Retina iPad mini 2 Unveiled
Apple just announced the second generation iPad mini. As all the rumors suggested, the new iPad mini comes with the same form factor as the first generation iPad mini, but includes, a much needed Retina display, Apple’s name for a display that offers a very high pixels per inch density, so high that individual pixels cannot be seen with the naked eye. Speaking of pixels, the second generation iPad mini’s display will have the same number of pixels as the other new iPad, the iPad Air. The Retina display iPad mini will start at $399 for the WiFi only model and $529 the cellular model. The first generation iPad mini will now start at $299. Regarding its release date, the second generation iPad mini will be released in late November, while the other new iPad model, the iPad Air, will be released on November 1st.
First hands on impressions of the newly announced second generation iPad mini suggest it is an iterative upgrade, but that is not a bad thing at all. Considering the first generation iPad mini is still a good tablet, the second generation iPad mini keeps what made the first one good (a small size, very capable tablet) and adds a Retina display to make it even better.
The incredible quality of a Retina display was the most important feature missing from the first generation iPad mini. In fact, not long after its release in November 2012, rumors have started to appear about an iPad mini 2 with Retina display and these rumors continued to surface on the Internet for the majority of 2013. However, analysts questioned Apple’s ability to equip a second generation iPad mini with a Retina display, due to the necessary increase in battery size and processing power, two things that usually lead to a heavier and thicker tablet.
Fortunately Apple was able to overcome all these technical difficulties and equip the second generation iPad mini with a Retina display. The iPad mini 2 has a 7.9 inch display, but it features 4 times as many pixels as the first generation iPad mini, being capable of displaying at a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, for a pixels per inch density of 326, while the first generation iPad mini’s display was capable of a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and had a pixels per inch density of 163. As a direct result of the increased resolution and PPI density, iOS 7 looks much better on the iPad mini 2′s display than on the low resolution display of the first iPad mini.
The Retina display is not the only new feature of the second generation iPad mini – it also comes with a new System on Chip. The first iPad mini is powered by the A5 System on Chip (with a dual core CPU), but for the second generation iPad mini Apple choose to use the 64 bit A7 System on Chip, the same one that is also being used in the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air. The iPad mini 2 also comes with iOS 7 out of the box and we must say that iOS 7 greatly benefits from the new 64 bit SoC, as scrolling is very fast and smooth. The only inconvenience is represented by the transition animations that are displayed when navigating between folders and apps. The second generation iPad mini will be released in two color variants: white and silver and black and space grey; these are the same two color variants introduced by the iPhone 5S, though the iPad mini 2 does not also come in a gold color option.
As we mentioned, the inclusion of a Retina display means the second generation iPad mini will be heavier and thicker, however according to hands-on impressions, it feels only a little heavier, but not enough to be immediately noticeable. It is also a bit thicker, but not by much. The larger battery (needed for the ten hour autonomy of the Retina display iPad mini 2) and also the Retina display both contribute to iPad mini 2′s slightly bigger dimensions. However, the design remains unchanged from the first generation iPad mini.
All in all, the second generation iPad mini follows closely in the first iPad mini’s footsteps, but comes with a few upgrades (such as the much needed Retina display) that help the tablet remain competitive in its niche. The second generation iPad mini keeps the same design as the first iPad mini and it also keeps the same 4:3 aspect ratio for compatibility reasons with the multitude of iOS apps. Due to its 4:3 aspect ratio, the iPad mini 2 is a bit wider than the Nexus 7, but compatibility with all the iOS apps on the market is more important, considering the iOS ecosystem is king in terms of both number and quality of apps. The overall quality of the second generation iPad mini’s build is better than that of its competitors, so the $399 price tag is understandable (though the Retina display alone more than justifies the price). We would like to know what you think about the second generation iPad mini; will you buy one next month, or would you rather get the iPad Air? Leave us a comment in the dedicated section below.
