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

Apple employs engineers, not magicians. Pros in new devices are always easy to find: the euphoria and joy of owning a new toy help a lot in this. But getting to the bottom of the real cons in the first few days is almost impossible. I have been using the new iPad mini with Retina display for three weeks and found, in addition to obvious improvements, a few unexpected negative aspects, many of which were not written about in any popular review. Let's fix the situation by starting with ourselves!

For what?

Is the iPad mini with Retina display so bad that there is a separate article devoted to its cons? Of course, this is not at all the case. Quite the opposite. I am sincerely, objectively delighted with this tablet: it is very fast, very lightweight, very portable and functional. This is exactly the iPad mini that we secretly wanted when buying 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, want to be among the first to shoot a review, and slide into banal praise of the device and free quotation 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 roller iPad mini with Retina display. I will make a reservation right away that we will not discuss the advantages in detail.

Battery, charging and battery life

From year to year, Apple puts a charge and cable on its iPads, denying an extra pair of headphones. An interesting point: 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 is charged for about 5-6 hours from zero to 100%. If you use it regularly and thoroughly, get into the habit of charging the device every two days - and everything will be fine.

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

When playing resource-intensive things like, the tablet discharges 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... Toys "lighter" will work in the region of 7-8 hours, and in the "naked" surfing on Wi-Fi without playing video and with low brightness, you can squeeze out of the tablet not even 10, but as much as 11, or even 12 hours of work ... 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. Do not count the calls and important emails that were missed due to the fact that I forgot to turn off 3G and prohibit geolocation. You never need to do that kind of bullshit with an iPad. Well, if only you want to set records: there are people on Twitter who squeezed 13 hours of continuous work from a tablet. And when to live, eat, sleep? :)

Housing, design and heating

iPad mini with Retina display comes with iPad mini without Retina display. This could be the end. But no, Apple made a reservation that the body became a couple of tenths of a millimeter thicker and several tens of grams heavier. 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-mukhry!

No, it is not fat or 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 discard the weight.

The old cover could not stand the upgrade.

It would seem that in this situation, you can not think about the thickness at all. But no. You may not notice it, but covers and linings will not get off so easily. The new iPad mini does not fit well into the tightly fitted cases for the previous generation - for example, those that have hard plastic clips on the sides. If the clamps are weak, then the novelty will not fit there properly at all. And if you are strong, then every time you "undress" you will pray so as not to wrinkle or scratch the sensitive sharpened edges of the tablet.

Not only have the grooves burst, but also the lid is now not fully closed.

Do not take risks with covers: take your tablet with you, go to the store and try on each option before buying. If it fits enchantingly tightly or not to the end - refuse and look for another. Unfortunately, not every manufacturer got it, and many of them willingly say that their old cases are fully compatible with the new iPad mini. In addition to the clips, pay attention to the cover, if any. The protruding piece of the new tablet, timidly peeking out of the cover for the previous generation mini, is very frustrating: I personally have to look for a new cover for every day to replace the one I already love.

Warmer

The new iPad mini is nearly three to five times more powerful than its predecessor. This could not remain without consequences. Metal is an excellent thermal conductor, making it Apple's favorite material for legendary MacBook cases. Only Apple mobile gadgets do not have heatsinks, let alone coolers. Therefore, only the body plays the role of a cooler. You can 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 able to warm up the tablet to an unusual state, when the device is not hot enough to get burned, but already enough to really start to worry. Moreover, the warmth 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 explained it by the limitations of the case and heat dissipation, and then we went to the stores in slender rows. In 2013, the trick did not repeat itself: iPad mini with Retina display uses an A7 processor. It also has an A7 processor. 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

Chart from Anandtech's iPad mini review

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

Well, Apple's new gadgets - and throttling boundaries - are programmed differently. The iPad Air performs best of all. Under high load, it very smoothly, almost one megahertz at a time, reduces the processor frequency to 1.3 GHz. This is a very small drop that the average user will not be able to notice. Air is partly lucky: it is only provided for in its design.

Chart from the iPad Air review on Anandtech

But the iPhone 5s for real "Freaks out" as soon as it is faced with a resource-intensive task. The processor frequency in "esk" drops sharply from 1.3 GHz to 1 GHz, and then actively jumps up and down, and sometimes drops to 850 MHz - more than a third of the base value. But this is a third of the speed, which disappears into nowhere while your smartphone is cooling 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 just start to slow down noticeably. 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 success of these devices is important in comparison. IPad mini with Retina display has the same processor frequency as iPhone 5s. The throttling parameters in it are slightly better than in the iPhone: for example, the drop in performance stops at about 1 GHz, which is already much better. But the main problem remains: as soon as you load a new mini-tablet, it quickly drops a good quarter of its performance in favor of the temperature of the chip. The A7 proved to be significantly hotter than previous chips, and therefore Apple had to make such sacrifices.

iPhone 5s is still more powerful

If the previous moment is of interest primarily to developers, then the next "minus" can be easily understood by any ordinary user. The difference in real, 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 runs on a screen with half the resolution of the iPad mini 2013 display. This is partly confirmed by the tests of the processing power of the processor:

But only GPU tests show the real difference:

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

What does all this mean for each of us? A simple fact: 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 will also show a better picture. Next time Apple should consider adding more powerful processors to its tablets than the ones 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?

Going 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. For all its odd drawbacks, performance is the first reason that should force you to 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 or a half. iOS 7 dramatically increased the technical requirements for the device, and the first iPad mini finally ceased to cope with modern workload. Lags and freezes don't exist on the mini with Retina display, except for one - those that appear thanks to the 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 one minute. First, the iOS 7 icons are still ugly. We could get used to it, we could stop paying attention, but this cannot negate the very fact of the soulless wretchedness of most of the icons of 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 super-detailed textures, there is now a two-tone gradient and spacious shapes. Finally, the performance of the system itself is often poor.

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

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 plus of iOS 7.1 is ultra-fast, truly smooth animations for the first time, as well as the clearly increased performance of the system itself. After iOS 7.1, the officially available version seems to be hello from Android OS. Unfortunately, there are rumors that it is official, so for now we will have to beg for beta versions.

RAM

A conversation about hardware would not be complete without mentioning RAM. Today, all Apple mobile gadgets are strictly 1 gigabyte of RAM. According to bucket owners, this is very little. According to the owners of iDevices, everyone somehow do not 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 what "ceiling" they need to target at least in the next six months. But it is already clear that the system is "suffocating" within the framework of such a large amount of RAM. For example, on iOS 6, the iPad could hold 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 the opened pages).

When the second iPad mini with Retina display comes out, Apple is happy to announce that the device has more RAM, and we're right! - happily go to the store. Remember this when buying the current mini, and mentally prepare for this, so that later you will not be offended by the guys from Cupertino. They need to earn money.

Retina display. Afterglow, contrast issues - huegate

We were genuinely surprised that the technical specifications of the latest full-size iPad will match those of the mini version. It wasn't exactly Apple style. Somewhere the company had to really save money. Unfortunately, the savings were almost entirely on the Retina display. Chances are you already know: the screen of the new iPad mini is more recognized than that of the recently released iPad Air. The difference lies in the depth, variety and contrast of the displayed colors: the new mini is much more passive and colder in color reproduction than the bright, sharp and mesmerizing iPad Air display.

The Russian transcription of the phenomenon sounds peculiar, but in the West this "scandal" was dubbed "Huegate"- by analogy with Antennagate() and Scuffgate(). As an iPad Air owner with a little experience, I can confirm that the colors in the new mini are really not as vibrant as on the large iPads. The range of displayed colors corresponds to that of the very first mini model. Therefore, we can conclude that the Retina screen of the iPad mini differs from the old display by an exceptionally doubled resolution. And nothing else.

There are two options for how to react to this minus. If you have used only a "minicom" 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 recognized by comparison, and if you compare the new mini with the old, and not with some "fourth" iPad, the previous generation does not have no one real advantage. Just grab a new model and don't worry.

If you are still undecided about which model of the new iPad you should 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 of better quality in all possible parameters. Except, perhaps, the clarity of the picture: the density of pixels per inch, and therefore the detail of the image in the new iPad mini deserves the highest praise.

Differences in color reproduction make you think twice about buying an iPad Air instead of a mini. But remember: whatever the difference in screens, the size of a large iPad still matters. 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 lightweight and thin it is, still remains 9.7-inch. "Tray", which is not always comfortable to get in a public place. And even more so to photograph something for them. Accordingly, if you are going to take a mini, take a mini. If you were attracted to Air and you were previously happy with full-size iPads - don't waste your time.

Color reproduction aside, the new mini's screen is great. Huge viewing angles and high brightness make the picture incredibly solid, as if reproduced on paper. The old model ceases to be quoted here altogether. Now the small text on the pages of sites does not look like a cluster of blurry pixels, and with a certain skill and good vision, you can read the news on the pages without using the zoom. The sharpness of the picture is unusual for those who have been using the old mini for a long time: I swear, for the first few days I continued to see pixels and their clearly delineated boundaries.

Like that.

Here, however, you have to make an unexpected remark. In the second week after buying a new mini, I discovered a strange feature of the new screen, which I had never seen on either iPad or 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 rendition changes significantly. Gray colors, and especially small text, seem to disappear against a white background, and all other shades become brighter - as if they were "burned out". The essence of the problem is suspiciously similar. Only in the case of MacBooks for all "Internet", but something about mini is silent. Probably everyone is happy: it's better So than no Retina display at all.

Most often I "caught" this problem in the official client Youtube: after watching a long video with a lot of black, I minimized it from full-screen mode with a gesture - and for 2-3 seconds I hardly saw the description text, comment block, and so on. There is no need to panic: the screen very quickly restores the normal color balance, and it’s not so easy to achieve such a strange effect. However, this has never happened in previous Apple mobile devices. Problems with mini displays, which caused Apple to significantly delay the launch of devices on sale, were known back in. It is now evident that these were not just rumors. Have you seen 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 rival for the full-size tablet. iPad Air is much better suited for home use: it is more interesting 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 in life, you are on the way with the "minicom".

I didn't want this article to be filled with negativity. But there are never perfect devices - and therefore, in order to make a truly correct 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 in any way. And this is the most important thing.

Roman Yuriev's impressions of the Retina iPad mini

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

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

There was no wow effect, except that I was quite a little excited by 128 GB of flash memory and the ability to throw not only 1.5-gigabyte "rips" of movies, 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 of their own on the device. Now all this can easily fit 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, as if it did not change the tablet. This was the first few days of using the device, when I mostly sat on it in, 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 started working more closely with the iPad mini. And here I already felt the whole thrill of the gadget. Firstly, was glad that he took it, and not the iPad Air. The high resolution of the display rules, and in fact, I got the experience when surfing the web (when the clarity of the picture is actually needed) as 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 without having an iPad Air at hand for direct comparison, I don't see any problems with color reproduction in the new mini. Gorgeous display and excellent color rendering. I do not understand the hysteria of the people about this. If you are still in the throes of choice over the display, then do not bother yourself with bullshit. Normal LCD in iPad mini.

Thirdly, you begin to understand all the cool 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 is happy, the eyes are dancing 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 is what it means, high-quality adaptation of OS and software for different resolutions. Once again I took the Retina iPad mini in my hands and again began to rave about it.

Fourth, especially the increased productivity. Faster switching between applications, Safari crashes were no longer repeated (although it can clearly still be, given that the browser crashes from time to time on the iPhone 5s), editing texts in the WordPress admin area goes like clockwork, finally, the keyboard has stopped slowing down when typing comments in the browser, etc.

I did not find any special heating of the tablet, although I played little games so far.

Thus, do not expect some kind of techno-maniac ecstasy from the transition from the old iPad mini to the new one. Everything will happen everyday, and only after some time will you begin to realize how cool the novelty is. This is how the overall picture of the ideal tablet develops in detail. Yes, the Retina iPad mini is the perfect tablet, in my opinion. This is 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 with you all the time.

The Retina iPad mini is the ultimate tablet without compromise, with an ultra-sharp display, very powerful headroom and a gorgeous range of software. There are no alternatives for travel and everyday lugging with you, IMHO.

Arthur Malosiev's impressions of 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 meet all my needs. From past experience, I took exclusively the Wi-Fi version, so as not to produce SIM cards at home, because the iPhone 5s turns into a modem by pressing a button. In my opinion, the real "minicom" turned out to be a good and reliable friend, the power reserve of which will be quite enough for the next couple of years.

If you have already bought a new mini - do not hesitate, tell us about it. Like? How do you use it? Are you going to take the Air in pursuit? Thanks for reading - and Happy Holidays!

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

Today at the peak of popularity are tablets from Apple with a retina display. The picture quality on these screens is much better than on conventional screens.

Apple iPad with such a display on the market already has several versions. Which model is better - our review will show.

The device comes with components such as:

• Battery.
• Documentation.
• USB cable.
• Accessory for getting a SIM card.

The new iPad mini 2 comes with a Retina display. This model is powered by the A7 processor. The thickness of the iPad has increased slightly with the release of the iPad mini 2. The black color disappeared, instead of it a dark gray gadget appeared. The minimum amount of gadget memory is Apple iPad Wi-Fi 16 GB. The maximum version contains 128 GB of internal memory. And in all other respects - this is the good old mini model from Apple.

Apple iPad design

Of course, the main innovation of the Apple iPad in question is the retina display. But the appearance of any device is an important characteristic, so we will present an overview of it as well.

The model has a design, as shown by its review and comparison with previous versions, is no different from the first mini version. And most of the users considered this a plus.

Still, some people prefer the Air model - it is convenient to watch videos, access sites via Wi-Fi and much more. The dimensions of the display allow it.

However, if you look at the sales statistics, the model mini holds a confident leadership. One large version has about ten iPad mini A1490 or A1489 iPad mini.

The explanation is quite simple, you don't even need to carry out a detailed comparative review of both types of models. And it's not even about the price. It's just that mini is much easier to take with you by putting it in your jacket pocket. You don't even have to take your bag with you, but put the gadget in the pocket of your down jacket. So, being in the city, the user can check mail, call via FaceTime. And all this thanks to the miniature size and Wi-Fi networks. In any case, this is not possible with Air.

Display

In addition to rich functionality, Wi-Fi support and other advantages, full-screen versions are equipped with an excellent display. The diagonal of the IPS element is 7.9 inches. There is LED backlighting. The resolution is 2048x1536 pixels. The element is protected by an oleophobic coating.

In comparison, the first mini had a resolution of only 1024x768 pixels. However, the difference is not noticeable on first inspection. Because of the "operating system" version 7, the capabilities of gadgets of different models are equalized. Therefore, not every user at the first examination of the display will notice whether it functions on Retina or not. For a number of users, it seems that the picture on a small tablet is even more spectacular. If you look closely, the icons are indeed sharper and more contrasty. But the differences are nonetheless not impressive.

However, once you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot and launch Safari, the advantages of the mini with Retina become obvious:

• Super clear picture.
• Drawn symbols.
• Great colors.
• High density image.
• Great pictures when using software.

But even with these advantages, the difference cannot be called very significant, as is the case with laptops or PCs. The users, of course, expected more. But all the same, the developer did his best and threw a good product onto the market. Obviously, the point is in the decent diagonal and thin fonts of version 7. The first users immediately noticed that yellow prevails among the colors. And later this was confirmed. But the shade of yellow is very light and imperceptible for many. Until someone pays your attention to this fact, most likely you will not notice it.

Performance

A full-screen version based on the A7 processor is working. 64 bit architecture. There is an M7 coprocessor. All these parameters together show excellent results. You can read about this in detail on the net. The tablet works much faster than the usual mini, and most of all the difference is noticeable in the process of launching the usual software. We are talking about the camera, browser, maps and the like. And even social networks like Facebook just “fly”.

When weighty software like Infinity Blade is launched, the back of the device heats up. And the heating is very noticeable. So in cold seasons mini can replace the stove. Of course, the gadget will not burn your hands, but it will transfer a sufficient amount of heat.

The device includes a standard list of wireless elements, Wi-Fi, supports 2 bands 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Bluetooth of the fourth format. It is always active by default. And this is possible thanks to the AirDrop function embedded in the operating system 7. But note that the exchange of information with computers from Apple is not possible, which is a little frustrating.

IOS 7 Specifications

As was the case with the Air version, the small model came in 4 modifications - 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB. But, besides this, there are versions with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G. There are only two color solutions.

Thus, the buyer has a decent choice. It is difficult to dwell on one thing. Many people choose the "golden mean" - a version with 64 GB on board and Wi-Fi + 4G. This is the best option. If the user plans to store a decent amount of music, games, content on the device.

Many movies can be uploaded to AVplayer at once. But if the iPad for the user is just a replacement for a laptop, it is quite worthwhile for a tablet with 16 GB. It is remarkable that the company is still giving the user a choice in this regard.

Camera

Of course, taking photos is one of the additional functions of the tablet. But far from the main one. Therefore, the quality of the frames is not ideal. But if at the moment an iPhone or a camera is not available, it will do. Of course, photographs will not pull you to the title of professional, but they are quite suitable for uploading to social networks.

There are filters that allow you to mask not very good quality photos. The camera has a resolution of 5 MP. Selfie element - 1.2 MP.

conclusions

Predicting what may happen to the iPad mini Retina in the next year, we can assume the following. Surely, the company will work to reduce the size and weight of the device. Touch ID and an improved camera will likely be added.

As for the prices, their spread depending on the specific characteristics of the gadget is very large. So, the most inexpensive tablet costs about 20,000 rubles. The cost of expensive devices reaches 35,000 rubles. The version with 64 GB on board and 4G costs about 29,000-30,000 rubles. If you don't need 4G technology, great, enjoy the saved 4-5 thousand.

The most popular models in the future will be gadgets with 16 and 32 GB memory. Probably. There will be an increased demand for them.

More generally, is the Pad mini on Retina much better? Of course, yes. And it's not just the display. The model has a different processor, a variation with 128 GB of memory appeared. Better to go to the store and see with your own eyes. But those who have not used mini before will not see the difference. They'll be fine with the first generation tablets.

Overall, the small tablet is one of the best on the market when all of its dimensions are taken into account. And if the large Air model, despite the beauty of the large display, does not suit you, feel free to purchase this one.

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

Now you can choose one or another diagonal without sacrificing functionality, screen quality, processor power or memory - the two models are the same. In this article I will talk about a miniature tablet that 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, 1.3GHz. PowerVR G6430 Graphics
• Memory: RAM 1 GB, Built-in 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB
• Camera: front 1.3 megapixel FaceTime, main iSight F / 2.4, 5 megapixel with autofocus, video recording 1080p, face recognition function
• 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 W * h, up to 10 hours of work on the Internet via Wi-Fi, watching a video
• Optional: gyroscope, light sensor
• Dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.5mm
• Weight: 331g (341g - LTE versions)
• Price: from 399 euros in Europe, from 399 dollars in the US, from 15 990 in Russia (Wi-Fi model)
• Complete set: cable, charger, quick instructions

Design, convenience

In most cases, when describing Apple devices, this paragraph can be reduced to a couple of words: "nothing has changed." Indeed, why change what is already perfect: no one has come close to the exterior and tactile sensations of the 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 that can be noticed is that the SIM card slot has moved one third of a centimeter, and there is also another small hole for the microphone on the antenna insert, which the first iPad mini does not have.

IPad mini Retina has changed color from black to Space Gray, similar to iPhone 5s. This color looks better, fingerprints are not visible on it, the texture of the metal is clearer. In short, the change is positive.

As for the dimensions, they are also indistinguishable from the first generation. The length and width coincide 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. The weight has 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 in their places: lightning and stereo speakers at the bottom, the lock button at the top, and on the right - volume control and silent mode.

Screen

With the introduction of 7-inch Android tablets with Full HD screens, it became clear that Apple would also update 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 display and the main limitation of the previous generation was removed - in the first iPad mini the pixel density was 163 ppi - less than all competitors.

Now at this resolution the picture is 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. 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 carried out by our expert Mikhail Kuznetsov.

The Apple iPad mini has a Retina display. With a diagonal of 7.85 inches, the resolution reaches 2048 x 1536, which gives a pixel density of 324 ppi. Fans of pixel counting will be satisfied - with such a density it is hardly possible to see hints of "pixelation" of the image, there is enough resolution in abundance.

The stock of brightness is up to 407 cd / m2 at maximum. Lack of brightness can be felt only in the bright sun, in other cases the margin is quite enough. The contrast ratio was around 900: 1, which is an increase over the previous iPad mini (where we measured 687: 1). The anti-reflective filter of the screen copes well with ambient light and prevents it from fading or fading in direct light. The viewing angles are wide enough, the shades are slightly distorted, the image remains legible at all reasonable viewing angles.

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

The average color temperature is about 6800K, the tint of the image is only a drop colder than the reference. It should be noted that at maximum brightness, the tint of the image becomes even colder - the color temperature tends to 7000K.

There is a slight excess of the blue component in the color balance, but the impurity is not that strong. The average Delta E error is about 5.41 units, which indicates a good quality of the factory setting. 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 was disappointing. Like the previous version, the Retina screen of the new iPad mini falls short of the sRGB standard. Primary colors are hue-shifted and lack depth. This makes images look washed out and less faithful than on sRGB-compliant screens such as the Google Nexus 7. And tint is half the trouble, since the blue color is too bright (+ 104%, Delta E = 17.6). In general, there is an imbalance with individual colors. Hence the rather high errors of Delta E color rendering - on average 7.73 units. The color rendition comes out sloppy, you can usually expect more from Apple devices.

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

Hardware platform and battery

Prior to the October 22 announcement, many believed the mini-tablet would receive a weaker hardware platform than the 10-inch iPad Air. But Apple has taken a different path: iPad mini is completely similar to its large brother in the line. The most advanced Apple A7 processor (64-bit processor with two main cores @ 1.3 GHz, 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 a new 28-nanometer High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process.

A few words about 64-bit architecture. Apple chose not the path of thoughtless increase in 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 64-bit architecture, making it much easier to create cross-platform applications for them. In the Android world, developers are guided by averages so that the program works on as many devices as possible. As a result, in most cases, additional cores in 4- and 8-core devices are simply not used. In Apple's case, you can create programs for all devices without focusing on the 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: the new Apple smartphones and tablets work as long as their predecessors did.

In the case of iPad mini Retina, the indicators are exactly the same: 10 hours of work when watching videos, Internet browsing 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. Let me remind you that the thickness of the tablet itself has increased by only 0.3 mm: from 7.2 to 7.5 mm. I was always surprised how Apple, with the growth of quantitative indicators, maintains its usual dimensions in the same framework, but the fact remains.

The graphics accelerator in the new iPad mini is also at its best - the quad-core PowerVR (Series 6) G6430, which supports OpenGL 3.0, DirectX 10 and OpenCL 1.x. It 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 - here 1 GB, as in the older iPad Air. In addition, the faster LPDDR3 version is used instead of LPDDR2.

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

This fact will once again push many to think about which is better - a standard 10-inch tablet or a miniature 8-inch tablet. Apple made them identical in terms of hardware platform and screen resolution, camera quality, storage capacity (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 quality or performance. For example, I prefer a miniature tablet, as it is so compact that it fits in any bag. The appearance of a 128 GB option is also a plus for a miniature device.

Camera

The iSight camera did not change: 5 megapixels, autofocus and point focusing. Despite rumors, the new Apple tablets did not get the 8 megapixel camera from the iPhone 5, apparently, this is due to the fact that the resolution was not increased in the iPhone 5s either, there is the usual 8 megapixel (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 on the front, this is an HD camera, which will be useful during FaceTime communications. She will also allow you to take a self-portrait.

Software platform

The tablet is running the latest version of iOS 7.0.3. If the software on the iPad mini 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 became possible to disable animation in most menus, so that you can make your tablet or smartphone even faster.

The main change in iOS 7 compared to version 6 is the control center - a panel containing switches for data transmission, network and wireless connections, offline and night modes, player control buttons, as well as several quick applications (such as 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 go into the settings menu to enable the simplest functions, but better late than never.

The panel is not customizable, that is, you cannot 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 and multimedia to compatible devices. For example, if there is another user with iOS 7 nearby, you can transfer a file or 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 a lot more weather animations.

Multitasking has been brought to a remarkable form: now there are not only program icons, but also window thumbnails, information in which is updated in real time. Approximately the same principle as in MeeGo or Blackberry 10. Applications are closed by swiping up. The proprietary features have improved: the "Find iPhone" function now requires authorization via Apple ID and a 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. An incomprehensible limitation on 8 open tabs has been removed, now you can open an unlimited number of them. The view of the windows has also changed, the miniatures have become more visual and large.

Opinion

iPad mini with Retina screen is completely similar to the older iPad Air model - software, hardware, screen and runtime. 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. At the same time, the price 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 the Wi-Fi configuration (the predecessor started from 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 advantages of its predecessor: a record low thickness, 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 increase the cost), as well as the previous camera, although an 8 megapixel module would be more appropriate. The rest of the tablet left the most pleasant impression, the same combination of sizes, quality of materials, speed and battery life does not exist among Android competitors, for which we can safely recommend the model for purchase.

Thanks to the company for the provided Apple iPad mini Retina First-Store.ru

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The leader among compact tablets

With a slight delay after the start of global sales of the iPad Air, the second new Apple introduced on October 22 - the iPad mini with Retina display - became available to customers. Perhaps one of the most anticipated devices of this year, iPad mini went on sale in Russia at the same time as the rest of the world, which is a rarity. True, in the official online store the delivery time is 2-3 weeks, but this did not prevent us from quickly getting a new product for the test.

Since all the general information about iPad mini with Retina display has already been covered in the report from the Apple presentation, we will not repeat ourselves. Let's just note that this is the first update of the iPad mini, and all the more important is that Apple not only updated the "internals" of the device, but also equipped it with a screen of a fundamentally higher level.

• Apple A7 SoC @ 1.3 GHz (2 cores, 64-bit Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8)
• GPU PowerVR G6430
• Apple M7 motion coprocessor including accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
• RAM 1 GB
• Flash memory from 16 to 128 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 7.0
• Touch display IPS, 7.9 ″, 2048 × 1536 (326 ppi), capacitive, multitouch
• Cameras: front (1.2 Mp, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Cellular (optional): UMTS / HSPA / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock
• Li-polymer battery 24.3 Wh
• A-GPS (in version with cellular module)
• Dimensions 200 × 134.7 × 7.5 mm
• Weight 331 g (our measurement)

Let's compare iPad mini Retina against its main competitor, the 2013 Google Nexus 7, as well as the first generation iPad mini and iPad Air.

	iPad mini with Retina display	iPad Air	first generation iPad mini	2013 Google Nexus 7
Screen	IPS, 7.9 ″, 2048 × 1536 (326 ppi)	IPS, 9.7 ″, 2048 × 1536 (264 ppi)	IPS, 7.9 ″, 1024 × 768 (163 ppi)	IPS, 7 ″, 1920 × 1200 (323 ppi)
SoC (processor)	Apple A7 @ 1.3 GHz (2 cores, 64-bit Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8) + M7 coprocessor	Apple A7 @ 1.4 GHz (2 cores, 64-bit Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8) + M7 coprocessor	Apple A5 @ 1 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @ 1.5GHz (4 Krait Cores)
GPU	PowerVR G6430	PowerVR G6430	PowerVR SGX543MP2 (2 cores, 200 MHz each)	Adreno 320
Flash memory	from 16 to 128 GB	from 16 to 128 GB	from 16 to 64 GB	16/32 GB
Connectors		Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headphone jack	Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headphone jack	Micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Memory card support	No	No	No	No
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	512 MB	2 GB
Cameras		front (1.2 Mp, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video)	front (1.2 Mp, support for 720p video calls) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video)	front (1.2 Mp) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video shooting)
Internet		Wi-Fi (optional - 3G, as well as 4G / LTE)		Wi-Fi (optional - 3G and LTE)
Battery capacity (mAh)	6471	8820	4440	3950
Operating system	Apple iOS 7.0	Apple iOS 7.0	Apple iOS 6.0 (update to iOS 7.0 available)	Google Android 4.3
Dimensions (mm) *	200 × 134 × 7.5	240 x 170 x 7.5	200 x 138 x 7.2	200 × 114 × 8.7
Weight (g)	339**	480	311***	294
average price	T-10546224	T-10548616	T-8485573	T-10451398

* according to the manufacturer's information
** the weight of the version with a cellular module is indicated
*** the weight of the version without a cellular module is indicated
**** for the version with 16 GB of flash memory and without a cellular module

It is clearly seen that iPad mini Retina is identical in almost all characteristics (except for dimensions) to iPad Air. And this is incredibly great, because the first generation iPad mini, released alongside the iPad 4, matched the characteristics of the iPad 2. That is, now the iPad mini lineup has made a leap in two generations!

As for the comparison with the Google Nexus 7, it is difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions from the data in the table. Significantly, however, Google's tablet is slightly lighter and more compact than the iPad mini Retina. But it also has a smaller screen and a plastic body.

Interestingly, despite the appearance of the new iPad mini, the previous model also remains in the company's lineup, and its cost is from 12 thousand rubles (which is 4 thousand less than the iPad mini Retina). In our article, we will also try to answer the question of how much the difference between the two iPad mini is adequate to the amount of 4000 rubles and how relevant is the first iPad mini today.

Packaging and equipment

The packaging of iPad mini Retina is almost identical to the packaging of the previous generation tablet.

As for the package bundle, everything is similar to the first iPad mini: leaflets, a charger (5.1 V 2.1 A), a Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM card cradle (in the version with a cellular module).

Design

If the update of the large iPad affected, first of all, the design, then the iPad mini's appearance has remained practically unchanged.

The all-metal case (made of anodized aluminum) pleases both in appearance and functionality, and the frames around the screen, even today, a year after the release of the first iPad mini, seem to be quite thin.

All buttons are metal, they are pressed with little effort. Their location is similar to the previous model. Top right - Power button, top left - 3.5mm headphone jack. Top center - built-in microphone hole. On the right side there is a screen auto-rotate lock lever and a volume rocker.

On the model with a cellular module, there is a plastic insert at the top that hides the antenna. It, of course, spoils the general view somewhat, but it does not extinguish the signal.

The main difference between the new iPad mini and the old one is the increased weight (by more than 20 grams) and thickness (by 0.3 mm). Visually, they are the same. The photo above shows two iPad mini of different generations. But if the difference in thickness is really not visible, then the changed mass is already perceptible. However, it is quite possible to come to terms with this, and these changes do not have a fundamental effect on user qualities.

Screen

The main feature of the new iPad mini is its Retina display with a resolution of 2048x1536. When testing the first iPad mini, which had a resolution of 1024 × 768, we noted the lack of a Retina display as its main disadvantage. And now Apple has solved the problem. True, today you will not surprise anyone with screens with such a density of dots per inch, so other characteristics come to the fore, as a rule, not indicated in the official technical specifications and revealed only after careful testing.

Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the Projectors and TV section, conducted a detailed examination of the new Retina screen.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective antiglare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is approximately equal to the filter of the Google Nexus 7 2013 screen (hereinafter we compare it with it). For clarity, here are photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off tablet screens (from left to right: Nexus 7, iPad mini with Retina display and old iPad mini):

Visually, the brightness of the reflection is difficult to assess due to the difference in the color tone and color of the frames, but statistics from the graphics editor show that the screen of the new iPad mini is slightly lighter (average brightness is 95) than that of the Nexus 7 (83), and darker. than the old iPad mini (108).

The reflection in the screen is tripled, which implies the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. From the point of view of image perception, this is a minus, but a screen with a split outer glass (aka a touch panel) is easier and cheaper to repair. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 410 cd / m², and the minimum was 8 cd / m². The maximum value is quite high, and given the good anti-glare properties of the screen, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front camera peephole). At the same time, the brightness can only increase automatically - with a decrease in the level of external illumination, we did not wait for a corresponding decrease in the screen brightness. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it back on, then the brightness will be set in accordance with the external conditions. The minimum and average levels in Auto mode depend on the starting position of the brightness control slider. So, when the slider is set to maximum, the automatic adjustment does not work - the brightness remains maximum regardless of external conditions. If the slider is located approximately in the middle of the scale, then in bright light (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more), the maximum brightness is 410 cd / m2, in an office illuminated with artificial light (approximately 400 lux ) - 200 cd / m² (normal), in the dark - 150 cd / m² (a bit too much). If the slider is at the minimum, then under the above conditions the values ​​are as follows: 410, 70, 8 cd / m². Thus, this function works adequately at some middle and slightly below middle positions of brightness control. At the extreme initial positions of the slider, the brightness is either always maximum, or decreases too much in the dark. At any brightness level, there is practically no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

This tablet uses an IPS type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting tints and without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are some photos showing the same images on the screens of the Nexus 7 (above) and the new iPad mini (below), with the brightness of both screens set to about 200 cd / m². Picture perpendicular to screens:

And a white box under the same conditions:

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not "float" in both tablets.

And a white box at an angle:

The brightness at an angle on both tablets decreased the same (about four times, based on the difference in exposure), but the color tone changed slightly.

The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, is lightened weakly and acquires a red-violet tint or remains almost neutral-gray. The photo from the Nexus 7 for comparison shows this (the brightness is the same for both tablets!):

And along the other diagonal:

It can be seen that the new iPad mini, depending on the diagonal, has a different color tone of the black field, but its brightness is the same or slightly lower than the black brightness of the Nexus 7 at the same angle.

When viewed from a perpendicular view, the black field uniformity is very good, since in fact, only along one edge you can see some hints of areas with increased black field brightness:

The black uniformity of the Google Nexus 7 is worse, but it has better black depth in the center of the screen. Indeed, the contrast ratio (approximately in the center of the screen) of the new iPad mini is not the greatest - about 790: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 22 ms (13 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 34 ms in total. The gamma curve plotted at 32 points did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power-law function turned out to be 2.22, which is insignificantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is noticeably narrower than sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components together, and the spectra confirm this. This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for the backlight. As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and there are the overwhelming majority of them) have a slightly reduced saturation. This cannot be said from the above photographs, as the camera slightly increases the saturation of the colors.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is very good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K and the deviation from the black body spectrum (delta E) is significantly less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The iPad mini Retina screen has a wide range of brightness control, and the anti-glare filter is very effective, which allows you to comfortably use the tablet both on a sunny summer day outside and in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness adjustment, and it works more or less adequately, but only to increase, which will force the user to either set the brightness manually, or force the brightness to go down, putting the tablet into sleep mode and turning it back on. However, for sure all Apple tablet users are already accustomed to this feature. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, a standard gamma curve, very good color balance and excellent black stability against perpendicular gaze to the screen surface, as well as excellent black field uniformity. It was strange to find that the color gamut is still less than sRGB, but this tablet must have at least one drawback! ..

In terms of software, the iPad mini Retina has nothing fundamentally new, except for the fact that it is sold with iOS 7 preinstalled, while the previous model comes from the factories with iOS 6. But it can also be upgraded to iOS 7. Note also that users iPad mini Retina is available free of the popular Apple apps Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and GarageBand.

Performance

Like the iPhone 5s and iPad Air, the iPad mini Retina is powered by Apple's new A7 SoC. In the articles on the links provided, we talked in detail about this SoC, so we will not repeat ourselves and go straight to the tests. In them, we were also interested in what is the difference between the two iPad mini with iOS 7.0.4 installed on both devices. That is why the test results below may differ from the results that were published in the article about the first iPad mini, since the benchmarks have been updated since then and a new version of the OS has been released.

Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark, and Kraken Benchmark. In all cases, we used the Safari browser from iOS 7 on Apple devices, and Google Chrome on Android.

The results are interesting. The new iPad mini is about four (!!!) times ahead of the first generation iPad mini, but at the same time it lags slightly behind the iPad Air, although it runs on the same SoC. It can be assumed that the SoC in the iPad mini Retina regulates the power saving process a little differently and slightly reduces the CPU frequency for certain tasks. But, we emphasize, this is only an assumption. But the main Android competitors are far behind the iPad mini Retina (although, of course, they overtook the first iPad mini).

In Geekbench 3, a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance, the situation is repeated.

The layout is the same as in the browser tests. And this indicates that the results are indeed correct.

Now let's see the GPU performance. There are two multiplatform benchmarks available here: GFXBench (formerly GLBenchmark 2.7) and 3DMark. Let's start with the GFXBench results.

	Apple iPad mini second generation (Apple A7)	Apple iPad mini first generation (Apple A5)	Apple iPad Air (Apple A7)	2013 Google Nexus 7 (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro)	LG G Pad 8.3 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 600)
GFXBench 2.7.2 T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	27 fps	3.4 fps	27 fps	15 fps	14 fps
GFXBench 2.7.2 T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	21 fps	6.4 fps	21 fps	15 fps	13 fps
GFXBench 2.7.2 T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen Fixed Timestep)	25 fps	3.5 fps	25 fps	14 fps	13 fps
GFXBench 2.7.2 T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen Fixed Timestep)	20 fps	6.9 fps	20 fps	14 fps	13 fps
GFXBench 2.7.2 Egypt HD (C24Z16)	63 fps	15 fps	63 fps	39 fps	35 fps
GFXBench 2.7.2 Egypt HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	49 fps	22 fps	49 fps	30 fps	35 fps

And again we see the same picture, with the only difference that now the results of both devices on the Apple A7 are exactly identical.

Here again you can see a small loss of iPad mini Retina to its older friend. But more striking is the difference between the two generations of iPad mini. I can't believe that these devices are separated by only one year! However, the gap from Android tablets is also significant.

Thus, iPad mini with Retina display is the most productive modern tablet in the mid-price segment. If you love playing 3D games and want a device that can be upgraded to a new version of the operating system at least twice, you can safely buy the iPad mini Retina. But the iPad mini of the previous generation is no longer relevant today, because for the same money (about 12 thousand rubles) you can buy a much more productive Android tablet with a Full HD screen.

Autonomous work

If we knew the approximate level of performance in advance (since we had already tested solutions on the Apple A7 SoC), then the situation with battery life created a real intrigue. After all, now the device needs to display a picture of twice the higher resolution, but the dimensions of the case have remained the same, so the battery cannot be greatly increased. This caused natural fears that in terms of battery life, the new iPad mini will be inferior to its predecessor.

However, tests showed that these fears were unfounded. The battery life has not only not decreased, but even increased slightly. Here, however, it is worth making a reservation that the first generation iPad mini we tested for this comparison on the latest version of the operating system - iOS 7.0.4. It is possible that on the original iOS 6 with which it is released, the result would have been slightly better. But in the current version, this is a decent battery life - for both iPad mini.

The results are shown in the table.

Interestingly, the sensational reading mode of the 2013 Google Nexus 7 cannot be surpassed by the new iPad mini. Before him, in general, all other devices are like the Moon. But in the other two modes, iPad mini Retina just outperforms both Android competitors.

Also note that under load, the new iPad mini heats up more than its predecessor, which barely felt the heat.

Camera

iPad Air has two cameras - a front one with a resolution of 1.2 megapixels and a rear one with a resolution of 5 megapixels, similar to the cameras of the first iPad mini and iPad Air. Since the iPad mini is much more suitable for shooting than the large iPad, we decided to do a full test using our method of testing smartphone cameras, and at the same time compare the novelty in terms of camera quality with the first generation iPad mini and iPad Air. Filming and comments were made by Anton Soloviev.

iPad mini Retina
Good dynamic range and well-processed noise.
The sharpness is not bad, but the lack of any stabilization is noticeable.
Sharpness is good enough, if you wish, you can make out the number of the nearest car.
In the corners of the frame, blur is noticeable, although the upper center is quite sharp.
The number of the nearest car is clearly distinguishable.
At shorter shutter speeds, the situation improves markedly. Sharpness is uniform across almost the entire frame.
In such scenes, the camera selects the exposure well.
The camera is relatively good at macro photography in low light.

We can say that the shooting quality of the iPad mini Retina camera has not changed significantly compared to the iPad mini. Minor improvements only affected noise processing: the noise reduction algorithm has not changed much, but visually its work has become softer, and due to this, small details are better worked out in the pictures. However, the camera is still afraid of noise and tries to work at minimum values ​​of sensitivity, compensating for exposure due to shutter speed, so in low light conditions there is a high probability of blur due to relatively long shutter speeds. As it turns out, relatively long shutter speeds in this case are values ​​from 1/40 of a second and above, since the iPad mini Retina camera lacks any stabilization system. For example, almost all of the above images were taken under the same conditions, each in triplicate, and in almost all cases, two out of three images were blurred.

Lighting

As you can see from the graph, in terms of relative resolution, the iPad mini Retina camera is not that far from the iPad mini camera and almost caught up with the iPad Air camera. Nevertheless, after a detailed examination of the pictures of the stand, it becomes clear that iPad mini Retina is still a significant step forward compared to iPad mini. It is also worth noting that the camera's angle of view has become slightly smaller, despite the same nominal focal length specified in EXIF. While the camera has barely changed, it now looks refined. There are still some points that I would like to improve, but these are rather purely software limitations.

Among the characteristic features of the camera, one can single out good noise reduction, good and fairly uniform sharpness in plans and across the field, a reasonable choice of exposure.

In general, the quality of the camera images is decent, especially for a tablet, despite the low resolution. There are probably no obvious flaws in the camera, but the lack of a flash significantly limits the scope of its application. Nevertheless, it is quite suitable for artistic or documentary photography in the appropriate lighting.

conclusions

The past iPad mini evoked mixed emotions: the form factor seemed to be interesting (the screen is more than 7 inches, but the body can be gripped with one hand in vertical orientation), but the low resolution of the display spoiled the whole impression. This was especially noticeable if you used a large iPad with a Retina display. After that, working with iPad mini was just physically uncomfortable.

And now Apple released the second version of iPad mini - and here it has not only corrected the situation with the screen resolution, but also radically increased the device's performance. At the same time, the price remained quite attractive, and the battery life and dimensions remained practically unchanged.

Thus, the choice is no longer between "large and modern device" and "compact but outdated". Now you have to choose exclusively between the two screen diagonals and, accordingly, the dimensions of the tablet (not affecting, however, the thickness). If you prefer a more compact format, plan to regularly take your tablet with you on trips, use it in transport, then you can safely take iPad mini Retina. It is slightly more expensive than Android tablets of the same form factor, but significantly better in performance.

In our opinion, the most likely competitors for the iPad mini Retina are not even compact form factor tablets, but tablet phones - Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, etc. are not inferior (and even surpass in pixel density per inch), but they can be used both as a tablet and as a smartphone. True, the cost of top-end tablet phones is significantly higher than that of the iPad mini, but the screen is still smaller. Therefore, the Apple product turns out to have its own specific niche, which is different from both tablet phones and Android tablets of a compact format.

Overall, the iPad mini with Retina display is highly recommended unless you've already purchased an iPad Air (or intend to do so). But the iPad mini of the first generation seems to us an acceptable option only if the buyer wants to get an Apple tablet as cheaply as possible, and the rest does not matter. If possible, then it is worth, of course, to pay 4,000 rubles and get a fundamentally more modern device. And, by the way, owners of the first generation iPad mini can also safely go to stores for a new iPad mini, if financial capabilities permit. The update will not be superfluous at all.

In conclusion of the article, we bring to your attention our video review of the Apple iPad mini tablet with Retina display:

16 GB (+ 3G)	32 GB (+ 3G)	64 GB (+ 3G)	128 GB (+ 3G)
Average price according to Yandex.Market data
T-10546224 (T-10546225)	T-10546226 (T-10546227)	T-10546228 (T-10546229)	T-10548766 (T-10548769)
Offers iPad mini Retina 16 GB (+ 3G) according to Yandex.Market
L-10546224-5		L-10546225-5
Offers iPad mini Retina 32 GB (+ 3G) according to Yandex.Market data
L-10546226-5		L-10546227-5
IPad mini Retina 64 GB (+ 3G) offers according to Yandex.Market
L-10546228-5		L-10546229-5
IPad mini Retina 128 GB (+ 3G) offers according to Yandex.Market
L-10548766-5		L-10548769-5

Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, offered colors, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	200 mm (millimeters) 20 cm (centimeters) 0.66 ft (feet) 7.87 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	134.7 mm (millimeters) 13.47 cm (centimeters) 0.44 ft (feet) 5.3 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	7.5 mm (millimeters) 0.75 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.3 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	341 g (grams) 0.75 lbs (pounds) 12.03 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape.	202.05 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 12.27 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Grey Silver
Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used for the manufacture of the device body.	Aluminium alloy

SIM card

A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Gsm GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
CDMA CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) is a channelized access method used in communications in mobile networks. Compared to other 2G and 2.5G standards like GSM and TDMA, it offers faster data transfer rates and the ability to connect more consumers at the same time.	CDMA 800 MHz CDMA 1900 MHz
CDMA2000 CDMA2000 is a group of 3G mobile network standards based on CDMA. Benefits include stronger signal strength, less network outages and interruptions, analog signal support, wide spectral coverage, and more.	1xEV-DO Rev. A 1xEV-DO Rev. B
UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile technology and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation.	Apple A7 APL0698
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Apple Cyclone ARMv8
Processor size The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and buses for data. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more efficient than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Level 1 cache (L1) The cache memory is used by the processor to reduce the time it takes to access more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and much faster than both system memory and other levels of cache. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	64 KB + 64 KB (kilobytes)
L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory.	1024 KB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes)
L3 cache L3 (level 3) cache is slower than L2, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L2, is much faster than system memory (RAM).	4096 KB (kilobytes) 4 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	2
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1300 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more.	PowerVR G6430
Number of GPU cores Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computation of various applications.	4
GPU clock speed Speed ​​is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	200 MHz (megahertz)
The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)
Memory type (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
	M7 motion coprocessor

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	7.9 in (inches) 200.66 mm (millimeters) 20.07 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	6.32 in (inches) 160.53 mm (millimeters) 16.05 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.74 in (inches) 120.4 mm (millimeters) 12.04 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.333:1 4:3
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	2048 x 1536 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail.	324 ppi (pixels per inch) 127 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device.	71.97% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multitouch
	Oleophobic (lipophobic) coating LED-backlit Retina display

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.

Sensor type Information about the type of camera sensor. Some of the most widely used sensor types in mobile cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, and others.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Light-strength Aperture (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of the lens aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Usually, the f-number is indicated, which corresponds to the largest possible aperture of the aperture.	f / 2.4
Image Resolution Resolution is one of the main characteristics of cameras. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often quote resolutions in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	2592 x 1936 pixels 5.02 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording rate (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Specifications Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital image stabilization Geographic tags HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of different designs - pop-up camera, PTZ camera, notch or hole in the display, camera under the display.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Locating

Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.

Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours.	6450 mAh (milliampere-hours)
A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with the most common mobile devices using lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries.	Li-polymer
Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during continuous talk on a 2G network.	10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days
Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days
4G talk time 4G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during continuous 4G talk.	10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days
Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Non-removable