Review of Apple iPad mini with Retina display. The best compact tablet. Review and operating experience of iPad mini with Retina display When will ipad mini retina be released?

2 years ago

Great screen, size, battery, camera, iOS

2 years ago

Reliability, stability and absence of brakes, high quality display and perfect operation of all sensors, the speaker sounds good, the battery lasts for a day of almost continuous use, a very large number of accessories and applications, size.

2 years ago

Good screen quality, good processor, nice interface, beautiful design

2 years ago

Nice design, reasonable size for everyday outdoor use. The battery capacity lasts me at least 8-9 hours of almost continuous use. Compared to Android tablets, it has a very good portable device sound in headphones

2 years ago

screen, battery, stability, design

2 years ago

Apple is Apple. Beautiful, ergonomic, incredibly bright and clear display. The sound is excellent, especially considering that this is a tablet. It works quickly, practically flies. The photo quality is good for a tablet, but it could be better for the money.

2 years ago

He is a virtue in himself. Excellent quality screen, pleasant sound, level performance. In the test, Antutu scored 35,000, which is quite important for games. Copes with any task. I don’t use a camera, but we looked at it just for fun. The photos are even better than those of top smartphones.

2 years ago

Excellent screen, Beautiful design, Reliability.

2 years ago

High ergonomics; - reliable (body - aluminum monolith); - beautiful (perfectly constructed and designed); - powerful; - good battery autonomy; - the screen is beautiful; - the camera is very decent (both for tablets and mobiles); - powerful stereo sound. Isn't this enough?!

2 years ago

1) Time battery life, enough for a day, sometimes for 2 2) Build quality is excellent 3) Design-5+ 4) There is no lag or freezing, all animations are smooth and very pleasing to the eye 5) The price tag is quite reasonable

2 years ago

On early versions of iOS7 there were sudden reboots

2 years ago

limited in volume (no support for memory cards), limited capabilities (file transfer, interaction with external media, etc.), after purchasing an iPhone 6s, the lack of touch ID is also considered a disadvantage.

2 years ago

All updated in 2013 Apple devices received the same processors. And if the graphics performance of the A7 is quite sufficient for the iPhone 5s, it is because higher resolution Displays on Air and Mini 2 have some lag in interface animations.
-I don’t understand how OS developers managed to achieve this in iOS 7, but sometimes any browsers load pages from scratch when switching between two (!) open tabs, for example mobile version Yandex and a second, heavier page. Sometimes it just drives you crazy, for example when you need to copy text from one tab to another.
This happens even after rebooting the device. And yes, after the release of iOS 8, almost nothing has changed, and some aspects are even getting worse as updates are released.
Because of all this

2 years ago

Lack of normal ability to transfer data from other devices. 21 century. To open a book downloaded on a PC, I have to upload it to ICloud or Dropbox and then download it to the tablet. Then also export it to the application. Well, it's tough!
Heavy. Your hand gets tired if you read on public transport.

2 years ago

inconvenience with watching videos, conversion, etc.

2 years ago

Constantly installs updates and requires a lot of memory for them!
Inadequate price for functionality.
Lots of difficulties with common things like downloading music, videos, photos and even e-books.

2 years ago

Is it the price of apple products?
The memory card cannot be inserted.

2 years ago

Fragility, Inability to transfer data to other devices without iTunes.

2 years ago

16 Gb is a very small amount of memory (depending on your needs);
- not very convenient transfer of files from PC to iPad.

Announced October 22 Apple iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display went on sale at different times. The Air became available in select countries on November 1st, while the mini is just now available. In Russia, official sales began simultaneously, on November 15th. Thus, the difference has narrowed again; only 2 weeks have passed since the start in other countries. A good sign: maybe soon Russia will be in the first wave of launching all devices, who knows. But let's return to tablets.

It would seem that the next update of Apple tablets should have gone smoothly, but the company did the impossible: they again brought back the slightly fading interest in large 10-inch tablets. The iPad Air turned out to be the smallest, lightest device in its category, while the iPad mini turned out to be completely similar to it in terms of 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 material I will talk about miniature iPad tablet mini, which has been seriously updated compared to its predecessor.

Main characteristics

operating system: iOS 7.0.3
Screen: IPS display with a diagonal of 7.85 inches and a resolution of 2048 x 1536, 324 ppi
Processor: Apple A7, 2-core Cortex-A9, ARM-v8, 1.3 GHz. PowerVR graphics G6430
Memory: RAM 1 GB, Built-in 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB
Camera: front 1.3 MP FaceTime, main iSight F/2.4, 5 MP with autofocus, 1080p video recording, 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 Wh, up to 10 hours of browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi, watching videos
Additionally: gyroscope, light sensor
Dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm
Weight: 331 g (341 g - versions with LTE support)
Price: from 399 euros in Europe, from 399 dollars in the USA, from 15,990 in Russia (Wi-Fi model)
Contents: cable, Charger, brief instructions

Design, convenience

In most cases, when describing Apple devices, this point can be reduced to a couple of words: “nothing has changed.” Indeed, why change something that is already perfect: 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 new Google Nexus, Samsung GALAXY Note, Nokia Lumia 2520 - all plastic.

The only thing you can notice is that the SIM card slot has moved a third of a centimeter, and another small hole for a microphone has appeared on the antenna insert; the first iPad mini does not have it.

The iPad mini Retina color has changed: black has become asphalt gray (Space Grey), similar to the iPhone 5s. This color looks better, does not show fingerprints, and the texture of the metal is clearer. In a word, the change is positive.

As for the dimensions, they are also indistinguishable from the first generation. The length and width are the same to tenths of a millimeter - 200 x 134.7, while the thickness has increased by an imperceptible 0.3 mm - to 7.5 mm. Weight increased by 20 grams (to 331 g). With these parameters, the tablet remains 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.

The connectors and elements are in their places: lightning and stereo speakers are at the bottom, the lock button is at the top, and on the right is the volume control and silent mode.

Screen

After the emergence of 7-inch Android tablets with Full HD screens, it became obvious that Apple would also update its 8-inch tablet to Retina resolution (2048 x 1536 pixels), like the older one iPad models Air. The rumors came true, the 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 that of all competitors.

Now at this resolution the picture turns out to be very smooth, the density is similar to the iPhone - 324 ppi, the pixels are completely invisible. In a word, a wonderful tablet screen. Brightness, maximum viewing angles and natural colors are all present. For anyone who wanted a lightweight and miniature Apple tablet, but was stopped by the low screen resolution, the new version is highly recommended for consideration.

Detailed testing iPad mini Retina screen
conducted by our expert Mikhail Kuznetsov.

The Apple iPad mini now has a Retina display. With a diagonal of 7.85 inches, the resolution reaches 2048 x 1536, which gives a pixel density of 324 ppi. Those who like to count pixels will be pleased - with such a density you can hardly see any hints of “pixelation” of the image; the resolution is more than enough.

The brightness reserve is up to 407 cd/m2 at maximum. The lack of brightness can only be felt in bright sun; in other cases, the reserve is quite sufficient. The contrast ratio was about 900:1, an increase from the previous iPad mini (where we measured a ratio of 687:1). The screen's anti-glare filter copes well with external light and prevents it from fading or fading in direct light. Viewing angles are quite wide, shades are slightly distorted, and the image remains legible at any reasonable viewing angle.

Gamma has an optimal value of 2.23, and the stability of the indicator is high. All midtones are displayed with the 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 image tint is only a little cooler than the reference one. It is worth noting that on maximum brightness the hue of the image becomes even colder - the color temperature tends to 7000K.

There is a slight excess of blue component in the color balance, but the admixture is not that strong. The average Delta E error is about 5.41 units, which indicates a good quality of the factory settings. The main thing is that there is no obvious imbalance - which means it’s easy to get used to the extra shade.

The color gamut of the screen was disappointing. Like previous version The Retina screen of the new iPad mini does not reach the sRGB standard. Primary colors are offset in hue and lack depth. This makes images appear washed out and less true to life than on sRGB screens like the Google Nexus 7. And the shades aren't so bad, since the blue light is way too bright (+104%, Delta E=17.6). In general, there is an imbalance with individual colors. Hence the rather high color rendering errors Delta E - an average of 7.73 units. Color reproduction is sloppy; you can usually expect more from Apple devices.

Overall, the Apple iPad mini's screen has received one obvious improvement - a high resolution Retina. The slight increase in contrast is also pleasing. At the same time, one of the key drawbacks of the previous generation iPad mini remains in place - the reduced color depth, which does not reach sRGB and somewhat distorts the shades. Apparently, from the point of view of the screen, the iPad mini Retina is still one of the weaker devices in the Apple range. The screen is well suited for casual use (surfing and the like), but looking at photos or videos on a “full-size” iPad will be more pleasant, and not only because of the screen diagonal.

Hardware platform and battery

Before the announcement on October 22, many believed that the mini-tablet would have a weaker hardware platform compared to the 10-inch iPad Air. But Apple took a different path: the iPad mini is completely similar to its larger brother in the line. The most advanced Apple A7 processor (64-bit processor with two main cores clocked at 1.3 GHz, the latest ARM architecture v8). Let me remind you that the new cores are called Cyclone, and the entire Apple A7 chip is produced 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 thoughtlessly increasing 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, creating cross-platform applications for them has become much easier. In the Android world, developers focus on averages so that the program works on the maximum number of devices. As a result, in most cases, additional cores in 4- and 8-core devices are simply unused. In the case of Apple, you can create programs for all devices without focusing on the differences between them in the number of cores, which saves both time and resources.

Besides new platform turned out to be not only faster than multi-core competitors, but also more economical in energy consumption: the new Apple smartphone and tablets work as long as their predecessors worked.

In the case of the iPad mini Retina, the indicators are exactly the same: 10 hours of operation when watching videos, Internet browsing via Wi-Fi. Due to the high screen resolution, 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 increased by only 0.3 mm: from 7.2 to 7.5 mm. I've always been surprised how Apple grows quantitative indicators retains the usual dimensions within the same framework, but the fact remains a fact.

The graphics accelerator in the new iPad mini is also excellent - a quad-core PowerVR (Series 6) G6430 that supports OpenGL 3.0, DirectX 10 and OpenCL 1.x. This is one of the most powerful mobile graphics chips on the market in this moment. Volume random access memory in the iPad mini Retina has doubled compared to its predecessor - it has 1 GB, as in the older iPad Air. In addition, more quick option LPDDR3 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 taken 2 steps forward. And not only in comparison with Apple gadgets, but also with Android competitors: at the moment, none of the Android manufacturers use ARM v8 cores (devices with Cortex A53 and Cortex A57 will clearly appear no earlier than next year) or Imagination PowerVR Series 6 graphics. Apple is ahead here.

This fact will once again push many to think about what is better - a standard 10-inch tablet or a miniature 8-inch one. Apple has made them identical in terms of hardware platform and screen resolution, camera quality, amount of memory (built-in and RAM), operating time, so you can only choose the size. A very interesting step: when choosing an iPad mini, you won’t have to sacrifice either 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 has not been changed: 5 megapixels, autofocus and spot 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 in the iPhone 5s was not increased either, it has the usual 8 megapixels (albeit with a larger pixel size - 1.5 microns). So the quality of shooting remained at the level of its predecessor - a completely adequate level. There is also a module on the front, this is an HD camera, which will be useful during communication sessions via FaceTime. It will also allow you to take a self-portrait.

Software platform

The tablet is controlled by itself latest version iOS 7.0.3. If on the iPad mini the software slowed down a little, now the tablet is no different in speed from the iPhone 5s, all built-in applications, as well as third-party ones, “fly”. Also in version 7.0.3 it became possible to disable animation in most menus, so you can make your tablet or smartphone even faster.

The main change in iOS 7 compared to the 6th version is the control center - a panel where data transfer, network and wireless connections, autonomous and night modes, player control buttons, as well as several quick applications (such as a calculator and a flashlight). The control panel is called up 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; constantly going into the settings menu to enable the simplest functions was wrong, but better late than never.

The panel is not customizable, that is, you cannot remove unnecessary shortcuts (such as a timer) and you cannot add new ones, but you can choose whether it will be possible to call the panel on the locked screen or in open applications. There are AirDrop and AirPlay icons in the control center - wireless transmission information, multimedia on compatible devices. For example, if there is another user nearby with iOS 7, 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 view either all notifications, or missed ones, or the “Today” screen, where the weather can be displayed. The weather application has also been updated, with much more animation of weather conditions.

Multitasking has been brought into a wonderful form: now there are not only program icons, but also window thumbnails, the information in which is updated in real time. Approximately the same principle as in MeeGo or Blackberry 10. Applications are closed by swiping up. Branded features have been improved: the Find My iPhone feature will now require authorization via Apple ID and password to disable it. Additional protection of your data, in general. IN new version FaceTime now allows you to use it for voice calls without video.

Well, one of the most important innovations is the browser. The incomprehensible limit on 8 open tabs has been removed, now you can open an unlimited number of them. The appearance of the windows has also changed, the miniatures have become more visual and larger.

Opinion Hi-Tech.Mail.ru

Apple's mini-tablet has passed one generation: everyone was expecting a simplified version of the 10-inch model, with a processor from the iPhone 5, with limitations on memory capacity, but what they got was the most modern and powerful set: the top-end Apple A7 processor, an option with 128 GB of memory, Retina -screen with a pixel density of 324 ppi (as in the iPhone 5s), one and a half times more capacious battery with virtually unchanged thickness and weight of the tablet.

The iPad mini with Retina screen is completely similar to the older iPad Air model - software, hardware, screen and operating time. 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. 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 at 13 thousand). 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 thinness, the same design with narrow frames and an all-aluminum body, loud stereo speakers, a huge software base and the same battery life. It was a little disappointing that they decided not to use a fingerprint scanner in the tablet, as in the iPhone 5s (this would increase the cost), as well as the same camera, although an 8 MP module would be more appropriate. Otherwise, the tablet left the most pleasant impression; Android competitors do not have the same combination of size, quality of materials, speed and operating time, for which we can safely recommend the model for purchase.

Anton Spiridonov, [email protected]

The amount of available space is less than stated and depends on various factors. The standard configuration (including iPadOS and pre-installed apps) takes approximately 10 to 13 GB, depending on the device model and settings. Pre-installed applications take up about 4 GB; they can be deleted and downloaded again. The amount of available space may vary depending on the device and software version.
Size and weight vary depending on device configuration and manufacturing process.
To communicate using FaceTime, both users must have FaceTime-enabled devices and be connected to a Wi-Fi network. Availability of FaceTime over cellular networks varies by carrier; Data charges may apply.
Data plan required. Gigabit Class LTE networks 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. Detailed information For information about LTE network support, contact your carrier or visit .
Tariff plan cellular communication sold separately. The model you purchase is configured to work with a specific cellular network technology. For availability information tariff plan cellular service and compatibility, please contact your carrier.
Not all carriers support apple cards SIM and eSIM. Contact your carrier for more information. Not available in mainland China.
Voice assistant Siri may not be available in all languages or regions. Siri capabilities may also vary. Internet access required. Cellular data charges may apply.
Testing was carried out by Apple in February 2019 on preproduction iPad mini (5th generation) units with pre-release software. Testing included draining the battery completely while performing the following tasks: playing video, playing audio, and browsing websites while connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular data network. The video was a 2 h 23 min repeat film purchased from the iTunes Store. The playlist of audio content consisted of 358 unique audio tracks, purchased from the iTunes Store. Testing the Internet via Wi‑Fi and cellular network data transfer was carried out using a dedicated web server and mail server simulating browsing 20 popular web pages and checking email hourly. Default settings were used, except for the following: Wi-Fi connection (enabled, except for surfing the Internet via a cellular data network); request to connect to Wi-Fi networks(disabled); automatic setting brightness (off); brightness (level set to 50%); WPA2 encryption (enabled). Battery life depends on device settings, usage conditions, and many other factors. Battery testing was conducted on specific iPad test units; actual results may vary.
Broadband recommended wireless connection; charges may apply.

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The first iPad mini was introduced in the fall of 2012 and became a very popular device. You can blame Apple for following the lead of the market, but no one can deny the success of the iPad mini. Millions of customers have chosen the iPad mini with their wallets, which only confirmed the correctness of Apple's chosen path.

In the fall of 2013, Apple updated its line of tablets, including the iPad mini. The compact tablet received updated hardware and the long-awaited Retina screen, the absence of which in the first generation mini deterred many from purchasing it (including me). Now the iPad mini with Retina screen is available for sale and I just couldn’t help but buy it for myself. Did the iPad mini with Retina display live up to my expectations and should you buy one for yourself?

Model selection

I already had experience using the “large” iPad 2, but I was not satisfied with its dimensions. This is not to say that full-size iPads are very bulky and heavy, but typing text in landscape orientation of the screen was uncomfortable for me, and carrying a piece of hardware weighing 700 grams in my bag, with the help of which I can’t even fully work with text in some way. I'm just tired of it at the moment. And I sold the iPad 2.

Then I clearly understood that full-size tablets were not my format. A gadget that you constantly carry with you should be compact, lightweight and easy to use. I see the full-size iPad more as a tablet for home use.

I didn’t buy the first iPad mini due to the lack of a Retina screen, and the hardware on it was far from the latest at that time. So I waited for the iPad mini second generation, which from the point of view of hardware and screen “on paper” completely suited me.

I chose iPad mini with Retina display Space Gray color and 16 GB memory without cellular module. Still, while most of our country (including my city) still doesn’t have 4G, I don’t see much point in buying an iPad mini with a cellular module. A Wi-Fi points now it’s more than enough, and in extreme cases, an iPhone or even a Mac can act as a router.

The 16 GB version is more than enough for me, because on the iPad I don’t have as many applications and games as on the iPhone, I don’t have a huge photo library, music and movies. If I want to watch or listen to something, I prefer to do it using online services.

Purchase

Still, it’s good that Apple is closely involved in the Russian market. Now you don’t have to wait six months for new devices to officially go on sale. The iPad mini Retina, for example, was available for order in the Apple Online Store on November 15, that is, just a few weeks after the start of sales in the West.

Of course, the iPad mini reached other stores later. I picked up my iPad mini Retina at the end of December and was unable to find it on display for an acceptable (read: officially established) price. It’s good that there are online stores, from one of which I ordered an iPad mini Retina 16 GB for a reasonable 16 thousand rubles. After 3 days, the order had already arrived and I took my long-awaited tablet.

Box and accessories

You shouldn't expect any revelations from the iPad mini Retina box or configuration. Standard box, standard equipment: the tablet itself, lightning cable, Russian plug, documents and stickers. There is nothing else, including headphones.

Case and screen

iPad mini Retina in terms of physical dimensions and appearance remains virtually the same as the original iPad mini. Rounded corners, a small frame around the screen, screen diagonal - 7.9 inches. The weight of the device has increased only slightly. Holding the tablet in both hands is quite comfortable, but when you work with it with one hand, it still feels a little heavy. I hope that in the future Apple will put its compact tablet on a “diet”, especially since its competitors weigh less.

The location of connectors and speakers on the case remains the same. The body itself is also made of aluminum, its front part is covered with glass.

The iPad mini in Space Gray looks great. After the “faceless” black color in previous models, “Space Gray” looks much more interesting. It is also worth noting that the paint will not peel off, as in the iPhone 5; during the time I was using the tablet, no problems arose. It still looks like new.

The screen diagonal has not changed - 7.9 inches, but the resolution has increased to “Retina” 2048 × 1536 pixels. The pixel density is 326 ppi, just like the iPhone, which is more than the iPad Air (264 ppi). It is worth admitting that you will not notice the difference between the Air and Mini in terms of pixels - they are not visible on both mini and Air. However, iPad screen mini is worse than the iPad Air due to relatively dull color reproduction, brightness and contrast. Generally speaking, the screen is quite good, but there are not enough stars in the sky.

The screen gets dirty like crazy, you will have to constantly wipe it from dust particles and fingerprints. But it’s hard to call this a specific feature of the iPad mini with a Retina screen. This is a problem with most modern mobile devices.

Another point that catches your eye is that the screen is “deeply” recessed into the body. Apple did not use any special technologies here (a screen without an air gap, for example) and the “depth” between the glass and the display itself is quite noticeable. This does not have a significant effect in everyday use, but I would still like this point to be corrected.

Iron filling and performance

IN new iPad mini has 1 GB of RAM and latest processor A7 - the same as in the iPhone 5s and iPad Air. True, unlike its older brother iPad Air, it clock frequency 100 MHz less. There's no difference between the Mini and Air when using the iOS interface and most apps, but Apple wouldn't be Apple if there was no difference between them at all. And she is.

IN GeekBench test 3 iPad mini scores about 2500 points, which is slightly lower than the iPad Air, but this is not a matter of synthetic numbers. When working with resource-intensive games such as GTA: San Andreas, Real Racing 3, the frame rate drops unpleasantly, which has not been observed before. Apparently this is also due to the fact that most applications are not optimized for the 64-bit architecture of the A7 processor. Or maybe those same 100 MHz frequencies played their fatal role?

It is worth noting that many applications on the iPad mini Retina work the same or even worse (!) than on the iPhone 5, which has an A6 processor. Here the high screen resolution and unoptimized software (especially for the iPad) make themselves felt.

iOS 7 on the iPad mini Retina with a 64-bit processor works... far from perfect. The animation often jerks, and changing the screen orientation does not always happen smoothly. I hope that with the release of iOS 7.1 Apple will cover up this shame, because there is absolutely no desire to endure constant resprings and freezing. This is not Android, this is iOS - a system that has made a name for itself thanks to its stable operation. And iOS 7 has big problems with this very stable operation.

Camera

The iPad mini Retina has a camera, it is capable of taking pictures of very average quality, but for a tablet this can be considered a good indicator. Video is recorded in good quality, the slo-mo mode, as in the iPhone 5s, is naturally not here.

Photo taken with the main camera. Quality is very average

But the front camera pleased me. In good lighting conditions, the pictures turn out to be quite good (as far as they can be at all). front camera). More than enough for selfshots and video calls on Skype.

Vitality

Traditionally, Apple promises 10 hours of battery life for its tablets. With the iPad mini Retina, in practice it turns out a little less. With active use (browser (half an hour to an hour a day), email (an hour a day), social networks (an hour a day), games (2-3 hours a day), videos (half an hour to an hour a day), books (an hour a day) day)) the tablet lasts for 1-1.5 days or 8-9 hours of continuous work. If you moderate your ardor, you can achieve 2-2.5 days. Again, everyone's usage patterns are different and these numbers may vary depending on your preferences.

In any case, the iPad mini Retina remains a very durable device - you won’t worry about the battery and keep looking at the battery charge indicator. You can charge your iPad mini and easily take it with you for the whole working day - the battery will definitely last you. The iPad mini Retina charges from the mains in about 4-5 hours. With my usage pattern, I charge it about 4 times a week - quite a good result.

How I've been using my iPad all this time

Reading articles from the web

The iPad mini is a great reading gadget. Books, articles from the Web, RSS - the iPad mini Retina easily copes with all these tasks. Applications for this in App Store- a great many. I'll tell you which ones I use.

As an RSS reader I use Digg Reader. I used to prefer Feedly, but I found Digg more convenient. Actually, its functionality is standard - you can subscribe to streams directly in the application, distribute subscriptions into folders, quickly share articles on social networks or postpone them “for later”. This is quite enough for me.

To keep track of news on topics that interest me, I use Zite. Unlike Flipboard, it matches my preferences much better, although, of course, it loses in design. You add all the topics that interest you to Zite once and enjoy promptly arriving news.

To delay reading articles I use Pocket. Still, nothing better has yet been invented for iOS, despite the fact that Readability and Instapaper are also very good services. But Pocket has 3 big advantages: it is supported by hundreds of applications, it has the ability to “save for later” not only text articles, but also videos and links. And third, of course, tags. They help organize all articles into categories and maintain order in the repository.

Books and magazines

You can read e-books and magazines on your iPad without any problems. I would especially like to note that for the iPad there are many interactive magazines that are made specifically for the tablet. For example, this is how I read Slon.ru and Esquire magazines. Unlike paper versions, they have all sorts of interactive elements: graphics, animations, videos, and in some places even mini-games. If this doesn’t turn everything upside down, it certainly transforms the experience of reading periodicals.

The iPad mini Retina is also quite suitable for reading PDF magazines and books. In the vast majority of cases, the font size is quite optimal so as not to squint or zoom in.

But with regular e-books, things are not so simple. I admit that when I bought the iPad mini Retina, I even thought that it could replace my Kindle reader. But this did not happen. E-ink remains for me the best screen format for reading large books. But here who likes what more.

I can’t help but remember the dimensions of the iPad mini Retina. On the one hand, the display diagonal is higher than on the Kindle, which means that more content can fit on the screen. But here this difference is not so critical.

But holding a Kindle reader in one hand is much more convenient and this played a decisive role for me. Amazon was able to find the optimal balance between the amount of text on the screen and ease of use. It’s not surprising, because for the iPad mini, reading books is just one of the tasks, and for the Kindle it’s actually the only one. But for small publications and the iPad mini Retina is quite suitable.

As a reader e-books I use Marvin. It has everything you need to read books comfortably.

Working with text and notes

iPad mini Retina is good for taking short text notes and viewing documents. Don't forget that there are many apps available for the iPad. handwritten notes, such as INKredible or Skitch, can help you jot down ideas for a work meeting or educational event.

To work with text, I use Pages, iAWriter and SimpleNote. Despite the difference in functionality, the essence of using these programs on the iPad is absolutely the same for me - to write a short text. I don’t have the nerves to fully work with text on the iPad, which I’ll talk about below :-)

Fun time

I bought the iPad mini Retina largely with the expectation that it would be my main gaming gadget. I’ll say right away that I was right in my choice, despite the problems with some games.

As I said, the same GTA: San Andreas on the iPad mini Retina behaves strangely: the frame rate is low, everything slows down unpleasantly. At the same time, on the iPhone 5 the game practically did not freeze for me.

But my favorite Modern Combat 4 behaves very well 95% of the time. Even when you play online with a large number of players, MD4 practically does not slow down, only occasionally small “lags” occur. At the same time, the tablet practically does not heat up.

Simple games like Flappy Bird, Dungeon Highway, Angry Birds are eaten up by the iPad mini Retina, which is, in general, quite expected.

It's an hour

I don't think of tablets as full-time work devices, but despite this, it was still interesting to see the iPad mini Retina in action. At work I tinker with texts a lot, I constantly look through email, social media, I work with the WordPress admin.

A miracle did not happen - the iPad mini Retina, in my opinion, is completely unsuitable for constant work. But in order to quickly write a post, correct the text or sketch out a plan for a post, it is quite suitable.

Firstly, there is a real lack of a physical keyboard, which makes typing much more convenient. Secondly, there is no normal WordPress application for iOS that will not confuse the publication time and accidentally post articles to the site (which has happened to me several times). And thirdly, iOS itself is simply not suitable for such things. On a MacBook you can simultaneously write text and look at its English original, but on an iPad you constantly switch between applications, and this, again, is an inconvenience.

This idea has been said by everyone, it is banal and obvious, but it is worth noting again: the iPad mini is an ideal device for consuming content, not for creating it. Although, if you really want to, you can dodge it by buying external keyboard. But this will not solve the software problem.

iPad mini is the perfect device for consuming content, not creating it

Air or mini?

Despite some differences in specifications, the only significant difference between the Air and mini Retina is the size of the tablet. IN You must clearly answer the question - which size is preferable for you? Because there is practically no difference in the other capabilities of tablets. If you like full-size tablets, take the iPad Air; if you like compact ones, take the iPad mini Retina. Our infographics will help you make your choice.

conclusions

Despite all the disadvantages and shortcomings of the iPad mini Retina, I was more than satisfied with my purchase. The iPad mini Retina is a pleasant and easy-to-use tablet that, in the vast majority of cases, copes with its tasks with a bang. Many shortcomings are associated with the unstable operation of iOS 7 itself, which will be corrected very soon in the final version. iOS version 7.1.

The iPad is still a great device for consuming content, but not a great device for creating it. But as I said above, it is capable of solving simple work tasks.