How to find out the real (at the moment) battery capacity in the iPhone and iPad. Apple iPad mini with Retina display in-depth review and testing Battery capacity iPad 2

Thinnest and lightest full-format tablet

Global iPad Air sales kicked off on November 1. Apple's new generation of full-size tablets was unveiled on October 22 (we told you about this event), and this announcement turned out to be sensational in a sense: no one expected that Apple would rename its tablet by adding the word Air to the name (previously used only in the line of ultra-thin laptops ). The manufacturer explained this by the significantly reduced mass and thickness of the device. And today we have the opportunity to check how revolutionary the changes turned out to be, not only in form, but also in essence (we thank the online store for providing it for testing).

Since all general information about the new product have already been given in the report from Apple presentations, we will not repeat ourselves. Let's just note that the previous major update to the iPad design was already two and a half years ago, when the iPad 2 was released. The iPad of the third and fourth generations in terms of design, there were no major differences from the iPad 2. Therefore, the current update is doubly important. Here's a list of the iPad Air's specs.

• Apple A7 SoC 1.4 GHz 64 bits (2 cores, Cyclone architecture based on ARMv8)
• GPU PowerVR G6430
• Apple M7 motion coprocessor including accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
• RAM 1 GB
• Flash memory from 16 to 128 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 7.0
• Sensory IPS display, 9.7 ″, 2048 × 1536 (264 ppi), capacitive, multitouch
• Cameras: front (1.2 Mp, 720p video via FaceTime) and rear (5 Mp, 1080p video)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Cellular (optional): UMTS / HSPA / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock
• Li-polymer battery 32.4 Wh
• A-GPS (in version with cellular module)
• Dimensions 240 × 170 × 7.5 mm
• Weight 480 g (our measurement of the version with a honeycomb module)

It is necessary to make a separate explanation about the LTE bands. As we know, Russian LTE bands were not supported by hardware in the iPad of previous generations. Now hardware support has appeared: in the specifications above you can find Bands 7 and 20 used by Russian operators. However, this does not mean that the iPad Air will work in LTE from the very first day of purchase. The fact is that Apple has not yet certified Russian LTE networks for its devices. As soon as this happens, devices with hardware support for the corresponding bands will most likely receive a software update, installing which, it will be possible to connect to the LTE network. However, there is still some possibility that Apple does not certify Russian LTE networks - for example, due to their insufficient coverage. Therefore, if you are interested in using LTE, and not 3G, then buying an iPad Air is a risk, and, perhaps, you should take a closer look at other tablets that definitely have support for Russian LTE networks and already work. A little later, it was confirmed that the iPad Air works without problems in Russian LTE networks, so there are no risks in this part.

Let's compare the iPad Air against the competition, as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

* according to the manufacturer's information
** for the version with 32 GB of flash memory and 3G / 4G-module, if available

As you can see, in many respects, the iPad Air is inferior to top-end Android devices. However, since Apple devices exist in their closed software ecosystem, draw any conclusions from the fact that Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 three gigabytes random access memory, but the iPad Air has only one, you can't. But weight and thickness are undeniable and objective indicators, and they are definitely on the side of Apple. Basically, we can already say that iPad Air is the thinnest and lightest full-format tablet. But let's see how this affects the feel of use.

Packaging and equipment

The packaging of the iPad Air is virtually identical to the packaging of the previous generation tablet.

As for the package bundle, everything here is also similar to iPad 4: leaflets, Charger(12 W, 2.4 A, 5.2 V), Lightning cable, stickers and key to eject the SIM cradle.

Design

But if the package bundle has not changed, then the tablet itself looks significantly different. Most importantly, it has become thinner, lighter and more compact. These are not just numbers on scales and a ruler - these are sensations that you cannot miss if you have used an iPad before.

Firstly, the tablet has become more elongated: this happened due to a strong reduction in the side frames (to the right and left of the screen). In the photo below, this can be clearly seen in comparison with the iPad of the previous generation.

And here's another eloquent photo: the iPad Air rests on its predecessor.

The photograph of this couple from a different angle is no less indicative.

Here we can already appreciate not only the reduced edges around the screen, but also the thickness of the iPad Air. True, if in the previous three generations of iPad the edges narrowed almost to the state of "cutting bread with a tablet", then the iPad Air does not have such a narrowing, so a cursory glance at the edges seems that there is almost no difference or it is not even in favor of the new product. But actually it is not.

In general, the iPad Air borrows the design from the iPad mini: it feels like they took the same body and simply increased the length and width. They even have almost identical thickness: iPad mini is three-tenths of a millimeter thinner. But the second iPad mini (announced on October 22 along with the iPad Air) is exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air. But if the thickness of the iPad mini is not surprising, then in the case of the full-size iPad it really makes an impression.

As for the placement of connectors and buttons, everything is identical here to the iPad mini - even the buttons are the same (metal, not plastic, like the iPad 4) and press with the same light effort. In addition to the Home button on the front side, there are two volume buttons and a lever that by default locks the screen orientation change, located on the right side. On tablets with a cellular module, on the same edge, we see a slot for a Nano-SIM formatted SIM card.

The left side is completely free of buttons and connectors. The Lightning connector is located on the bottom edge and the speakers are on the sides of it.

On the top edge, we see the Power button, a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a stereo headset, and a microphone hole. On tablets with a honeycomb module, most of the upper edge is covered with a plastic insert (moreover, on light tablets it is white, not dark, as is the case with the iPad 4). Honestly she spoils appearance devices. But, apparently, it is impossible to provide reliable 3G / LTE reception in an all-metal case.

In general, the design of the iPad Air is, of course, its main advantage, distinguishing the device from all competitors. This almost weightless (compared to previous iPads) and thin glass-metal tablet feels almost the same when you hold it as you did with the first iPad when it first appeared. Perhaps this feeling will gradually dull, but at first you cannot get enough of it: how great is it to read magazines, surf the Internet, play on such a tablet ...

At the same time, I'm glad that Apple was able to achieve such outstanding performance, using non-plastic, like Samsung in Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, but metal (except for the plastic insert on tablets with a cellular module). Summing up, we can say that at the moment, the iPad Air simply has no design competitors among full-size tablets.

Screen and software

Like the iPad 3 and iPad 4, the iPad Air features a Retina display with a 2048x1536 resolution. If a year and a half ago this figure was unsurpassed, and a year ago the only tablet with more high resolution was Google Nexus 10, and did not reach Russia, now tablets with a resolution of 2560 × 1600 no longer look such a curiosity. In addition, since the release of the iPad 4, many tablets with great screens have been in our test lab. How does it look against their background iPad screen Air?

Here is a detailed examination of the Retina screen, carried out earlier by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections, Alexei Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective antiglare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is approximately equal to the filter of the Google Nexus 7 2013 screen (hereinafter we compare it with it).

For clarity, we present photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens of both tablets:

Visually, the reflection has about the same brightness, and only statistics from the graphics editor show that the Nexus 7's screen is slightly darker (average brightness 52.73) than the iPad Air (average brightness 59.3).

The reflection in the screen is tripled, which implies the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. From the point of view of image perception, this is a minus, but a screen with a split outer glass (it is Touchpad) is easier and cheaper to repair. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 425 cd / m², and the minimum was 7 cd / m². Maximum value quite high, and given the good anti-glare properties, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front camera peephole). At the same time, the brightness can only increase automatically - with a decrease in the level of external illumination, we did not wait for a corresponding decrease in the brightness of the screen. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it on again, then the brightness will be set in accordance with the ambient light level. The minimum and average levels in Auto mode depend on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. So when the slider is set to maximum, the automatic adjustment does not work - the brightness remains maximum regardless of external conditions. If the slider is located approximately in the middle, then in a bright light (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without a direct sunlight) maximum brightness - 425 cd / m², in an office illuminated with artificial light - 145 cd / m² (normal), in the dark - 38 cd / m² (acceptable). If the slider is at the minimum, then under the above conditions the values ​​are as follows: 425, 14, 7 cd / m². Thus, this function works adequately only at some middle positions of brightness control. At the extreme, the brightness is either always maximum, or decreases too quickly when the ambient light decreases. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

This tablet uses an IPS type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting tints and without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are some photos showing the same images on the Nexus 7 and iPad Air screens, with the brightness of both screens set to about 208 cd / m², perpendicular to the screens:

And white box:

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not "float" in both tablets. White box:

The brightness at an angle on both tablets decreased approximately the same (about four times, based on the difference in exposure), but the color tone did not change much.

The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, is lightened weakly and acquires a red-violet tint or remains almost neutral-gray. The photo from the Nexus 7 for comparison shows this (the brightness is the same for both tablets!):

And along the other diagonal:

You can see that the iPad Air has a different black field color tone depending on the diagonal, but its brightness is slightly lower than the brightness of the Nexus 7 black at the same angle anyway.

With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is good, since in fact only along the lower edge there are dim areas with increased brightness of the black field (bright points are broken pixels on the camera matrix):

The black uniformity of the Google Nexus 7 is worse, but it has better black depth in the center of the screen. Indeed, the contrast ratio (approximately in the center of the screen) of the iPad Air is not a record - about 850: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 21 ms (11 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 34 ms in total. The gamma curve plotted at 32 points did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power-law function turned out to be 2.24, which is insignificantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve barely deviates from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components to each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:

As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and there are the overwhelming majority of them) have natural saturation. The gray scale balance is good, as the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The iPad Air has a wide range of brightness control, and the anti-glare filter is very effective, which allows you to comfortably use the tablet both on a clear day outside and in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness adjustment, and it works more or less adequately, but only to increase, which will force the user to either set the brightness manually, or force the brightness to go down, putting the tablet into sleep mode and turning it back on. Apparently, such an implementation facilitates the transition from previous versions of the iPad - habits can be preserved. The iPad Air's advantages include an effective oleophobic coating, close-to-sRGB coverage, good color balance and excellent black stability against perpendicular gaze to the screen surface, as well as good black field uniformity. In general, the quality of the screen is very high.

Partly software the iPad Air has nothing fundamentally new, except for the fact that it is sold with iOS 7 preinstalled, while the previous model leaves the factories with iOS 6. But it can also be upgraded to iOS 7. Note also that iPad Air users have free access to popular Apple apps- Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and GarageBand.

Performance

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air is powered by Apple's new A7 SoC. Curiously, Apple did not give the original name for the tablet SoC. In iPad 3 and 4, the SoC name also had an X prefix: Apple A5X and Apple A6X. Now it's just Apple A7.

The main feature of the new SoC is the 64-bit architecture of the "desktop class" (as it was said at the presentation of the iPhone 5s).

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of the Apple M7 motion coprocessor. The idea is this: the gyroscope, compass and accelerometer now transmit data to the M7 coprocessor, which collects and processes this data. Including it allows applications to more effectively use the information of these modules, and also saves the SoC energy (which ultimately saves battery life).

We wrote about other characteristics of the Apple A7 in the article about the iPhone 5s. Everything said there is also true for the iPad Air.

Well, let's see what the results are new iPad Air demonstrates in benchmarks.

Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0, Octane Benchmark, and Kraken Benchmark. In all cases, we used on Apple devices Safari browser from iOS 7, and on Android - Google Chrome.

It is clearly seen that the iPad Air is the undisputed leader. And, of course, the lead over the fourth-generation iPad is particularly impressive.

Now let's see how the iPad Air performs in Geekbench 3, a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance.

As you can see, the results are generally similar to the previous test. iPad Air overtakes (albeit at the margin of error) even the eight-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Well, in single-processor mode, it is a third faster than the main Android competitor and almost twice as fast as its predecessor, which indicates a significantly more efficient architecture of the Apple A7.

Now let's see the GPU performance. There are two multiplatform benchmarks available here: GFXBench (formerly GLBenchmark 2.7) and 3DMark. Let's start with the GFXBench results.

As you can see, in the Offscreen modes (it displays the scene on the screen in Full resolution HD regardless of the screen resolution of the tablet) the new iPad Air is quite small, but still bypasses Android competitors. But in the Onscreen mode, which reflects the real "life" performance of games on specific device The iPad Air is pushing ahead strongly: the super-resolution of Android tablets plays against them.

Once again, the iPad Air shows the best results, overtaking both its predecessors and competitors from the Android camp.

As we can see, Apple, despite the toughened competition, still manages to maintain its leadership in performance. Add to this the fact that all best games first of all, they still go to iOS, and also the fact that it is for iOS that they are optimized in the best way (because there are a limited number of configurations), and we get the obvious conclusion: iPad Air is the best gaming tablet today. Of course, in favor of the same Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, we can say that it has a higher resolution. But whether you can feel this difference when looking at the screen is a big question. But the decrease in performance due to this resolution in top games can be felt.

Autonomous work

We did not have the tablet for testing for a long time, and detailed tests autonomous work failed to do. But, nevertheless, we were able to test the novelty in the most difficult mode, simulating a 3D game. This is Epic Citadel (Guided Tour). With the screen brightness set to 100 cd / m², the tablet lasted just over six hours. The same result was shown by the iPad of the previous generation. Thus, Apple's claims that the battery life of the iPad Air has not deteriorated compared to the previous generation of Apple tablets can be considered true.

Comparison with other current tablet models is no less interesting. As you can see from the table with the results, both the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and tablets based on NVIDIA Tegra 4 and Intel Atom Z2560 outright lost to the iPad Air. True, here it should be borne in mind that the screen resolution at Samsung devices and Toshiba is higher than the iPad. But the fact remains: in high-load scenarios, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition will work less than the iPad Air.

Camera

iPad Air is equipped with two cameras - a front one with a resolution of 1.2 megapixels and a rear one with a resolution of 5 megapixels, similar to the cameras of the iPad 4. This is not very high, especially by modern standards, but on a full-format tablet, the camera should still be taken as an addition. Although many (for example, Japanese tourists) do not think so. Anyway, good camera- this is a plus, but its quality is not determined by megapixels alone. Therefore, we decided to fully test the iPad Air camera using our smartphone camera test method. Shooting of the stand and comments on the pictures from the street was made by Anton Soloviev.

The iPad Air's camera is pretty good. In general, it copes with shooting in good lighting, but perhaps nothing outstanding, except for excellent macro. The camera manages not only to choose the focus well on a close object, but also to give the picture an artistic touch, blurring the background quite well. Macro shooting in the camera is really implemented very well, it is felt that this was the focus. On the one hand, this is very reasonable, since a camera in a tablet is often useful for capturing documents; on the other hand - to each his own.

In different lighting conditions, the camera behaves slightly better than iPhone camera 5s. Unfortunately, the iPad Air does not come with a flash, which greatly reduces the scope of its camera. Also, the camera's capabilities are limited by a low resolution - only 5 megapixels, which does not allow it to be classified as documentary.

The camera can be positioned as an art camera with good macro and document shooting capabilities.

Video

The rear camera can shoot 1080p video at 29.97 fps.

The camera manages to do video quite well, with slight ripples, but without significant delays and lagging of different parts of the frame from each other.

conclusions

Well, Apple has released again great tablet by showing all competitors (including the most aggressive ones who have already decided that they are the new leaders) who can best combine design, functionality and great user experience. One can enumerate for a long time the disadvantages of the Apple platform and, conversely, the advantages of the Android platform, but if we abstract from the "religious wars" and just pick up the iPad Air, it becomes clear that this is really an excellent product. And if your needs do not include those that cannot be realized without, say, a connection external storage, the most convenient access to Google services and pen, it might be worth opting for the iPad.

If you just want to surf the Internet, read books and magazines, watch YouTube videos, play games, check mail, and you are ready to buy or rent movies from the iTunes Store, then the Apple iPad Air is the clear favorite among the purchase candidates. Of course, in this case, we are not considering budget options, since we are talking about top-end devices.

But even those users who have any specific preferences that are incompatible with Apple's restrictions should also thank the company created by Steve Jobs and now headed by Tim Cook: thanks to the iPad Air, Android tablets will soon also lose weight and lose weight. , in the meantime, their sellers will have to lose weight: prices for many top models should fall. Otherwise, they are unlikely to be able to compete with the iPad Air.

But who we think is the most formidable competitor to the iPad Air is the new iPad mini, which, at a price of $ 100 lower, has all the same features and qualities (including the screen resolution of 2048 × 1536 and the SoC Apple A7), but at the same time it is more compact , which can be regarded as a plus by many users (although this is a moot point: after all, the pleasure of reading, watching videos and surfing the web on a 9.7 ″ screen is much higher than on a 7.9 ″ screen). However, the iPad mini and comparing it with the iPad Air is a topic for a new article, which will be released immediately after the appearance of the updated iPad mini on the world market. Stay tuned!

In conclusion of the article, we bring to your attention our video review of the Apple iPad Air tablet:

If you are a happy owner of an iPad, then sooner or later you will surely face the question of how to properly use and charge the battery on your tablet.

Let's try together to figure out how to prolong the work of the heart of your device.

Battery rules

IPad Battery - How to Use and Charge iPad Properly

In order to extend the battery life, a lot of knowledge is not required, you just need to follow a few simple rules:

1. Do not use or store iPad in temperatures below 0 degrees or above +35 degrees. The optimum temperature for operation and storage of the device is from 0 to 30 degrees.
2. Do not leave your iPad uncharged for a long period of time (1-2 weeks), otherwise it may not turn on.
3. Be sure to use your tablet, do not let it sit idle for a long time with a full charge, this way you can save the battery capacity.
4. Discharge and charge iPad completely, at least once a month.
5. Charge your device properly.

These are five basic rules that you should consider when using your tablet.

How to charge iPad

The tablet can be charged using an adapter that connects to a 220 W outlet (usually included with the device) or from a computer via a USB cable.

Charge iPad via adapter. In this case, everything is simple, we connect the iPad to the adapter, then plug it into an outlet, wait for the device to be fully charged. This usually takes about 6 hours.

How to charge iPad - charge iPad with 220W adapter

How to charge iPad from a computer. Everything is just as simple, but there is one "but", you can charge the iPad via USB 2.0 only in standby mode (ie off) because USB port does not have enough power. Charging using this method can take up to 12 hours, and your computer must be turned on.

How to charge iPad - charge iPad from computer

How to properly charge your ipad

According to Li-ion battery experts, it is better to charge the battery until it is completely discharged. The remainder of the charge can be as follows 10% and 40% , but try not to allow a smaller discharge. Confirmation of my words can be a message on the iPad at a time when the charge remains less than 20%.

I want to draw your attention to the fact that there is a rumor that overcharging the battery has an extremely negative effect on its condition, but this is not entirely true. All well-known manufacturers have built a special circuit in the battery for a long time, which allows you to protect it from overcharging.

Also earlier, in metal hydride batteries, the effect was observed "Memory" incomplete charging, but this effect is very negligible in current generation batteries.

Battery capacity in iPad

• On iPad 3 contains two batteries connected to each other total capacity 24.8 Wh., which is approximately 6.613mAh... The operating time of a tablet with such a battery is approximately 10 hours.
• On iPad 4 this capacity is increased by almost 2 times and thus equals 42 Wh which corresponds to 11.666mAh... Despite the large capacity of the battery, its operating time is about 10 hours, and all due to the fact that the internals of the device consume much more energy.

How to save battery power on iPad and get longer battery life?

Let's take a look at how you can save battery power while using your tablet.

Display. This is the most voracious element that consumes the device's power the most. The brightness settings can be used to reduce this consumption. The brighter the display, the more battery consumption, the dimmer, the less. Thus, your task is to adjust this parameter to suit your eye. To do this, you need to go to "Settings" - "Brightness"... A slider will appear in front of you, moving which, you can change the value of this parameter.

Stay tuned for firmware updates. Try to update the firmware as it comes out new version, since the company is constantly working to improve certain functions that in one way or another may affect the consumption of the charge.

Turn off your 3G adapter. Turn off this adapter when you do not need it at all or there is an alternative to wi-fi. It (3G) consumes too many resources.

Turn off the Wi-Fi adapter. This will save you some of the charge. To turn off Wi-Fi go to "Settings" - "Wi-Fi" and change the position of the switch to "Off" ("Off").

Turn on Airplane Mode. If you are out of range 3G or Wi-Fi Signals , then use the function "Air mode"- this will allow you to maximize your battery savings. Go to "Settings", in the left menu, the very first item in the list will be "Airplane mode", change the switch to "On" ("On").

Disable "Notifications"... Over time, the iPad becomes overgrown with applications, some of them constantly send some kind of notifications to your screen. By disabling them, you can extend the operating time of your iPad. Go to "Settings" - "Notifications" and turn off everything that we do not need.

Disable "Location Services"... Pay attention to those programs that are constantly interested in your location. Disable some of them that do not need this function at all. Go to "Settings" - "Location services".

Disable "Bluetooth". "Settings" - "General" - "Bluetooth" - "Off".

Turn on auto-lock mode. Be sure to include this mode... Set the values ​​to the smallest interval "2 min." "Settings" - "General" - "Auto-lock" - "Auto-Lock"... This will force the iPad to turn itself off when we stop using it.

Disable unnecessary sounds. For example, the sounds of the keyboard, turning on and off the device. Go to "Settings" - "General" - "Sounds" - "Sounds" and turn off all unnecessary.

Take away automatic check mail and delete mailboxes which you are not using. "Settings" - "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" - "Fetch New Data", here we change the position "Push" on "Off" ("Off") and set the boot parameter "Manual".

If you have any questions, comments or additions, leave them in the comments.

Tricky question. How many hours does your iPad last?

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 smaller version of the iPad 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 minuses and now it is, in my subjective opinion, 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)

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?

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 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, and 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?

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 doubts about the purchase, in practice you will notice the difference only with a direct iPad comparison Mini 2 and iPad Air, but you can see the higher definition and pixel density of 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. When playing "heavy" toys for a long time Mini case 2 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 have encountered 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?

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

• 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 mobility 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 was the same weight as the iPad Mini, it would still be large and bulky, while the Mini was compact and extremely practical.

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

Greetings! There can be many reasons for the need to check the information on how much capacity is left in the battery of an iPhone or iPad. A similar need may arise out of simple curiosity: for example, I wondered if I had to go to change the battery of my old iPhone 5S? Or is it not so bad yet?

Also, such a procedure is of great importance when buying a used device. After all, the seller can simply deceive - say that the battery he holds exactly as much. And even show usage statistics (you can easily wind it up), but in fact, half of the capacity has already been lost there. How to find out the truth about the state of the battery - is it bad or not? Nobody will wait a few hours to check! There are easier and faster ways - let's talk about them, let's go!

Important note. We get all data about the battery for free, without jailbreaking the device and other jailbreak. Cool? Not that word!

Now we are definitely starting. Forward!:)

How to check the battery life of an iPhone or iPad using a computer?

There are many programs that can give us all the information we need about the battery. These are the famous iTools, iFunBox and many others. However, they are heaped up with various functions (sometimes very unnecessary), and we only need battery statistics! Therefore, in this case, I advise you to use iBackupBot - the desired function is also not the main one in it, however, the minimum size of the program and the simple interface speaks in its favor.

You can download it from the developer's website, there are versions for Windows and Mac OS. Please note that iTunes must be installed to use the program.

Since all the inscriptions are in English, I will give a small decryption of the data obtained:

• CycleCount - the number of complete recharges of the battery.
• DesignCapacity is the capacity that the new gadget originally had.
• FullChargeCapacity - current capacity.
• Status: Success - general characteristics batteries at the moment.

As you can see, my iPhone 5S's capacity dropped by only 150 mAh in 2.5 years, and this is a very good result! In fact, it is almost new. How did you manage to achieve such indicators? I just know how, try it too - there is nothing complicated there.

Apps that will tell you everything about the battery status in an iPhone or iPad

Unfortunately, no one is safe from the situation when a computer is not at hand, and it is necessary to check the battery life of an iOS device here and now. Various applications from App Store... The best part is that you don't need to jailbreak your device and install a jailbreak - everything happens without it.

At the time of writing this article, a huge number of programs (about 15-20) have been in one way or another related to the battery on my iPhone. And only in one of them all data (charge cycles, actual capacity, etc.) were shown for free, immediately after installation and without any additional purchases.

Meet Battery Life. App Store download link. Install and run. Click in the upper left corner - the settings open, we are interested in the menu item - Raw Data. And we can clearly see all the information (also displayed in real time!).

A little point by point:

• Battery Charge - the indicator means how much the battery is currently charged and how much it can charge.
• Capacity - current \ standard capacity of the battery.
• Cycles - the number of recharge cycles.

The attentive reader will notice that the data for my device is slightly different for different checks (using the computer and the application). How so ?!

Firstly, this difference is really small - an error of 3-5%. And secondly, this is completely normal - since different programs use different algorithms. And besides, the battery of my iPhone 5S has been working for quite a long time - almost 2.5 years and it is rather difficult to analyze its use in such a period.

In any case, the check can be carried out by any option presented in the article, and the general picture of the battery life of your iPhone or iPad will be clear. To get the most plausible values ​​- use both methods, and choose the average of what you get.

IFixit has disassembled the new 9.7-inch tablet from Apple and presented the results of their work for everyone to see. For the most part, "insides" iPad Air 2 the same as those of its predecessor, and the changes made are very minor.

In particular, this is a changed arrangement of display cables - according to representatives of iFixit, this innovation will be useful in case of repair iPad Air 2.

The dismantling process also revealed some changes regarding the Wi-Fi antennas and other components. In addition, the fact of the presence of a battery 15% less than that of iPad Air first generation.

IFixit says the front panel is stiffer than previous models iPad, which makes detaching it more difficult. Nevertheless, after preheating it, the guys managed to detach the iPad Air 2 panel using mediators without damaging the LCD screen.

According to iFixit experts, "the glued display is the only way to access the inside of the iPad." This, in turn, means that there is a risk of damage to the screen, even with the most basic repairs.

During disassembly, a model equipped with only Wi-Fi support, so the component data for cellular absent.

As follows from the video below, under building i Pad Air 2 hides a battery with a capacity of 7340 mAh (27.3 Wh). Naturally, it is slightly weaker than the 8827 mAh battery (32.9 Wh), which is equipped with the original iPad Air.

Most likely, this is the reason for the reduced tablet activity time. True, in Apple emphasized the fact that the battery life of the novelty will also be 10 hours.

Components found during disassembly that I did not mention Apple:

• Touch ID sensor from NXP Semiconductors
• 64-bit APL1012 A8X processor from Apple;
• F8164A3MD (two identical chips) from Elpida (Micron Technology);
• 128GB (16GB) NAND flash drive H2JTDG8UD1BMR from SK Hynix;
• NFC NXP 65V10 module (found also in iPhone 6 and 6 Plus);
• Apple audio codec 338S1213 (Cirrus Logic);
• ARM Cortex-M3 LPC18B1UK microcontroller from NXP Semiconductors (Apple M8 motion co-processor);
• Boosted Class D Amplifier MAX98721BEWV from Maxim Integrated;
• Chip Broadcom BCM5976;
• Texas Instruments TI48WHXDP 343S0583;
• FDMC 6683 and FDMC 6676BZ Fairchild Semiconductor chips (two chips that appeared back in the iPad 2).