.

  • WiFi
  • WiFi + Cellular

Capacity 1

  • 128GB

Size and Weight 2

  • WiFi
    • Height: 7.87 inches (200 mm)
    • Width: 5.3 inches (134.7 mm)
    • Depth: 0.29 inch (7.5 mm)
    • Weight: 0.73 pounds (331 g)
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • Height: 7.87 inches (200 mm)
    • Width: 5.3 inches (134.7 mm)
    • Depth: 0.29 inch (7.5 mm)
    • Weight: 0.75 pounds (341 g)

display

  • retina display
  • 7.9-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
  • 2048-by-1536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch (ppi)
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

chip

  • A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor

Wireless and Cellular

  • WiFi
    • Bluetooth 4.0 technology
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and MIMO
    • Bluetooth 4.0 technology
    • UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
    • CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz)
    • Data plan required. LTE is available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds will vary based on site conditions. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see www.apple.com/ipad/LTE . (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26) 3
    • Data only 4

Cameras, Photos, and Video Recording

  • iSight Camera
    • 5MP photos
    • auto focus
    • face detection
    • backside illumination
    • five-element lens
    • Hybrid IR filter
    • ƒ/2.4 aperture
    • Tap to focus video
    • or still images
    • Photo and video geotagging
    • HDR photos
    • Panorama
  • video recording
    • 1080p HD video recording
    • Video stabilization
    • face detection
    • Tap to focus while recording
    • backside illumination
    • 3x video zoom
    • time-lapse video
  • FaceTime HD Camera
    • 1.2MP photos
    • 720p HD video
    • face detection
    • backside illumination
    • Tap to control exposure for video or still images
    • Photo and video geotagging

External Buttons and Connectors

  • External Buttons and Controls
    • Volume up/down
    • Silent/Screen rotation lock
    • On/Off-Sleep/Wake
  • Connectors and Input/Output
    • Dual microphones
    • Lightning connector
    • Built-in speakers

Battery and Power 6

  • WiFi
    • Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • Built-in 23.8-watt-hour rechargeable lithium polymer battery
    • Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music
    • Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
    • Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

input/output

  • WiFi
    • 3.5mm stereo headphone minijack
    • Built-in speakers
    • Dual microphones
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • 3.5mm stereo headphone minijack
    • Built-in speakers
    • Dual microphones
    • Nano-SIM card tray

Connector

  • Lightning

Sensors

  • three axis gyro
  • Accelerometer
  • ambient light sensor

operating system

iOS 9
With an all-new design and all-new features, iOS 9 is the world's most advanced mobile OS. In its most advanced form. Learn more about iOS 9

iOS 9 includes:

  • AirDrop
  • Airplay
  • AirPrint
  • Control Center
  • Notification Center
  • Spotlight Search
  • Apple Music
  • family sharing
  • iCloud Drive
  • Multitasking
  • Quick Type Keyboard

Built-in Apps

  • Camera
  • Photos
  • messages
  • face time
  • music
  • safari
  • Calendar
  • iTunes Store
  • App Store
  • notes
  • Contacts
  • iBooks
  • Game Center
  • Reminders
  • Clock
  • Videos
  • Photo Booth
  • Podcasts
  • Find My iPhone
  • Find My Friends
  • iCloud Drive

Free Apps from Apple 7

  • Pages
  • numbers
  • Keynote
  • iMovie
  • Garage Band
  • iTunes U
  • Apple Store
  • Trailers
  • Remote

location

  • WiFi
    • WiFi
    • digital compass
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • WiFi
    • digital compass
    • Assisted GPS and GLONASS
    • Cellular

Video Calling 5

  • WiFi
    • face time
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • face time

Audio Calling 5

  • WiFi
    • face time
    • iPad mini to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi
  • WiFi + Cellular
    • face time
    • iPad mini to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi or cellular

Audio Playback

  • Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
  • Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
  • User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and Video

  • AirPlay mirroring and video out to Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation)
  • Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p through Lightning Digital AV Adapter and Lightning to VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately)
  • Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 60 frames per second, High Profile level 4.2 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Mail Attachment Support

  • Viewable document types
    .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key(Keynote); .numbers(numbers); .pages(Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt(text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx ( Microsoft Excel); .zip .ics

Languages

  • Language support
    English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
  • Keyboard support
    English (U.S.), English (Canadian), English (UK), English (Australian), Chinese - Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin, Stroke), Chinese - Traditional (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Stroke), French, French ( Canadian), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian , Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Slovak , Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
  • Dictionary support (enables predictive text and autocorrect)
    English (U.S.), English (Canadian), English (UK), English (Australian), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese , Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
  • Siri languages
    English (U.S., UK, Canada, Australia), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), French (France, Canada, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (Hong Kong)

Intelligent Assistant 8

  • Use your voice to send messages, set reminders, and more
  • use hands-free
  • Listen to and identify songs

accessibility

  • VoiceOver screen reader
  • Guided Access
  • switch control
  • Support for playback of closed-captioned content
  • AssistiveTouch
  • Full-screen zoom magnification
  • Larger type
  • bold text
  • Increase contrast
  • Reduce motion
  • On/Off labels
  • invert colors
  • Left/right volume adjustment

environmental requirements

  • Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
  • Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
  • Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
  • Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m)

System Requirements

  • Apple ID (required for some features)
  • Internet Access 9
  • Syncing with iTunes on a Mac or PC requires:
    • Mac: OS X v10.6.8 or later
    • PC: Windows 8; Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
    • iTunes (free download from www.itunes.com/download)

In the box

  • iPad mini 2
  • Lightning to USB Cable
  • USB Power Adapter
  1. 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
  2. Size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.
  3. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see www.apple.com/ipad/LTE .
  4. Cellular data service is available only on Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The model you purchase is configured to work with a particular cellular network technology. Data plan required.
  5. FaceTime calling requires a FaceTime-enabled device for the caller and recipient and a Wi-Fi connection. Availability over a cellular network depends on carrier policies; data charges may apply.
  6. Testing conducted by Apple in October 2013 using preproduction iPad mini 2 units and software. Testing consisted of full battery discharge while performing each of the following tasks: video playback, audio playback, and Internet browsing using Wi‑Fi or cellular data network. Video content was a repeated 2-hour 23-minute movie purchased from the iTunes Store. Audio content was a playlist of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store. Internet over Wi‑Fi and cellular data network tests were conducted using dedicated web and mail servers, browsing snapshot versions of 20 popular web pages, and receiving mail once an hour. All settings were default except: Wi‑Fi was associated with a network (except for Internet browsing over cellular data network); the Wi‑Fi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off; Brightness was set to 50%; and WPA2 encryption was enabled. Battery life depends on device settings, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPad units; actual results may vary.
  7. iMovie, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are free on the App Store for qualifying iOS 9 compatible devices with initial activation on or after September 1, 2013. GarageBand is free on the App Store for qualifying iOS 9 compatible devices with initial activation on or after September 1, 2014. See www.apple.com/ios/whats-new for iOS 9 compatible devices. Downloading apps requires an Apple ID.
  8. Siri may not be available in all languages ​​or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Internet access required. Cellular data charges may apply.
  9. Wireless broadband recommended; fees may apply.
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