Hands on: iPad mini review
Getting hands-on with the iPad mini could just as easily be called a "hand-on" since it's so easy to hold one-handed, and tap with the other.
The first thing you notice when you pick it up is just how thin and light it is. With a smooth aluminium back, you feel like you could flip it like a coin, or spin it on your palm.
It's as thin as a pencil and as light as an A4-size pad of paper, giving it a really impressively light feel in the hand, much like the iPhone 5.
You can grip the iPad mini with a couple of fingers on the bottom, or even stretch your hand across the back like you're holding an iPhone 5 or iPod touch. It's 5.3 inches (13.5 centimeters) wide, and feels nicely balanced at 7.87 inches (20cm) high.
It's just 308 grams for the Wi-Fi option, but slightly heavier at 312 grams if you opt for the LTE version. We were so tempted to just start flipping it in the air like a pancake, that's how light it feels. This makes it even better as an e-reader than the larger iPad models, since you can hold the iPad mini in one hand for much longer before feeling fatigued.
The aluminum back meets the glass front at a super-shiny, diamond-polished chamfer reminiscent of the one on the new iPhone. The white version is stunning, with a matte silver back, and the black version's charcoal aluminum back matches the black iPhone 5 perfectly.
The iPad mini has an 4:3 aspect ratio, different than the 16:9 ratio preferred by the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. The wider screen (holding it in portrait orientation) gives you more room for content.
Apple's Phil Schiller gleefully compared the iPad mini's 7.9-inch screen to the Nexus 7's 7-inch screen, pointing out how the iPad mini's viewing area is 40 per cent larger when you hold it in portrait, and a whopping 67 per cent larger in landscape orientation.
The iPad mini's 1024x768-pixel screen is 163 pixels per inch, the same pixel density as an iPhone 3GS, making it woefully low-res in terms of specs. It's also the same pixel dimensions as iPad 2 and the original iPad, so all of the existing iPad apps can run natively, no scaling or waiting for developers to push out updates.
In our testing, we noticed that typing on the smaller onscreen buttons and keys will take a bit of getting used to. They're smaller than on the large iPad, of course, but still tappable.
The buttons you're aiming at aren't any smaller than they'd be on an iPhone or iPod touch, but since they appear on a larger screen than either of those devices have, they feel even smaller.
Everything down to the app icons on the Home screen are smaller than on the big iPad, even as they float in a 4x5 grid with generous space around them.
At one point, an Apple rep demonstrating the iPad mini had to try a few times to hit a Back button at the top-left of the interface, but to be fair, he was holding the iPad mini a fair distance from his body so journalists could see and photograph him using it.
The thin bezels on either side of the screen (when held in portrait) give you enough of an area to grip while still minimizing how far your fingers will have to stretch to reach the screen's edges. The screen is bright and bold, with deep blacks and sharp text although it's not quite Retina quality.
We tested the front camera's 720p FaceTime calling over Wi-Fi to see if looked much sharper than on an iPad 2. (The front camera also takes 1.2-megapixel stills, and the rear camera takes 5-megapixel stills and records 1080p video.)
The call streamed without lag and we could even hear each other over the crowd noise, but due to the poor lighting, the image still looked grainy, not like the glamour shots Apple uses in its advertising.
The iPad mini we played with was Wi-Fi only - like its bigger sibling as well as the iPhone 5 and new iPod touch, it has dual-band 802.11n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, plus Bluetooth 4.0. The LTE version (£100 extra) will work with 20 carriers around the world.
Its dual-core A5 chip might be the same as in the £329 iPad 2 (introduced in 2011 and still on sale) although it's possible Apple added more RAM, since the iPad mini supports Siri, and the iPad 2 (which has 512MB of RAM) doesn't.
Naturally, the small iPad mini sports Apple's new Lightning connector, which can be inserted facing either direction and locks into place with a satisfying click. Apple's Lightning adaptors will let you connect a VGA display or projector, a digital display or projector with HDMI, a USB camera, or an SD card (but will cost you at least £25), and Apple also offers a £25 Lightning to 30-pin adaptor and spare Lightning to USB cables for £15 (one cable comes with the iPad mini).
Preorders begin this October 26. iPad mini starts at £269 for 16GB Wi-Fi only. 32GB and 64GB versions are £349 and £429, and you can add LTE cellular for £100 extra.
Here's where consumers might have a problem though - for £150 less, they'll be able to pick up a Google Nexus 7 or Amazon Kindle Fire HD with 32GB of storage, a much faster processor and a more impressive screen.
Apple has made some significant sacrifices for the iPad mini, be it the low-res screen or last-gen processor, and while it will still sell thanks to its user 'enchantment', the rivals are better-specified, cheaper and carry some pretty serious names behind them.
Wi-Fi versions of the iPad mini start shipping November 2, and the LTE versions two weeks later. Its size and weight let it compete with smaller e-readers, while its power and access to the full ecosystem of iPad apps make it a capable, extremely portable tablet, too.
Early verdict
The smaller touch targets take some getting used to on the iPad mini, although they're not any smaller than on an iPhone - but then again, this is a tablet. What's more, £269 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version is significantly more than the 16GB Kindle Fire HD (£159), or 16GB Google Nexus 7 (£199).
However, the iPad mini runs native apps, has a whopping 10 hours of battery life, and is extremely light and portable. It's also comfortable to hold for long periods of time and won't lead to wrist fatigue when you're watching a movie.
The 4:3 aspect ratio also allows you to fit more on the screen when you're reading or surfing the web, which is a boon for 7.9-inch tablet fans. We're sure this will outsell the competition simply because it's an Apple product, but ultimately the brand has once again squeezed out the lowest spec it can manage on the device to get it down to a relatively competitive price point.
iPad mini release date: when will you get it?
The iPad mini price, as expected, is a little steeper than the likes of the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and for those wanting to get hold of a cellular model, you may want to start saving, as you've got a couple of weeks to wait until these 4G/3G enabled slates hit.
Apple also dropped a bit of a surprise at the iPad mini launch event, announcing the new iPad 4 as well, with a beefed up processor and HD FaceTime camera, so we've also taken a look at who's offering this alongside the 7.9-inch tablet.
EE
EE will offer the iPad mini and new iPad 4 with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to the UK's first 4G mobile network.
The brand was one of the many logos shown on stage by Apple at the launch, but only recently have we got confirmation of its appearance.
EE's 24 month tablet plans have now popped up on its website, with the cheapest offering setting you back £25.99 a month for 2GB of data.
There's another two tariffs to choose from, with 3GB of data costing £30.99 per month and 5GB coming in at £35.99.
Don't forget there will be an upfront charge for the iPad mini and new iPad 4 (no word on exact cost yet) on top of this, so you may want to call your bank manager and shuffle your finances.
Orange and T-Mobile
Parent company EE also revealed: "Orange and T-Mobile will also offer iPad mini and fourth generation iPad on fast HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA networks" â€" still no word on the iPad 4 and iPad mini price though.
Three
Three claims it will offer a range of data plans for the iPad mini and iPad 4, but exact details of price and release date remain unknown.
Customers who opt to take out a Three data plan on a new iPad mini or iPad 4 have been promised connection to the carrier's "ultrafast network, planned to cover almost 50% of the UK population by the end of the year with average speeds of 6-8 Mbps".
Vodafone
A Vodafone spokesperson has told TechRadar: "Vodafone UK will be offering iPad mini and fourth generation iPad. We'll confirm availability date and pricing soon."
Carphone Warehouse
The high street retailer has confirmed it will be stocking the iPad mini, although it hasn't said which networks the 7.9-inch tablet will be available on, nor is there any word on release date or price.
O2
Update: O2 has confirmed that it will not be selling the iPad mini or the iPad 4, but it will offer data plans to customers who wish to pick the tablets up elsewhere and use its network.
There are three data plans for iPad users, a daily tariff which costs £2.04 per day and gives you 200MB of data, a rolling 30-day contract for £10.21 with 1GB of data and if you want 2GB of data, you can pay £15.32 per month on a rolling contract.
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