TechDomino
On October 22 Apple released the new iPad mini with retina display. It packs the new A7 Chip which is used to power the iPhone 5s and also the Retina display which was missing on the original iPad mini.
iPad mini with retina display – Design
It has the same design of the iPad mini. It is slim, has tough aluminium construction which still looks great compared to all the small-screen tablets. The same design is used for the iPad air. It comes in two colors silver and space-grey
iPad mini with retina display – Display
The original iPad mini lacked the retina display and started looking pale compared to the other small-screen tablets. But iPad mini with retina display packs the retina display, a stunning 2,048×1,536 (326ppi). This is 4 times the resolution of the original iPad mini’s (double the horizontal and double the vertical). the 9.7 inch iPad air has the same resolution which means the iPad mini with retina display has more pixels than it needs.
iPad mini with retina display – performance
The iPad mini with retina display packs the new A7 chip which is used in the iPhone 5s and the iPad Air. The new A7 chip is the world’s first 64-bit processor and is arguably the worlds fastest smartphone processor (currently) which means that the iPad mini with retina display is going to be extremely fast. For apps that support 64-bit there are some optimizations and efficiency improvements. However, the new A7 chip also has a larger number of general-purpose registers.
This means that the CPU has to spend less time accessing comparatively slow system memory, speeding up apps whether they’re 32-bit or 64-bit. Improved graphics on the chip means that there’s more than enough power to run the high-resolution screen. The M7 motion coprocessor helps the iPad mini with retina display by measuring the motion of iPad mini by collecting data from the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass. It also offloads from the A7 chip. It uses less power than the A7 chip thus resulting in increased battery life.
iPad mini with retina display – camera
The camera is the only part of the system which has not been updated. it features the same 5-megapixel iSight model. Its not a bad camera but is starting to show its age.
iPad mini with retina display – Battery life
The new iPad mini is faster than the previous iPad mini it is less power hungry thanks to the new M7 coprocessor. Apple promises the same 10-hour battery life.
iPad mini with retina display – Wireless
The iPad mini with retina display has MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) wireless technology, which uses multiple antennas to improve Wi-Fi range and throughput. It’s still using the older 802.11n standard. Downloads can reach till 300 Mpbs which is double the data rate of the iPad mini. On the Wi-Fi + cellular model there’s now improved 4G. The iPad mini with retina display supports even more LTE bands which helps to connect more cellular data networks around the world.
iPad mini with retina display – Storage
Although the iPad 4 had a top 128GB model, the same wasn’t the case for the iPad Mini. However, with the iPad Mini with Retina Display, Apple has introduced parity in its models. So, you can now buy the iPad Mini with Retina Display with 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
iPad mini with retina display – Apps
now iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are free with iPad mini. All these apps are optimized for 64-bit architecture So they run smoothly and powerfully. you have more than 475,000 tablet optimized apps in the App store, Which is the largest collection of tablet optimized apps on any store.
iPad mini with retina display – Price
The iPad Mini with Retina Display costs £319 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version, £399 for the 32GB model, £479 for the 64GB version and £559 for the 64GB version. The Wi-Fi + Cellular versions will cost £100 more.
iPad mini with retina display – Early Verdict
The original iPad mini was a great device but needed more improvements and the iPad mini with retina display lives up to these expectations. with a better screen and a lighting fast processor. The price is higher compared to other tablets but its worth each penny spent. Apple has once again eased ahead in the mid-size slate space and deserves to be called the best small-screen tablet out there.
