iPad Mini: Our Complete Guide

iPad Mini is finally here. Announced on the 23 October 2012, iPad Mini is the latest addition to the Apple iPad product family. In this article, let us take a closer look at the new born device and hopefully it will help you in deciding if you should purchase one or not when it becomes available in Malaysia.

Before we start, let’s take a look at the iPad Mini TV Commercial that was aired during the iPad Mini Special Event on 23 October 2012 to let you have a rough idea as to how small the iPad Mini is compared to the full size iPad.

Yes, iPad Mini is thin, slick and light. Designed with a 4:3 aspect ratio on a 7.9-inch display, iPad Mini’s display carries the same resolution as the original iPad and iPad 2 of 1024 x 768 pixels. Weight at only 308g, the iPad Mini is 53% lighter than the full size iPad with Retina Display. With a thickness of only 7.2mm, iPad Mini not only is 23% thinner than the full size iPad, but it is also thinner than the thinnest iPhone 5 which has a thickness of 7.6mm.

Unbelievable thin and light, the iPad Mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of papers.

The iPad Mini comes in two colours – Black & Slate and White & Silver.

Dimension
Height: 200 mm
Width: 134.7 mm
Depth: 7.2 mm
Weight: 308g (Wi-Fi only Model), 312g (Wi-Fi + Cellular Model)

Screen
The iPad Mini comes with a 7.9-inch LED-backlit display. Note that this is not a RETINA Display like the ones you see on the iPad3 or iPad4 and therefore, you will notice that the display sharpness and brightness are not as good as the full size iPad. Nevertheless, the 7.9″ display which carries the same resolution as the iPad 1 and iPad 2 made the iPad Mini instantly compatible with the existing 275,000 apps created exclusively for the iPad. This means that iPad Mini users are able to enjoy the full iPad experience out of the box.

Comparing the iPad Mini 7.9″ display with a 7″ display tablet out there like the Nexus 7, iPad Mini has a significant 35% larger screen. Also note that to accommodate this large display on a mini device, Apple have reduced the width on both the left and right side of the iPad, but at the same time guarantees the same iPad user experience.

Processor & Battery Life
The iPad Mini is powered with Apple Dual-core A5 chip with 10-hours of battery life. The A5 chip is the same one used to power the iPad2.

Storage Capacity
16GB, 32GB and 64GB

Camera, Photo & Video Recording

FaceTime HD camera
1.2MP photos
720p HD video
FaceTime video calling over Wi-Fi or cellular
Face detection
Backside illumination

iSight camera
5MP photos
Autofocus
Face detection
Backside illumination
Five-elements lens
Hybrid IR filter
ƒ/2.4 aperture

1080p HD video recording
Tap to focus while recording
Video stabilisation
Face detection
Backside illumination

Connector
Lightning which is claimed by Apple to be more durable than the old 30-pin connector and is reversible, meaning there is no wrong way to plug it into the iPad Mini.

Wireless
The iPad Mini comes with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n Wi-Fi and supports channel bonding which increases download speeds up to 150 Mbps. It also comes with Bluetooth 4.0 technology.

Cellular
WiFi + Cellular model comes with expanded LTE and 3G options for two separate models:

Model A1454 (USA & Canada only)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
LTE (Bands 4 and 17)

Model A1455 (USA, Germany, UK, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Singapore)
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)

Siri & iOS 6
Yes, the iPad Mini comes with iOS 6 and Siri pre-installed so you can get things done by just asking.

Smart Cover
Yes, you can purchase the mini Smart Cover separately for the iPad Mini that comes with 6 different colours (Polyurethane Only – Pink, Dark Gray, Light Gray, Green, Blue and Red), each for US$39.00.

Input/Output
Lightning connector
3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
Nano-SIM card tray (for Wi-Fi + Cellular Model Only)
*Note that the full size iPad4 with Retina Display uses Micro-SIM card, which is different from the iPad Mini.

Sensors
Three-axis gyro
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor

In The Box
iPad Mini
Lightning to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter

Price
Wifi Only Model:
16GB: US$329
32GB: US$429
64GB: US$529

Wifi + Cellular Model:
16GB: US$459
32GB: US$559
64GB: US$659

Read about our iPad Mini price prediction in Malaysian Ringgit in the following link:
http://www.ipadclubmalaysia.com/ipad-mini-price-in-malaysia-prediction/

Availability
Pre-order begins on 26 October 2012 in the following 26 countries (Malaysia not in the list):
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK & USA.

The Wi-Fi only version will be available in Retail Stores on 02 November 2012 in the following 34 countries (Malaysia not in the list):
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK & USA.

Wi-Fi + Cellular version will be released in the USA only two weeks after 02 November 2012 and slowly to the rest of the world.

Arrival Date To Malaysia:
Not announced yet but we predict earliest by early December but most likely by the end of December 2012 or in January 2013.

Let’s take a look at the iPad Mini Introductory Video by Apple, which summarises our discussion above.

Our Guide: Should I get an iPad Mini or the Full Size iPad with Retina Display?
iPad Mini is no doubt a competitor to the full size iPad with Retina Display and we are sure a lot of people are in the dilemma now. Therefore, we prepared a few questions to guide you in making that decision.

1. What is your budget? If budget is a constrain, get the iPad Mini. With a lower price, you still enjoy the full iPad experience.
2. Do you need a larger screen? If yes, get the full size iPad.
3. Do you plan to work on the iPad for a long period of time? If yes, get the full size iPad.
4. Is mobility a priority for you? If yes, get the iPad Mini.
5. Do you own an iPhone already? If yes, get the full size iPad.
6. Do you need higher processing power for work? If yes, get the full size iPad.
7. Have you already own an iPhone and iPad? Get the iPad Mini.

iPad Mini Compared with Other 7″ Tablets

Specs	Apple iPad Mini	Google Nexus 7	Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7")	Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
Operating System	iOS 6	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean	Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich	Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Processor	Apple Dual Core A5	NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 T30L Quad-Core @1.3GHz	Dual Core 1.0GHz	Dual Core 1.4GHz
Display	7.9-inch LED-backlit IPS 1024 x 768 pixels 163 ppi	7" WXGA LED-backlit IPS 1280 X 800 pixels 216 ppi	7" WSVGA PLS TFT LCD 1024 x 600 pixels 170 ppi	7.67" Super AMOLED Plus 1280 x 800 196 ppi
Camera	Front: 1.2 MP 720p FaceTime HD camera Back: 5 MP 1080p iSight	Front: 1.2 MP	Front: VGA Front Camera Back: 3 MP	Front: 2 MP Back: 3 MP
Battery	10 hours 16.3-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery	9.5 hours 4325mAh,16Wh Li-Polymer	4000 mAh	5100 mAh
Storage	16GB, 32GB, 64GB	16GB	Built-in: 32GB Expandable up to 32GB	Built-in: 64GB
Dimension	200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm	198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm	193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5 mm	196.70 x 133.00 x 7.89 mm
Weight	308g (Wi-Fi Only) 312g (Wi-Fi + Cellular)	340g	345g	340g
Price	Wi-Fi Only Model: US$329 (16GB), US$429 (32GB), US$529 (64GB) Wi-Fi + Cellular Model: US$459 (16GB), US$559 (32GB), US$659 (64GB)	RM 999.00	RM 1,299.00	RM1,899.00

We hope with the above guide, it will help you in deciding whether to get a full size iPad or the iPad Mini. If you have ever wondered what are the differences between iPad4 and iPad3 (currently discounted by RM120 each), check out our article that compares them both in the following link: http://www.ipadclubmalaysia.com/what-are-the-differences-between-ipad4-and-ipad3/

Also, you might want to check out our prediction on iPad Mini price in Malaysian Ringgit here:
http://www.ipadclubmalaysia.com/ipad-mini-price-in-malaysia-prediction/

Lastly, below are a few hands-on videos on the iPad Mini that you might be interested to watch.

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Have you decided which iPad you’re getting? Need more advice from us? You can always share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Update:
We have released our complete guide for iPhone 5. If you enjoyed reading this article, head over to our iPhone 5: Our Complete Guide article here: http://www.ipadclubmalaysia.com/iphone-5/.