Apps, multimedia, and camera
Considering its awkward size and mediocre
screen, the iPad mini’s towering advantage is its 275,000 tablets-specific
apps. Because those apps weren’t exactly designed for the iPad mini, interface
elements and buttons can sometimes seem tiny, although not unmanageably so.
Regardless, Apple is making a big bet that the 275,000 currently available iPad
apps will make a difference here, and I think that’s a good bet to make. Apps
designed for the iPad generally beat Android tablet apps in many cases
brutally. Seven-inch Android tablets have been able to coast along because
blown-up phone apps don’t look outright bad on their screens, as they do on
10-inch tablets. But tablet apps look ever better, and Apple’s got more of ‘em.
iPad
Mini the best entertainment device for you playing videos, viewing photos and
listening your favorite music
The single biggest surprise I fund on the
iPad mini was how loud the speakers are. Playing games, movies, or music, the
iPad mini can crank the volume much higher than I expected, and the sound isn’t
painfully tinny, either. The two speakers are on the bottom of the tablet, not
the back, so if the mini is on a table in front of you, they’re pointing straight
at you. The tablet also supports wired and Bluetooth headphones and the
headphone amp is also pretty powerful, able to blare music with an acceptable
level of bass through any decent set of earphones.
Apple has the best media ecosystem out
there; if you want any kind of music or video, it’s probably available from
iTunes, but remember, there’s no memory card slot here. The tablet is available
in 16GB, 32GB, and 64Gb models, and you can remove items you’re not using and
re-download them from the iTunes app as necessary.
The iPad mini’s 5-megapixel rear-facing
camera takes sharp, well-balanced shots in decent light. In low light things
get soft, but they’re still certainly viewable and the blur isn’t too awful. It
keeps 1080p HD videos you’re recording smooth (with 24fps frame rates) in low
light, but you pay the price in a ton of color noise. Outdoors, 1080p videos
look quite good at 30fps. Remember, there’s no option to take lower-quality
videos, so this footage will fill up a 16GB iPad quickly.
The
iPad mini’s 5-megapixel rear-facing camera takes sharp, well-balanced shots in
decent light
The 1-megapixel front camera is an
excellent example of the genre, taking clear shots even in low light. With
video, it does its best to keep 720p HD frame high at the expense of lots of
color noise in darker rooms; in my low-light test, I saw a respectable 24fps
with a ton of noise. (With plenty of light, it records a razor-sharp 30fps
without breaking a sweat.) If you intend to use this tablet for FaceTime video
calling, it’ll do an excellent job.
Conclusion
Unfocus yourself from Apple’s “one-handed”
idea and you see that the iPad mini is a top tablet for kids, especially in
education – it’s a four-fifths-scale iPad; they’re four-fifths-scale people.
For everyone else, it’s good but expensive and awkward to use. By comparison,
the 9.7-inch iPad is the best tablet of its kind: a no-compromise device that’s
competitively priced, leading-edge in power, and has an unmatched supply of
gorgeous apps. If you’re only going to buy one tablet, go with the big one.
On the other hand, iPhone, iPad, and Apple
TV owners shopping for a smaller device should buy the iPad mini. If you’ve
downloaded and you love iOS apps, you’ll just be frustrated at not finding your
favorite software elsewhere. If you’ve bought movies from Apple, no other small
tablet can play them. But if you aren’t already in hock to Apple, there are
better choices.
Compare the iPad mini’s price with that of
the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD, plus there’s a $120 difference for the 16GB
model and $180 for the 32GB. The old “Mac tax” is back. Still, if anyone can
pull this off with the iPad mini, Apple can. The company thinks it can charge
the premium for all the well-known advantages its ecosystem has – not only the
275,000 apps, but the wide variety of accessories and the in-person support and
sales experience at Apple Stores.
Let’s face it: Apple is probably right. The
stellar build quality is the physical element that shouls seal the deal on the
price. To quote the highest praise from judges on Project Runway, it
feels expensive. This is critical. At $299 it would have been a deal; at $329,
it has a chance.
With
its reduced dimensions but sizable app selection, the iPad mini is ideal for
educational uses
The
Specs
Price:
·
$329 (16GB, Wi-Fi)
·
$429 (32GB, Wi-Fi)
·
$529 (64GB, Wi-Fi)
·
$459 (16GB, LTE)
·
$599 (32GB, LTE)
·
$659 (64GB, LTE)
Screen Size: 7.9 inches
Screen Resolution: 1,024 by 768 pixels
Thickness: 0.28 inch
Weight: 10.9 ounces
OS: Apple iOS 6
Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
NFC: No
Bluetooth: Yes
GPS: Yes, cellular models only
Cellular Connectivity: 4G LTE
Camera(s): 5MP rear-facing, 1.2 MP
front-facing
Battery: 10 hour (est)
|
