The iPad Mini is finally here. After, rumours, renders and leaks galore, Apple has confirmed that a smaller, but perfectly formed iOS tablet will soon be amongst us.
The Apple iPad Mini is significantly smaller than the new iPad – 23 per cent smaller and 53 per cent lighter, it’s powered by dual-core A5 chip and is available in two variants – black and slate and white and silver. It has 4G and Apple’s new Lightening port.
Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president comments: “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”
What are its main features?
Naturally the aesthetic of the new iPad Mini is simply a scaled down version of the existing iPad, however the smaller display size warrants a comparable bezel and weight loss in the process. The iPad Mini includes 4G – but it’s only compatible with the 1800MHz band, which means you need to be on EE and later Three’s network to benefit.
- Screen: 7.9-inch LCD IPS panel, 1024×768
- Processor: Apple A5 dual-core processor
- OS: iOS 6
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFI, 3G, 4G
- Camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus 1080p video/ 1.2-megapixel, 720p video
- Capacity: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
- Battery: 10 hours web surfing,
- Dimensions: 200×134.7×7.2mm
- Weight: 308g
What operating system will the iPad Mini run on?
As with the iPhone 5, Apple is launching the iPad Mini with the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 6 on board. Naturally the unloved Apple Maps app does feature, but following on from Tim Cook’s previous apology, the company say they’re hard at working trying to rectify it, although chances are you won’t be using it as much as you’ll have to stick to WiFi anyway. Other features include Panorama, Facebook integration and Facetime over 3G.
What are the alternatives?
Naturally a smaller iPad demands comparable rivals and there’s no greater opposition than Google’s own creation, the Google Nexus 7. Despite its slightly smaller display size, the Nexus 7 has already risen to become an established product in the tablet space, with record sales for a tablet from retailers like Carphone Warehouse. The iPad Mini’s taller, wider frame still allows for single-handed use and thanks to its lightweight, svelte design, users aren’t going to find it any trickier to hold. It really comes down to the age old question, ‘Android or iOS?’, you decide and of course price. The 8GB Google Nexus 7 starts at £159 – the iPad Mini starts at £269 – a significant difference if you are getting your first tablet.
Where will the iPad Mini be available?
The UK has always been one of the luckier regions with regards to the availability roll out of Apple products, always in the first wave along with countries like Germany, France and the US. Expect Apple stores and retailers of the existing iPad as the best points of call for those who want some iPad Mini in their life.
When will the iPad Mini be available?
Following today’s announcement, the Apple iPad Mini will arrive on UK store shelves on Friday November 2nd 2012, the iPad Mini + 3G launches a couple of weeks later – just in time for Christmas. Pre-orders start on October 26th 2012.
How much will the iPad Mini cost?
Apple has created an entire fleet of iPad Mini tablets to suit a range of consumers across a multitude of price points. The lowest you’ll be able to pick one up will £269 for 16GB £340 for 32GB and £429 for 64GB. The iPad Mini 3G (and 4G) starts at £369 for 16GB, £449 for 32GB and £529 for 64GB.
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