Apple’s second-generation iPad mini squeezes a high-resolution Retina display — one with an even greater pixel density than the iPad Air — into its diminutive form factor. It’s an impressive technical achievement, but one that comes at a greater cost to customers.
Released this week in time for the holiday shopping season, the new iPad mini with Retina display starts at $ 400 for the 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi only model. Capacity can be doubled, all the way up to 128 gigabytes, at $ 100 increments, while cellular-capable models carry a $ 130 premium.
Those prices are $ 70 more than Apple sold the first-generation iPad mini for when it debuted a year ago. But the extra cost is attributed to the device’s new high-resolution display, which features the same number of pixels as the iPad Air screen, while packing them into a much smaller 7.9-inch size.
The Retina iPad mini also comes in two color options: a “space gray” aluminum back with a black front, and a “silver” model with white front. For this review, our test model was the entry-level, Wi-Fi-only 16-gigabyte model in white and silver.
The addition of the Retina display to Apple’s iPad mini is not unlike when the company first introduced a Retina display in the full-size third-generation iPad. The design remains the same, though Apple has had to sacrifice some weight and thickness to drive a much greater pixel count.
The Retina display in the iPad mini is a much greater technical achievement, though. Apple has managed to retain the same resolution as the full-size iPad Air, allowing developers to create applications at one screen resolution and have them instantly compatible with both the iPad Air and iPad mini.
Left: First-gen iPad mini. Right: iPad mini with Retina display.
One look at the iPad mini’s display is all it takes. This is a truly impressive screen that makes text much easier to read and general usage far more pleasant.
Comparing the Retina iPad mini side-by-side with Apple’s first-generation model only emphasizes the improvements even more. While text on the first iPad mini is muddy and pixelated, it’s crisp and clear on the Retina iPad mini.
Left: First-gen iPad mini. Right: iPad mini with Retina display.
The Retina display alone makes the second-generation iPad mini a worthy successor. It addresses the one major failing of Apple’s introduction to the smaller tablet market in 2012, and it does so impressively.
But while the Retina display is the only significantly noticeable outward-facing change with the second-generation iPad mini, Apple has also made significant improvements on the inside with its 2013 refresh.
On the next page, details the enhanced performance of the Retina iPad mini, as well as minor design changes. Plus, final thoughts and score.
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