 "Apple Retina iPad mini: What's new")
Apple’s event last night came with a lot of expected announcements. Chief among them was a new iPad mini with a Retina display in tow. While there was a great deal of speculation that we might be seeing a multi-coloured cheaper iPad mini without a Retina display, it looks like Apple decided to stick to its guns and rolled out a tablet with the standard grey and silver avatars. But there are some other changes under the hood apart from the screen, and we decided to take a look at those differences.
The new iPad comes with around the same measurements as the year old iPad mini, coming in at 200x134.7x7.5mm. The earlier generation device was slightly thinner, though, but given the new Retina display, we can forgive Apple. There is also a slight difference with the weight, with the Wi-Fi version of new model weighing 331 grams, as compared to the older model, which weighed 308 grams.
This time around, the 7.9-inch display, as we have mentioned earlier, comes with a considerable boost in resolution. The new device comes with a pixel resolution of 2048x1536 and a pixel density of 326ppi. This is a considerable step up from the original mini, which gave users a pixel resolution of 1024x768 and a pixel density of 163ppi.
The new iPad comes with a Retina display after all
A big change is definitely the processor that the new mini comes with. Apple has integrated the latest A7 64-bit desktop-class architecture that the iPhone 5s is known for. This basically means that the new version comes with a processor that is four times as fast as its predecessor, and also gives eight times faster graphics processing. The older mini offered users the dated dual-core A5 processor, so the better chipset is a welcome change. In terms of OS, the new mini comes with the company’s latest iOS7, which comes with a host of changes and tweaks that you can check out in our review.
The new processor will also help to support the new Retina display, because the new screen will definitely use more power. There is no word yet on how much RAM the new mini is coming with, though. The last generation model, however, came with 512MB of RAM, so it is expected that Apple will bump up the same in the new installment. Unfortunately, however, the new mini does not come with a Touch ID sensor, which we had hoped would also be included in the package.
Internal memory has seen a big upgrade with the new iPad mini. Users, apart from the standard 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, can also opt for a 128GB model as well. On the camera front, the new tablet comes with the same 5-megapixel snapper that comes with the original iPad mini. The front-facing FaceTime camera, though, has been revamped a bit, and now matches the iPhone 5s for clarity. The new device also comes with dual mic ports that should definitely make video chats a lot better. The only difference that we could find between the two models was the fact that the new Retina mini will offer users three times the video zoom offered in the last generation one.
Packed in is the latest iOS 7 OS
The new device also comes with support for more connectivity options that the original. Apple has bumped up the LTE connections in the iPad mini with Retina and now supports 13 LTE bands. This also means that users now have extended 4G support as well. Wi-Fi connectivity has also been worked on, with the new tablet now coming with MIMO support, meaning that the iPad mini will be twice as fast as the original. The Bluetooth feature is the same as last year as the new tablet comes with Bluetooth 4.0 support.
Cellular connectivity is almost the same as well, apart from the expanded LTE band support, so we have the standard GSM/EDGE and HSPA+/DC-HSDPA support thrown in. The new tablet also offers the now compulsory GPS and GLONASS support. Sensors-wise, there are no real surprises, with the new mini coming with a three-axis gyro sensor, an accelerometer as well as an ambient light sensor.
Just like the old model, users picking up the new mini will have a Lightning port and connector for their tablets. The company has not rolled out a dedicated keyboard cover for the new tablet, with Apple’s head honcho Tim Cook comparing competitors chasing this market to the way they chased the failed netbook market.
Much the same design as last year’s iPad mini model
A relatively big change, due to increased options, has been seen in the price. The original iPad mini was priced at $299 for the 16GB model and $429 for the Wi-Fi+Cellular model. This time around, the base 16GB model will set you back $399, while the 16GB Wi-Fi+Cellular model will cost $529.
Going up the ladder, the 32GB Wi-Fi model will cost $499, while the Wi-Fi+Cellular model will charge $629. The 64GB and 128GB Wi-Fi models will cost you $599 and $699 respectively. The Wi-Fi+Cellular models of both these variants will cost you $729 and $829 respectively. This basically means that you will have to shell out $100 more for each successive model.
While the company has clearly said that the new iPad Air will be out in the markets from November 1, the new mini has an unspecified “later” release date in November. There is also no word on when the new tablet will be rolled out for other markets yet, and it looks like iFans in India may have to wait a while before being able to get their hands on the latest mini.
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