APPLE iPAD MINI 2 REVIEW

POSTED ON 20 NOV 2013, BY JOHN V ON PHONE ARENA
 

Introduction

 

When the iPad mini was introduced last year, consumers were excited to finally see a miniaturized version of Apple’s full-sized tablet. Like seriously, it was a logical offering, which also helped to compete almost on the same scale as some of those cheap tablets. The iPad mini just had one glaring omission – it lacked Apple’s fancy termed Retina Display.

 

 

Well folks, Apple made sure to remedy that with this year’s model, the aptly named Apple iPad mini with Retina Display. Armed with that higher resolution display that we desperately sought out last year, it’s also blessed with the usual assortment of upgrades. However, at $399 for the base model, it’s significantly higher in price point than its predecessor – making it less competitive against those cheap tablets it was initially sought out to compete against. Still, it’s an offering that consumers will no doubt ponder over this upcoming holiday season, so let’s get cracking on whether the pricing is justified.

 

 

The package contains:

 

•Lightning USB cable

•Wall charger

•Documentation

•Apple decals

  

Design

 

 

 

 

 

No surprised here people! This 2nd generation iPad mini recycles the design of its predecessor. It’s not a bad thing, nor a new tactic, so we’re not terribly disappointed. And why’s that? Well, it’s mainly because it continues to be one of the more premium constructed tablets in the space – more so when it’s compared to those plastic bodied tablets. Donning the same fantastic brushed aluminum casing from before, which gives the tablet its sturdiness and clean looks, we’re once again given the same space grey and silver color options.

With its streamlined profile (0.3-inches), lightweight feel (341 gr), and curved beveled edges, it feels pleasant to hold in the hand along one of its side. Meanwhile, when attempting to grasp it entirely with our hand, its wide length makes it rather difficult to firmly hold – causing those with smaller hands to do more stretching. Overall, the design isn’t new, but we’re humbled to know that its construction continues to be rarely matched by the competition.

As much as we would’ve like to see a biometric Touch ID finger print sensor on this, that’s not the case here, as it’s nothing more than that iconic home button below its display. On the opposite side above the display, we have its light sensor and front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera.

 

Seeing that its design is unchanged, everything we found around its trim from before makes the same appearance here – and in the same locations too. That includes its separated volume controls, mute switch, 3.5mm headset jack, mics, dual-speakers, and Lightning docking port. With the latter, in addition to providing data and power connectivity, the Lightning docking port also allows for video out functionality, but it requires an optional adapter.

 

 

Around the rear, it’s sporting a 5-megapixel iSight camera, which features an f2.4 aperture lens, backside illuminated sensor, digital image stabilization, and 1080p video recording. It seems like the camera gear is unchanged from last year’s model, but we’ll talk more about its quality later on.