iPad Air and iPad mini 2019 review: Apple’s tablets strike an ideal balance

These are clearly more appealing to most people than Apple's 2018 iPad or iPad Pro.

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[spacekobra]

So in the Samsung Galaxy A80 Review, Ron said that

That gives it a DPI of 393, which pales in comparison to the 526 DPI of the Galaxy S10

But in this review, Samuel states

That means the mini has a higher pixel density (326 pixels per inch to the Air's 264), but that difference is hardly noticeable.

So, is there not a commonly recognized point of diminishing returns in Pixel density?

Commonly recognized? Probably not, its mostly user preference. I personally do not see the difference between my iPhone XS and my iPhone 6S. But others claim to see it. Since I don't know what to look for (and I don't want to) I don't care. Most consumers are probably the same.

There's a difference in pixel density between AMOLED and LCD screens, the RGBG pentile layout reduces the effective pixel density. But its also related to effective distance. For example my 55" 4k TV has a PPI of ~80. Which sounds awful but in reality its great. So a tablet can get away with a lower number and still look crisp.

 

[spacekobra]

So in the Samsung Galaxy A80 Review, Ron said that

That gives it a DPI of 393, which pales in comparison to the 526 DPI of the Galaxy S10

But in this review, Samuel states

That means the mini has a higher pixel density (326 pixels per inch to the Air's 264), but that difference is hardly noticeable.

So, is there not a commonly recognized point of diminishing returns in Pixel density?

Commonly recognized? Probably not, its mostly user preference. I personally do not see the difference between my iPhone XS and my iPhone 6S. But others claim to see it. Since I don't know what to look for (and I don't want to) I don't care. Most consumers are probably the same.

There's a difference in pixel density between AMOLED and LCD screens, the RGBG pentile layout reduces the effective pixel density. But its also related to effective distance. For example my 55" 4k TV has a PPI of ~80. Which sounds awful but in reality its great. So a tablet can get away with a lower number and still look crisp.

To be fair, you tend to hold the mini closer to your eyes because everything is smaller. It runs exactly the same apps as a 9.7" iPad and has the same resolution on a smaller screen, which leads to a higher pixel density. It's fine as it is, but with less resolution it wouldn't work as nicely as it does.

Display- and bezel-wise it's pretty much a 9.7" iPad Air 2 proportionally scaled down by about 20%. If you not happen to be far-sighted this is a good thing, since you can just hold it a bit closer and it works exactly as a bigger iPad, while in your bag it's much smaller and lighter (just 50% heavier than an iPhone XR!).

I had no idea. Never used a mini in my life haha thanks!

 

[spacekobra]

Whether people "like" Chevrolet or Ferrari is irrelevant, the facts are that Chevies sell more than Ferraris because they do what people need more than a Ferrari and a price they are willing to pay. Now I am not saying an Android tablet is more practical than an iPad, but for what the majority of people want a tablet for, the Android tablet is a cheaper option that with headphone jacks and micro-sd slots has more flexibility than the Ipad

Only the pro option doesn't have headphone jacks. The rest do. And Apple has a tablet for 329USD. Functional android tablets are actually more expensive from a quick search.

This narrative is mentioned all the time. I cannot recommend android tablets because they simply do not work as well as an iPad and the iPad is cheaper in total cost of ownership and upfront costs now.

 

[spacekobra]

Whether people "like" Chevrolet or Ferrari is irrelevant, the facts are that Chevies sell more than Ferraris because they do what people need more than a Ferrari and a price they are willing to pay. Now I am not saying an Android tablet is more practical than an iPad, but for what the majority of people want a tablet for, the Android tablet is a cheaper option that with headphone jacks and micro-sd slots has more flexibility than the Ipad

Only the pro option doesn't have headphone jacks. The rest do. And Apple has a tablet for 329USD. Functional android tablets are actually more expensive from a quick search.

This narrative is mentioned all the time. I cannot recommend android tablets because they simply do not work as well as an iPad and the iPad is cheaper in total cost of ownership and upfront costs now.

Simple google search:

Ipad mini 256GB $549
Samsung tab s2 + 400GB $419. Which is only $20 more than the Ipad mini 64GB (you could probably get a good 256GB + the tab s2 for less than the new Ipad mini).

No matter how you cut & dice it, an Android tablet (and the Samsung is one of the more expensive ones) is significantly cheaper than the Ipad in upfront costs. Whether an Android tablet or an Ipad works best for you really depends on what you use it for. If like most people it is media consumption, web browsing, emails, ebooks then the Android is more than adequate.

If you use it for business and your business server only allows access using the Ipad not an Android tablet then the Ipad is the only choice - that was not the market I was suggesting most people who buy tablets are interested in

You had to stretch 4 years to find a cheaper tablet. Why?

If a 4 year old tablet is acceptable then there's 2-3 year old iPads with 128gb for 309. That's insanely better than the Samsung one. And 100$ cheaper. Less storage sure but reliability is much higher, as is UX.

Crappy android tablets was what made me try an iPad. Android is just not good on tablets. Which is unfortunate.