A review of iPad mini
The announcement and subsequent release of iPad mini in October saw people queue 30 hours prior so that they could be among the first to own the product. Within three days of its release, iPad mini and fourth-generation iPads sold an astonishing amount of units and set a new launch weekend record for the computing giant practically selling out of the devices.
Since Apple's modest beginnings, the technology giant has developed a reputation for premium hardware, revolutionary marketing and top of the range devices. Although iPad mini continues to uphold these high standards, its purpose as a smaller tablet at first appears to put it slightly at odds with the high price tag. After all, the pocket-sized device costs £269 which doesn't place it alongside the budget tablets.
It looks like an iPad, only smaller. Or an iPhone, only bigger. It comes in either black and slate or white and silver and it's extremely lightweight, weighing only 308g, making it the lightest tablet computer in its field. It can be held comfortably with one hand and fits into a jacket pocket or handbag. iPad mini was unveiled at the latest Apple press conference at the California Theater in San Jose. Speaking at the event on the 23 October, Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller described its dimensions as 'thin as a pencil' and as 'light as a pad of paper.'
With a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 and 162ppi, iPad mini lags slightly behind its bigger sibling. However, no one expected the display to be a Retina display. Yet the size of the screen is better than that of any of its competitors. When browsing the web, iPad mini has around 50% more display area in portrait mode and 67% in landscape than that of its closest competitor. The Technology editor for the Guardian, Charles Arthur, says: 'What the iPod mini demonstrated, and what the MacBook Air demonstrated, and pretty much every breakthrough in mobility demonstrates, is that lighter is better…' And iPad mini is certainly thinner than any of its predecessors. It's even thinner than iPhone 5. However, Apple has retained the same 4:3 aspect ratio as the iPad, meaning that all apps work even though the screen is smaller.
They will simply be shrunk down versions. It also has a 5MP rear camera, same as the iPad, and a 1.2MB front camera. The iPad mini comes with a 16.3-watt-hour battery, which will last for up to 10 hours when surfing the web or watching videos. It's the perfect travel companion - it fulfils the gap in the market for truly portable tablets. You can buy iPad mini from Carphone Warehouse just in time for Christmas.