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. iPad Air is the smallest, lightest device in its category, while iPad mini turned out to be completely similar to him in characteristics.

Now you can choose one or another diagonal without sacrificing functionality, screen quality, processor power or memory capacity - 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, brief instruction

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 ideal: 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 a 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 metal texture 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 such 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 arrival 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 screen 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 resolution of the screen, the new version is highly recommended for consideration.

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

Screen Apple iPad mini got a Retina screen. With a diagonal of 7.85 inches, the resolution reaches 2048 x 1536, which gives a pixel density of 324 ppi. Fans of 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 does not allow it to fade or fade in direct light. The viewing angles are wide enough, the shades are poorly 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 is too luminous (+ 104%, Delta E = 17.6). In general, there is an imbalance with individual colors. Hence the rather high color errors of Delta E - 7.73 units on average. The color rendition comes out sloppy, you can usually expect more from Apple devices.

Overall, the Apple iPad mini's screen gets 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 previous generation iPad mini remained in place - it is a cut color depth, which does not reach sRGB and distorts the 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 the new 28nm 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. At the expense of high resolution 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.

Graphics accelerator in new iPad mini is also on top - 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 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. It 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 fast applications(like a calculator and a flashlight). The control panel is called in the same way as the notification panel, only from the bottom of the screen. Personally, I have been waiting for its appearance for a long time, it was wrong to constantly 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... In the control center there are 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: record-breaking thinness, the same design with narrow bezels and an all-aluminum body, loud stereo speakers, a huge software base and the same battery life. It was a little disappointing that the tablet decided not to use a fingerprint scanner, as in the iPhone 5s (this would 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 have 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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iPad mini- an amazing device. When in 2012 rumors began to creep across the network that in the bowels of Apple's headquarters they were preparing a smaller version of the familiar and beloved ten-inch iPad, fans of the Cupertino technology rudely expressed their opinion, arguing the negative with fragmentation, imitation of the Android camp, impracticality, meaninglessness, and so on. more ... Few of them then could have thought that literally in a year, people would begin to abandon the classic iPad in favor of the iPad mini.

With a good aspect ratio, iPad is better suited for web surfing than widescreen tablets. The reduced iPad version turned out to be even more convenient for everyday use and all thanks to the excellent weight and size characteristics and only two significant drawbacks were in the first iPad mini - these are low resolution and the relatively weak A5 processor at the time of release. iPad mini 2 was deprived of these drawbacks and now it is, in my subjective opinion, the best tablet on the market.

Before us is still the same practical device, the design of which has not changed. The only visual difference between iPad Mini Retina and the first generation iPad Mini is color. The silvery-white model remained unchanged, and the black became gray, the color was officially named Space Gray, which in the Russian localization sounds like "milky gray".

What's inside the second generation iPad Mini? Let's talk about everything in order ...

What's new in iPad mini 2 (Retina)

First, let's take a look at the differences between the iPad mini 2 and the previous model.

1. First and foremost, a Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536.
This is exactly the same screen resolution as the ten-inch iPad, so the iPad mini has exactly the same DPI as the iPhone - 326! For a tablet, this is an impressive figure, the image is simply amazing. The display has become brighter, more contrasting, and the colors are even more saturated, the viewing angles are beyond praise, however, as always. It's infinitely pleasant to look at, both at the interface elements of iOS and programs, and at games, there is no need to talk about fonts at all. It is a pleasure to read the text.

326 PPI. Pixels cannot be seen with the eye

2. Powerful filling.
The new iPad mini is significantly more powerful than the first model. The outdated dual-core A5 processor (the same was in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S) was replaced by the 64-bit A7, with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. Judging by synthetic tests, the performance gain is over 400%, and the graphics processing speed has increased to 800%! The power of iPad mini Retina is almost the same as the iPad Air, the only difference in the filling is the understated frequency of the A7 processor by 100 MHz. The tablet also has an M7 coprocessor, its task is to process data on the position of the device in space - gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS.

3. Other changes:

• new iPad mini 2 got a quad-core graphics processor g6430;
• the amount of RAM has been increased from 512 Mb DDR2 to 1024 Mb DDR3;
• the tablet has become thicker by 0.3 millimeters;
• the weight of the Wi-Fi version has been increased from 308 g to 331 g, the weight of the Cellular version has been increased from 312 g to 341 g;
• the battery capacity has been increased.

IPad Mini 2 (Retina) Specifications

Display	IPS 7.9 inches (4: 3), oleophobic coating Resolution 2048 × 1536 px (326 ppi)
CPU	Apple A7 64-bit (2 cores, 28nm) + M7 Frequency 1.3 GHz
GPU	PowerVR G6430 (4-core)
Memory	1 GB DRAM DDR3
Storage capacity	16/32/64/128 Gb
Camera	iSight 5 Mpx Full HD video recording 1080p / 30fps, stabilization
Front-camera	1.2 Mpx 720p / 30fps HD video recording
Sensors, modules	GPS, Glonass, light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer Micro-SIM, digital compass, 1 microphone, hotspot, wireless printing, AirPlay Mirroring	Battery (working hours)
		Music Video 3G Internet * Internet LTE * Internet Wi-Fi Expectation	up to 140 to 10 up to 9 up to 9 to 10 up to 744	6471 mAh
IOS version Sales	iOS 7.0 12.11.2013 - Present	Dimensions (mm)
		Length Width Thickness	200 134.7 7.5	331 (341 *) grams
Communication standards	GSM / GPRS / EDGE, UMTS / HSUPA / HSDPA (3G) *, CDMA, LTE (4G) *, Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n), Bluetooth 4.0
* - Cellular model

But what about iPad Mini 2 in use?

iPad Mini Retina, like the previous generation tablet, is ergonomic indefinitely. I will add that, being Apple's technology lovers for many years now, I have always not been very good at the classic 9.7-inch iPad. I never liked it in many respects, from weight and size characteristics to the visual component. The huge weight, inconvenient dimensions, the widest frame around the display - everything prevented me from using the large iPad as a portable and practical tablet and it turned more and more into a device for the home, and the tasks that I assigned to it were more and more compensated for by a computer and phones. As a result, the "toy" has practically ceased to be used by me.

In the case of the iPad Mini, the situation is diametrically opposite. The tablet is lightweight and most practical for portable use, it fits into the inner pocket of most jackets, jackets and down jackets even in a case, taking it with you on the road is a pleasure, you can hold it with one hand for a long time, and playing is a special pleasure. Considering the powerful stuffing, I can advise you to choose the iPad Mini Retina for games, rather than the iPad Air, it is really very convenient to play, primarily due to its small size.

As for the battery life, everything is great here, however, as always with Apple. iPad Mini Retina is capable of surviving heavy use of modern games (for example) for up to 7 hours. Of course, this indicator depends on the individual brightness settings and the included modules, but I managed to squeeze out 10 hours in the daily operation mode, where it was mainly web surfing, light games, and mail. There are screenshots on the network that someone managed to torment their iPad Mini 2 at low brightness for 13 hours without recharging. Agree, these are impressive numbers.

Does the iPad Mini Retina have any downsides?

There is, where without them, perfect gadgets do not exist. But the downsides of the second generation iPad Mini are really few.

1. Apple has equipped the latest line of iOS devices with one gigabyte of RAM. The memory has become not only more, it has become even faster, but by today's standards, this is still not so much. In the Android camp, 2Gb RAM is already the norm, if the iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air were equipped with the same amount, not many would want to change the gadget in a year, and so Apple at the end of the year will happily announce that now regular iPads have twice the RAM more and many of us will run to the store with a smile on our face. Although, on the other hand, the existing filling will be enough for modern games for another couple of years and this is more than enough to not think about the hardware inside the device.

2. Retina display. "How so, because this is his main advantage!" - you say. Quite right, but this display is slightly worse than the iPad Air. The iPad Mini 2 display is inferior in contrast, brightness and color quality, but it wins in image clarity and this is visible to the naked eye. However, this small flaw should not be a reason for hesitating about the purchase, in practice you will notice the difference only when directly comparing the iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air, but you can notice a higher clarity and pixel density in the Mini 2 without comparison.

3. iPad Mini Retina comes with a 10-watt power supply, while a 12-watt power supply has been on sale for almost a year and a half. Thanks to this, the charging of the tablet takes a really long time.

4. During prolonged play with "heavy" toys, the Mini 2 body heats up significantly, the large iPad Air is less prone to this problem, thanks to the large aluminum body. In fact, this is a heatsink for a tablet, so it turns out that a smaller heatsink takes less heat from the processor. Moreover, at some point the games may start to slow down, this is because the processor frequency, upon reaching a certain temperature, begins to decrease in order to prevent overheating.

5. Perhaps the last drawback, which can be called temporary. Regarding modern games, on the iPad Mini Retina you can see some jams in them, I will not say that they are very noticeable, but they are. This is due to the fact that not all developers have yet updated their applications for the 64-bit processor architecture, hence the corresponding problems.

It is also worth noting that some users are faced with the problem of a poor-quality display, allegedly distorting the color reproduction the next second after a long display of a black image. I have not encountered this problem, but even if you are "unlucky", you should not get stuck, this is a trifle.

The first generation iPad Mini is still on sale, is it worth saving or is it better to buy an iPad Mini Retina?

You can save a lot and buy the first generation iPad Mini, but you must realize that you are buying obsolete hardware that will not last for several years and soon you will find brakes, both in games and in iOS. If possible, compare the iPad Mini screen of the first and second generation, you will understand that the choice is obvious in favor of the second.

Should you choose iPad Mini 2 (Retina) or iPad Air?

In fact, the question is quite simple. Both tablets are almost identical in power, you won't notice the difference. The 9.7-inch iPad is significantly lighter than the 469 and 478 grams of Wi-Fi and Cellular, respectively. Its bezel has become thinner around the edges. In general, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air are almost identical tablets, which differ in only three things:

• price - each iPad Air model is exactly 4000 more expensive than a similar iPad Mini 2;
• size - iPad Air is significantly larger than Mini 2;
• Weight - iPad Air is about 140 grams heavier than iPad Mini 2.

IPad performance (single core performance)

IPad performance (multi-core performance)
Source http://www.primatelabs.com/geekbench/

It's simple, if you want a mobile, convenient, productive tablet, then don't hesitate to take the iPad Mini 2 (Retina), if you want a bigger screen, then the iPad Air. For everyday use, the iPad Mini 2 will be more convenient, more enjoyable to play, and the clarity of the image is higher. iPad Air loses a little in portability and image clarity, but the screen is brighter and has better color reproduction, but still, it is more suitable for home use. The Mini is easier to carry, even if the Air's weight was the same as the iPad Mini, it will still be large and bulky, while the Mini is compact and as practical as possible.

If we go to Wikipedia and see the meaning of the word "Convenience", we will see a detailed definition:

"Convenience - fitness for use, the availability of conditions, opportunities for easy, pleasant, non-burdensome use of something or the satisfaction of any needs, needs."

And for the iPad Mini 2, these words are more applicable than for the iPad Air. Air is the same, only more, from here it and the disadvantages, if this is a plus for you - take the iPad Air.

Join us in

• Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi + Cellular

Capacity 1

• 128GB

Size and Weight 2

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

Display

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

Chip

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

Wireless and Cellular

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

Cameras, Photos, and Video Recording

• iSight Camera
  • 5MP photos
  • Autofocus
  • Face detection
  • Backside illumination
  • Five-element lens
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • ƒ / 2.4 aperture
  • Tap to focus video
  • or still images
  • Photo and video geotagging
  • HDR photos
  • Panorama
• Video Recording
  • 1080p HD video recording
  • Video stabilization
  • Face detection
  • Tap to focus while recording
  • Backside illumination
  • 3x video zoom
  • Time-lapse video
• Facetime hd camera
  • 1.2MP photos
  • 720p HD video
  • Face detection
  • Backside illumination
  • Tap to control exposure for video or still images
  • Photo and video geotagging

External Buttons and Connectors

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

Battery and Power 6

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

Input / Output

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

Connector

• Lightning

Sensors

• Three-axis gyro
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light sensor

Operating System

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

iOS 9 includes:

• AirDrop
• AirPlay
• AirPrint
• Control Center
• Notification Center
• Spotlight Search
• Apple Music
• Family sharing
• iCloud Drive
• Multitasking
• QuickType Keyboard

Built-in Apps

• Camera
• Photos
• Messages
• Facetime
• Music
• Safari
• Calendar
• iTunes Store
• App Store
• Notes
• Contacts
• iBooks
• Game Center
• Reminders
• Clock
• Videos
• Photo Booth
• Podcasts
• Find My iPhone
• Find my friends
• iCloud Drive

Free Apps from Apple 7

• Pages
• Numbers
• Keynote
• iMovie
• GarageBand
• iTunes U
• Apple Store
• Trailers
• Remote

Location

• Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi
  • Digital compass
• Wi-Fi + Cellular
  • Wi-Fi
  • Digital compass
  • Assisted GPS and GLONASS
  • Cellular

Video Calling 5

• Wi-Fi
  • Facetime
• Wi-Fi + Cellular
  • Facetime

Audio Calling 5

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

Audio Playback

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

TV and Video

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

Mail Attachment Support

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

Languages

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

Intelligent Assistant 8

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

Accessibility

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

Environmental Requirements

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

System Requirements

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

In the box

• iPad mini 2
• Lightning to USB Cable
• USB Power Adapter

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

1. The display is a rectangle with rounded corners. The diagonal of this rectangle, excluding roundings, is 12.9 inches (for iPad Pro 12.9 inches) and 11 inches (for iPad Pro 11 inches).
2. The amount of available space is less than stated and depends on various factors. Standard configuration (including iOS 12 and pre-installed apps) takes approximately 10 to 12 GB depending on device model and settings. The preinstalled apps take up about 4 GB; they can be deleted and reloaded. The amount of space available may vary depending on the device and software version.
3. Size and weight vary depending on device configuration and manufacturing process.
4. Battery life varies depending on settings and usage. More details on the page.
5. For FaceTime communication, all users must have FaceTime-enabled devices and a Wi-Fi connection. FaceTime availability over a cellular network is carrier-dependent; data transfer charges may apply.
6. Data plan required. Gigabit Class LTE, 4G LTE Advanced, 4G LTE, and Wi-Fi calling are not available in all regions or with all carriers. Speed ​​calculated based on theoretical bandwidth and depends on local conditions. For details on LTE support, contact your service provider or page.
7. Tariff plan cellular sold separately. The model you are purchasing is configured to work with a specific technology cellular networks... Check with your carrier for information on support for your device and cellular data plan availability.
8. Not all carriers support Apple SIM and eSIM cards. Check with your carrier for details. Not available in mainland China. ESIM is supported on the 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (7th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation). Apple SIM is supported on iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad (5th and 6th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 4.

• Tablet
• Power Supply
• USB cable
• Documentation
• SIM eject tool (for 4G models)

Updated iPad mini: Retina display, A7 processor, slightly increased thickness, instead of black - a dark gray body, version with 128 GB of memory, but otherwise it is still the usual mini.

Design

The design practically does not differ from the first mini, and this is good - I personally liked the device very much, although I never became a user of the small iPad. Closer Air, it is more convenient to watch movies, websites and do other things on it, the screen size decides. But when I look at those people with whom I often communicate, the situation there is completely different. One large iPad has a dozen small ones. And everyone has a very simple explanation: mini is much more convenient to carry with you, but in the cold season it is generally easy to put it in a jacket pocket. And I, remembering last winter, can confirm these words. Often he left the house without a bag at all, took only a mini with him - he just got into the inner pocket of his down jacket. With his help, he worked, so to speak, checking mail, correspondence on Facebook, calls to Facetime. In any case, this will not work with Air, it will not fit into your pocket.

In general, this story with the pocket still works, as it did before. Many advanced people can easily be hooked, caught, saying that this gadget, traditionally large, now, after our improvements, easily fits into your pocket. Don't you believe this? Well, remember the Sony VAIO P. It would seem, well, who needs a pocket laptop with such weak characteristics? Who will buy it? And then there were a lot of buyers, it was in the winter of 2009, sales began at the end of March, and the P became one of the most popular new products from Sony. Just a year later, the iPad appeared, and the second version of P was unclaimed. The pocket theme in Sony's work surfaced a little later, when an Android tablet appeared with the corresponding abbreviation, P - but only this P turned out to be of no use to anyone (almost anyone, miserable sales). To some extent, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra can be attributed to pocket tablets, but it's hardly worth comparing with the iPad mini, each of these gadgets has its own purpose - by the way, I still like the Z Ultra, one of the best devices in the company's line (in general, among all other devices). At Apple, it seems to me, they also followed thin ice introducing iPad mini. How can consumers not taste it? But how can they not understand why they should pay a little less and lose the diagonal? But consumers got it right, and it turns out that the iPad mini sells better than the larger iPad. And many of my colleagues who are connected with retail say so: iPad mini killed the sales of regular Apple tablets. At least before the release of Air, the situation was interesting, many stores even stopped ordering covers for iPad 2/3/4 - there was no demand for accessories or the models mentioned. But mini was sold and sold as if it was the only tablet in the company's lineup. Why? The answer is simple, the whole point is in the aforementioned “pocket size”, compactness while maintaining a display diagonal acceptable for a tablet. The regular iPad is just smaller, which is what captivates consumers. By the way, here's another interesting fact: it's always interesting for me to observe what my fellow journalists use, from time to time we meet at presentations, exhibitions and similar events. For example, when you see several editors of publications about Sony RX-100 gadgets, this is a sure sign that the camera is worth buying. When we were at IFA, I noticed that almost every second iPad mini (and I also had it in my bag, then there was no Air yet), everyone says one thing: it is compact. Therefore attractive. The secret to success is very simple. And therefore, no one expected drastic changes from the presentation of the updated model.

The dimensions of the first iPad mini were 200x134.7x7.2 mm and weighed 308 grams (312 grams for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model). The new item has slightly changed the thickness, 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm, weight - 331 grams (the version with 4G weighs 341 grams). Your old mini case may not be suitable for a new tablet, we tried several cases with colleagues, only Vaja models were able to somehow fit.

The body is the same as that of the first mini, made of aluminum, made with love, nice to hold in your hands. The product, despite its size, is not perceived as some kind of toy, it is a pebble in the garden of plastic Galaxy - they may be good in performance, but outwardly they look like tablets for children. You can't say that about mini, it's a thing with a capital letter. The 4G model has a plastic antenna cap on top of the back, a microphone hole on it, and a camera lens next to it. On the top there is a power button, on the right is the usual set: a mute lever, volume control buttons. Below is the Lightning connector, next to the perforation. By the way, mini with Retina is very loud, you can watch a movie without using speakers, it literally yells - you can listen to music in the bathroom while you shower, and you can hear it quite well. The 4G model has a SIM-card tray on the right side, nanoSIM is used. 3.5mm jack - top left, in the center - a hole for another microphone.

The color has changed, now instead of black it is a corporate dark gray, it looks great. Girls will like the silver tablet, the frame around the display is white, in the dark gray it is black. I hope nothing happens to the coating, on my black mini the paint peeled off in some places, although the tablet was mercilessly exploited.

Display

Diagonal IPS-display - 7.9 inches, LED-backlight, resolution - 2048x1536 pixels, on the display protection oleophobic coating. The first mini had a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. If you expect to see the difference right away, I hasten to disappoint you: thanks to iOS 7, the odds have leveled off, and not everyone at a glance at the tablet desktop can understand where the Retina is and where the regular display is. And some even think that the display of a simple mini is better. If you look closely, you can see that the icons, signatures are clearer, the image is more contrasting. But the difference, nevertheless, is not very noticeable, not striking.

As soon as you open Safari and any website, you immediately understand why you should choose the mini with Retina. The clarity of the image, familiar from other such products, like cut letters, wonderful colors, the picture is dense - a feast for the eyes. The same can be said for games and programs, it looks much better on the Retina display.

But the difference cannot be called striking, as in the case of laptops or large iPads, I personally expected more, but it turned out just fine. Apparently, it's all about the diagonal of the display and the thin fonts of iOS7. They say that the display turns a little yellow, at first I did not notice it, now I see it. Look at the white reminder or calendar icons - a light, very light tint is observed, but before someone tells you about it, you will not pay attention.

Performance

An A7 processor with a 64-bit architecture plus an M7 coprocessor is used, this bundle has already been talked about more than once - read the reviews of the iPhone 5S, iPad Air. The results of testing in the Geekbench 3 program can be seen in the photographs. The tablet works faster than a simple mini, this is especially noticeable when launching familiar programs, this is a browser, camera, Google Maps and others. Even Facebook is faster.

The case heats up noticeably from the back when launching serious applications like Infinity Blade - in winter you can use the mini as a small stove. Does not burn, but heats up seriously.

Traditional set of wireless interfaces, Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n), dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.0. By default, Bluetooth is turned on, this is due to the appearance of the AirDrop function in iOS7 - once again, I note that it will not work to exchange information with Apple computers, it's a pity.

Used by iOS7, with an overview operating system can be found on the website.

Memory, modifications

As with the iPad Air, there are four modifications: 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB, and there are also versions with Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi + 4G, and there are also two colors. I do not advise employees of online stores, there are a lot of versions, there is a lot of work to be done. In the case of tablets, it is difficult to say which series to choose, I was brought to the test a modification of 64 GB, Wi-Fi + 4G, in a sense this is the best option if there are a lot of applications, music, if you like to watch a movie on a tablet. In AVplayer, you can load several seasons of a series or many, many films at once. If your iPad mini is just a laptop replacement device for meetings, then 16GB is enough. It's great that Apple still gives you this choice.

LTE

LTE works in Moscow, this applies to both Air and iPad mini with Retina. Checked with the card of my colleague - by the way, I recently had a curious incident with the purchase of a 4G SIM card in Euroset, I will tell you separately. If you often work wherever you have to, do not sit in the office, then you should buy a mini with 4G support, the speed is impressive.

Working hours

The claimed battery life is about 10 hours of video playback, in fact, these figures are roughly true. Simply put, even if you use the tablet to its fullest during the day, it will only sit down in the evening. It is optimal to use the supplied power supply for charging, this takes a very, very long time via USB. In general, food is in order here.

Camera

Not best device for photography, but in the absence of a smartphone or camera at hand, it will do quite well, especially if later you are going to upload photos to Instagram. Filters will help mask not the best quality. The resolution of the camera is 5 MP, the front one is 1.2 MP, video recording in HD is supported, there is autofocus and focus by pressing, face detection, geo targeting, HDR. I really want to believe that the next iPad will have a camera at least like the iPhone 5.

conclusions

What will happen to iPad mini with Retina next year? I think you yourself can guess. Firstly, they will work to reduce the weight and size of the device, this body has already worked its way. Secondly, they will add TouchID, as in the iPhone 5S, the smartphone, as always, acts as a kind of platform for testing new technology. Thirdly, they will improve the camera, you can expect at least the same characteristics as the iPhone 5. A new processor (A8?), And one more thing. For some, even such changes will not be enough - I personally do not think so.

Even seemingly minimal changes in iPad mini with Retina revived interest in this product. Yes, there is no such shortage as with the iPhone 5S, but the demand is stable, they stock up in retail new mini, in November-December it will be one of the most demanded gifts.

You can see the prices in the official Apple store in the screenshot, the cheapest tablet costs 15,990 rubles, the most expensive - 32,990 rubles. For myself, I chose a version with 64 GB of memory and support for 4G, such a mini costs 28,990 rubles. If you don't need 4G, you can save five thousand, not bad. The most popular will be tablets with Wi-Fi 16/32 GB, already now we can assume a shortage in the coming months.

In general, about the device. Has become better iPad mini? Yes, instead of a simple Retina screen, a different processor (and the difference in speed is noticeable), a version with 128 GB of memory appeared. Should you upgrade your mini to a new one? Before that, I recommend going to the store and evaluating the display yourself. The difference will be noticed only by those who have already used mini, the rest will be satisfied with the first generation tablet.

In any case, this is one of the best tablets on the market for the aggregate of characteristics, and if you are not satisfied with the size iPad cases Air, then feel free to buy an iPad mini with Retina.

P.S. We will add a video to the review tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, by the end of the year we will try to publish the operating experience - if Artyom has time, he will write this material. I know that Artem loves iPad mini and has a lot of interesting stories to tell.

The author expresses gratitude to the "Computer Plaza" store for the device provided for the test.

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Sergey Kuzmin ()