Review: Apple’s Retina iPad mini is the small tablet we wanted a year ago

Great screen and drastically better performance both come at a price.

Read the whole story

 

[maars]

It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

 

[MesserWolf]

the decision is taken .... I'll bite.

Even if the new Nexus 7 is very tempting for its price tag.


But I think the format of the mini is better and I am already invested in the IOS environment at this point.

 

[lindenbranch]

maars[/url]":1jy0y4fy]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

 

[rex86]

lindenbranch[/url]":q6hwpu1p]

maars[/url]":q6hwpu1p]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

Unless you're doing something very computationally expensive you'll barely notice the difference.

 

[Akemi]

rex86[/url]":11c67syn]

lindenbranch[/url]":11c67syn]

maars[/url]":11c67syn]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

Unless you're doing something very computationally expensive you'll barely notice the difference.

Well, you'll notice in the size of your wallet.

 

[Xiao-zhi]

Yes, I have waited a year and not I want my iPad mini Retina. Worth the wait, this the one I want to mate with my iPhone 4S, which I also waited for.

Edit: Wow, less than an hour and already down-rated for saying I waited for something I wanted .... Ars must be attracting an increasing number of adolescent jerks from CNET these days. Well, have fun Android fanboys.

 

[camipaedia]

Are the .11n tests at 2.4 GHz or 5? 802.11ac is a 5 GHz-only standard, which explains the significant drop in the Galaxy S4 when distance increases-- but the S4 is a single-stream device, while the new mini handles two streams. It'd be nice to see the comparison of the two standards in the same band to control for the additional stream (or even better, show .11n in both bands!).

Thanks for the review!

 

[kentadams]

2late2die[/url]":1w6tvlc0]This is probably less of an issue for the average consumer but I just find iOS outdated, and yes that includes 7. As far as I'm concerned it's still playing catch up with Android. Now, that doesn't mean iOS doesn't have features that work/are better than Android but as an overall package I just find the Android OS to be more modern, more flexible and more robust. I've been harping about widgets since Android 1.0 and it's still valid. It's like a modern desktop OS not having free moving windows resizeable to any dimensions. I also find Google Now implementation better than Siri. Finally I think Apple failed with the iOS7 theme/look redesign, it's better than previous versions, but it's just all over the place - no consistent theme in anything, not for icon shapes, not for textures or colours, not even in some cases for interface. Contrast that with Android that has been becoming more and more consistent, intuitive and beautiful with every iteration - this is properly mature OS.

Having said all that, I must admit, iPad Mini is the only Apple device that still gives me gadget-envy on occasion. I just find the build to be marginally more appealing than Nexus 7 and I keep going back and forth between thinking that for a small sized tablet 4:3 ratio might work better than 16:10.

Widgets get old.......fast.

 

[melgross]

lindenbranch[/url]":nlu1pl3z]

maars[/url]":nlu1pl3z]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

 

[Grashnak]

melgross[/url]":1heypljo]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

 

[Ezee-T]

Dudes. I'm trying out Windows next.

 

[Constructor]

Grashnak[/url]":eibgp0ri]If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

The iPad mini has a custom-designed 64 bit CPU right now already, ahead of any competitor – in two years, Apple will no longer sell any 32 bit devices and app developers are already beginning to exploit the new capabilities of the much faster CPU platform (ARMv8 vs. ARMv7).

The mini also has a much larger display than the Nexus 7, and an aluminium case.

In any iOS device you also get multiple years of day-one full-version OS upgrades plus security updates, plus arguably higher base cost in developing iOS in the first place.

The difference between zero profit and substantial profit also means the difference between the manufacturer having to mine you for other sources of profit (in Google's case selling you to their ad customers) and the manufacturer actually valuing you as the paying customer and actally treating you as such.

So no, the two are not really comparable. You pay more, but you also get substantially more.

 

[JPan]

kentadams[/url]":1qj75f23]

2late2die[/url]":1qj75f23]This is probably less of an issue for the average consumer but I just find iOS outdated, and yes that includes 7. As far as I'm concerned it's still playing catch up with Android. Now, that doesn't mean iOS doesn't have features that work/are better than Android but as an overall package I just find the Android OS to be more modern, more flexible and more robust. I've been harping about widgets since Android 1.0 and it's still valid. It's like a modern desktop OS not having free moving windows resizeable to any dimensions. I also find Google Now implementation better than Siri. Finally I think Apple failed with the iOS7 theme/look redesign, it's better than previous versions, but it's just all over the place - no consistent theme in anything, not for icon shapes, not for textures or colours, not even in some cases for interface. Contrast that with Android that has been becoming more and more consistent, intuitive and beautiful with every iteration - this is properly mature OS.

Having said all that, I must admit, iPad Mini is the only Apple device that still gives me gadget-envy on occasion. I just find the build to be marginally more appealing than Nexus 7 and I keep going back and forth between thinking that for a small sized tablet 4:3 ratio might work better than 16:10.

Widgets get old.......fast.

Same here. I use exactly one. The Google now widget. And even that one is by and large useless. Having quick one click access to 20 apps is more important than having 3 widgets. And not having the stupid launcher/app drawer duality is a huge ios advantage. I would say it is more important than widgets.

That being said I miss other features of Android
-SwiftKey kills ios and Android stock keyboards
- intents are genius
- cloud services are still better integrated than apple

And the flexibility to do stuff apple can easily forbid you like tethering or running a full speed Web browser other than the standard one etc. Pp. But stupid widgets are not one of those things I miss in ios.

 

[ScifiGeek]

Grashnak[/url]":2w89m7uq]

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

If you are selling the same product. That isn't the case here.

There is a big difference in screen size here as well as the leading SoC on the market.

The Closest Android device in sizing is the LG G Pad 8.3.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/g-pad-8-3-i ... &cp=1&lp=2

That is $350 for the 16GB Wifi version. Only $50 less than the Mini, while the Mini has a much better CPU, not to mention more responsive OS, and more robust ecosystem.

 

[CRandyHill]

Grashnak[/url]":30t46s4z]

melgross[/url]":30t46s4z]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

Apple is netting about 28% on it's products (before tax), so $290 would be the break-even point.

Obviously Apple does a lot more R&D than Android clone makers do, you are getting a custom new 64 bit processor, the latest OS (instead of a year+ old one with most android devices), and top shelve components. In comparison to the Nexus, it's bigger and faster.

I can't really understand the hombrewing fans of "I can buy the processor directly from the manufacturer for $30 and the screen for $40, throw in a battery for $10 and why am I being charged hundreds for assembly I can do myself?".

But both the Kindle and Nexus 7 are near $300 tablets their makers decided to give away instead of earn a profit on (or perhaps the demand was so low they couldn't). And because of the give away they are lower quality and lower capability.

Apple pays for everything, OS development, CPU development, device costs and return on investment etc, from your purchase of it's devices. It's fair to point out the devices cost more, but it's also fair to point out you get more.

The day users don't get more is the day the top selling premium phones aren't iPhones, and the best selling tablets aren't iPads. Apple always has to put enough extra in that the market cares about and will pay for, or their model stops working. It sounds like for this reviewer that Apple is getting close to the line,. Early sales reports are the end buyers think they are still way above it.

 

[THT]

If money is an object, if you're going to use your tablet mostly as an e-reading, movie-watching device, and if you don't have a ton invested in Apple's ecosystem, the 2013 Nexus 7 is there, waiting to accept you into its still-great, much-less-expensive arms.

What's the rationale for recommending a Nexus 7 over a Kindle Fire HDX in the stated scenario of e-reading and movie watching?

I read this a bit. Many reviewers recommend the Nexus 7 over the Kindle HDX for the budget conscious. From a consumer perspective, I'd think the HDX is a better choice for consumers: Amazon's ecosystem for e-reading and movie watching is class competitive if not the best and it actually has a modicum of customer support. It is also has higher performance and longer battery life than the Nexus 7.

Meanwhile, what does the Nexus 7 have over the HDX to really make it a better recommendation?

As for the retina iPad mini, plan on getting it for the 8 year old. 32 GB. Will be a great machine for 3 years.

 

[thomsirveaux]

vigeelebrun[/url]":1eqy29gz]When is Ars going to review the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9? It has more CPU and a better display than Nexus 7, it beats the Apple's technical specs as well, & it's much lower priced than Apple - HDX 8.9 seems the best deal. The (hypothetical so far) Nexus 10 2013 may or may not be better - if it ever gets released...

I believe the review is in-work, but TL;DR it's a big version of the smaller HDX.

I'd recommend the Nexus over the Kindles at this point because Google has a better track record w/r/t updates, because the Google Play app store is miles ahead of Amazon's, and because it doesn't lock you in to Amazon's book and video stores the way the Kindle does. Amazon's hardware isn't bad, but it's definitely just a conduit through which Amazon's content flows to you; my preference is for something more flexible.

 

[thomsirveaux]

camipaedia[/url]":iat16v9r]Are the .11n tests at 2.4 GHz or 5? 802.11ac is a 5 GHz-only standard, which explains the significant drop in the Galaxy S4 when distance increases-- but the S4 is a single-stream device, while the new mini handles two streams. It'd be nice to see the comparison of the two standards in the same band to control for the additional stream (or even better, show .11n in both bands!).

Thanks for the review!

These are all 5GHz tests. I'll consider 2.4GHz tests in the future though, thanks for the feedback.

 

[CRandyHill]

vigeelebrun[/url]":1alw5r6b]When is Ars going to review the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9? It has more CPU and a better display than Nexus 7, it beats the Apple's technical specs as well, & it's much lower priced than Apple - HDX 8.9 seems the best deal. The (hypothetical so far) Nexus 10 2013 may or may not be better - if it ever gets released...

Much lower priced? It's a $400 version of the $500 iPad Air that's thicker, with a smaller screen, and a much slower 32 bit processor. And what would anyone use it for? It has far fewer apps than the Nexus or the Air, no FaceTime, no Google Now or Siri, so you are limited almost entirely to content consumption. It doesn't even support those silly Android widgets (though that is likely a plus from battery consumption and user interface standpoint).

 

[KPOM]

No comments on the display gamut? It appears the Air, Nexus 7, and Kindle Fire HDX have the advantage over the iPad mini on this front. I still went with the mini, but it might be useful to include more detail.

 

[KPOM]

I have noticed that both the iPad Air and the Retina iPad Mini seem twitchy with my Sprint Aircard (Sierra Wireless 803s). It is somewhat moot for me as I bought the LTE versions, but I noticed this behavior with two different iPad Airs and the Retina iPad mini. It struggles to connect in the first place, and frequently disconnects. I did not notice this at all with the previous iPad mini, and when I tested it with the iPhone 5s it seemed to work fine. I suspect an incompatibility somewhere as both an extended chat session and Genius Bar trip couldn't resolve the issue (we tried numerous different rested and setting changes). I haven't tried it with the wifi-only version, but I'm curious if this is a larger issue and/or something that can be resolved through firmware. I also noticed the Air had a harder time than my PC at connecting to a hotel wifi network but it eventually did (I'll experiment with the mini next week). I haven't noticed any issues connecting to Apple Airport-driven wifi networks but still need to test it with non-Apple routers.

 

[Constructor]

tigas[/url]":1e9lusx2]Apple is the king of upselling. The retina Mini is so near in price to the Air, and the Air is now so near in practicality to the Mini, why would you want to save those 100 USD?

Because some people don't need the larger size or explicitly want the smaller device.

tigas[/url]":1e9lusx2]If Apple was really interested in selling iPad Minis, they'd be cheaper.

Sales so far don't indicate that Apple wasn't interested in selling them – contrary to others they just don't give them away without making money (or while even losing money).

If "cheap" is your priority, you can still get the iPad mini from last year for a lower price, but I'd really recommend you to look at the two versions side by side before actually doing that. The same applies vs. competing models.

 

[pkirvan]

rex86[/url]":3uyvb1c5]

lindenbranch[/url]":3uyvb1c5]

maars[/url]":3uyvb1c5]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

Unless you're doing something very computationally expensive you'll barely notice the difference.

The Mini is twice as fast, has a bigger screen, gets much longer battery life, and has much faster Wifi. If you 'barely notice' any of that then yes, the Nexus 7 is the device for you.

A smart buyer also considers the issue of future-proofing. The Mini is going to be a lot more useful in 2016 when it is three years old than the Nexus 7. By then new software will demand more from the hardware leaving the Nexus sadly behind, the Mini will still be running the latest OS with all the latest security patches, and when the batteries start to wear down Mini users will be glad they had a decent battery to begin with. The Mini delivers more than enough to justify the price difference.

 

[KPOM]

Grashnak[/url]":w5vcs70t]

melgross[/url]":w5vcs70t]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

If you don't like it, you don't need to buy it. My guess is that we'll see a price drop in mid-2014 when yields improve. Apple may have priced this so that demand somewhat matches the constrained supplies during the holidays. It might not be much (maybe $379 or $349) but it might be noticeable.

 

[pkirvan]

KPOM[/url]":35iiir4z]

Grashnak[/url]":35iiir4z]

melgross[/url]":35iiir4z]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

If you don't like it, you don't need to buy it. My guess is that we'll see a price drop in mid-2014 when yields improve. Apple may have priced this so that demand somewhat matches the constrained supplies during the holidays. It might not be much (maybe $379 or $349) but it might be noticeable.

This is possible, but probably not Apple's preferred option. If they can continue to make a $400 device that is so massively superior to the Android competition that no Android manufacturer will dare the charge more than $199, then I think Apple will be very happy to watch from the high ground as the Android vendors claw each other to death in the profit-less sub-$200 wastelands below.

More likely than a price drop on the Retina Mini is that you will see a price drop on the Nexus 7!

 

[Limabean]

I have a 2013 Nexus 7, and I like everything about it except for its touch screen. It often refuses to acknowledge touches and touches sometimes get stuck. Some people have complained about phantom touches. If you visit the Google forum for this device, its loaded with complaints about the touch screen. Each time Google has released a new build for the OS, the touch screen characteristics change, sometimes for the worse. The prevailing theory is that ASUS, the manufacturer of the Nexus 7, has used hardware components with a wide range of tolerances. If you're unlucky enough to get one where the digitizer or other screen-related component is near the edge of the bell curve, the firmware can't compensate for that.

Some users have even resorted to installing firmware developed by a guy on the XDA Developers site which sometimes provides a better touch screen experience. He's provided different versions so that you can try to find one that works best on your device. He's also written it so that subsequent upgrades of the software by Google won't overwrite it.

One thing I have to compliment Apple for is the excellent touch interface of their products.

 

[AnniesBoobs]

Grashnak[/url]":29zr6u1x]

melgross[/url]":29zr6u1x]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

You're assuming the break-even for the iPad mini is the same as the N7?

 

[AnniesBoobs]

KPOM[/url]":19i0rqnd]

Grashnak[/url]":19i0rqnd]

melgross[/url]":19i0rqnd]

Well, a lot of that difference is that Apple is making a good profit, while it's very likely that the Nexus is being sold for not much more than breakeven. That's better than the various Kindle models, of course, which are sold at no better than break even, according to Bezos, or less than break even, as Bezos hints at.

If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

If you don't like it, you don't need to buy it. My guess is that we'll see a price drop in mid-2014 when yields improve. Apple may have priced this so that demand somewhat matches the constrained supplies during the holidays. It might not be much (maybe $379 or $349) but it might be noticeable.

I'm sorry, but when have we ever seen a price drop on an iOS device in mid-generation? These do not occur. The way Apple has accelerated their release schedule, it's more likely we'll see updated hardware in mid-2014 than a price drop.

 

[Marcos2247]

CRandyHill[/url]":rjowmck7]It doesn't even support those silly Android widgets

What's silly about widgets?

Keep in mind that not all widgets are ugly, badly coded or battery eaters.

Would you say something like "those silly Android/iOS/Windows apps" because a large part of the specimen in the stores are ugly, badly coded and/or battery eaters.

 

[plympton]

I have had all the iPads - crazy, i know, but true. Also had a first gen N7 (hardware problems) and still have a Nook HD+ kicking around... Charging... Most of the time.

The Air is awesome - except the screen has regressed (mini like?) where it feels... Flexible... Plastic... Hollow. It's just not pleasurable to type on anymore (not that it ever was, just less so now.) it also seems less responsive. I just wonder if we have to wait for the bonded version next year (GONNA happen!) to return to light AND solid.

And then there's iOS 7 on a tablet. Blech. I can't stand it. The quirks. The lag. The lack of polish. The glitches. On the iPhone 5s I'm reasonably happy, but on the iPad... No. I put it on my ipad 4 onrelease day, and quickly reverted to iOS 6 before the window closed - glad I did.

Also, is it me, or do things crash more often on iOS 7? At this rate, iOS 8 will be awesome, but....

 

[Pubert]

lindenbranch[/url]":2mxqzoq9]

maars[/url]":2mxqzoq9]It's sad to see the Nexus 7 getting slaughtered mercilessly in the benchmarks.

$229 vs $399

Oh pifft. It's a two core processor slaughtering a four core processor. What does retail pricing have to do with it?

I can't even imagine what the delta will be when Apple goes 4 core. It's likely to be humiliating. ... Especially since there are no android 64 bit processors even looming on the horizon. Android appears not to have been designed with 64-bit processors in mind. Oops.

 

[William Munny]

2late2die[/url]":2xeuz96u]Contrast that with Android that has been becoming more and more consistent, intuitive and beautiful with every iteration - this is properly mature OS.

It would be difficult for Android to become less beautiful. The typography is awful (especially the anti-aliasing) and the icons are poky and poorly designed. For me, it just doesn't look as slick as Windows Phone, or iOS 7 and I find it much less intuitive. Even my three year old niece can use an iPad; I doubt she'd be able to use something running Android. The hardware is uninspiring as well, and lots of it looks cheap and overly-plasticky, especially the Samsung stuff. There's a reason why Apple stuff costs more, and it's not just their desire for large margins. My iPad Air is a lovely bit of kit - it looks and feels expensive and well-made.

Yes, iOS 7 is rough around the edges. It works a lot (lot) better on the iPhone than it does on the iPad. Perhaps you underestimate just how big a change it is compared to iOS 6 (which, let's face it, was getting rather dated).

 

[multiplex10]

Grashnak[/url]If $230 is a break even price and you're selling for $400... you aren't making a "good" profit. You're making an obscene profit.

You can't be serious.

A 100% profit margin is the NORM for many industries. If you're selling things for less than that, you're either more interested in competing or making money on secondary purchases (content). Apple is a hardware company, so they price their stuff to make the vast majority of their profit from the hardware. That is in no sane way describable as "obscene."

NOT to mention that the "$230" figure bandied about is purely hardware, not R&D, not marketing, not payroll.

AnniesBoobs[/url]":c0hff3u1]I'm sorry, but when have we ever seen a price drop on an iOS device in mid-generation? These do not occur.

First gen iPhone. So maybe it can happen… once a decade.

 

[THT]

I'd recommend the Nexus over the Kindles at this point because Google has a better track record w/r/t updates, because the Google Play app store is miles ahead of Amazon's, and because it doesn't lock you in to Amazon's book and video stores the way the Kindle does. Amazon's hardware isn't bad, but it's definitely just a conduit through which Amazon's content flows to you; my preference is for something more flexible.

These reasons are fine reasons to recommend the Nexus 7 over the HDX for. But if the use case is indeed e-reading, music listening and movie watching and you can't spend another $200, I have to imagine the HDX is the one you should get over a Nexus 7, or maybe they won't be different enough to recommend one over another from this perspective.