(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Apple has two new iPads, and they've never been more similar.
The
iPad Air and
iPad Mini with Retina Display are both out in stores, but unlike a year ago, the large and small
iPad are,
under the hood, more alike than different. Both have Retina displays,
in the same resolution no less. Both have A7 processors. Both come in
storage sizes up to 128GB. Both come in cellular versions. One starts at
$399, the other starts at $499.
So, which
iPad should you get?
Let's assume you're already reading this article because you want to buy a new iPad
versus another tablet. The decision becomes this:
iPad Air
or Retina Mini? Based on what we've seen so far, the decision's never
been harder to make. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
(
Editors' note:
Updated December 3, 2013, with additional observations and screen testing by David Katzmaier.)
Air versus Retina Mini...can you tell the difference?
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Screen quality: Air versus Retina Mini
The
iPad Mini with Retina Display
has a screen resolution that matches the iPad Air's: 2,048x1,536. In
7.9 inches, it's a denser pixel-per-inch resolution. Does that matter?
On both iPads, you'd have to take out a jeweler's loupe to see the
actual pixels with your own eye. Text on both looks crisp and clean from
nearly any distance, and both have similar screen brightness.
But,
in terms of colors and overall picture quality, there is a difference.
CNET editor David Katzmaier subjected both, along with the Nexus 7 and
Kindle Fire HDX 7, to display tests similar to
what he's done for select phones.
He found the Retina Mini's grayscale was great and its contrast in the
same ballpark as the others, but its color accuracy and saturation
weren't as impressive.
Here are the full results of his tests if you're curious.
Skin tones look good on both.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
When David and I looked at a series of test photos, the color
differences between the four tablets were apparent, and in highly
saturated shots -- particularly a close-up of some red, purple, and
orange flowers -- the Mini seemed more washed out and less punchy. In
other shots, however, for example, the skin tones in children's faces
and a black-and-white skull, the Mini's excellent grayscale helped it
look as good as the others, and more accurate than the Fire HDX in
particular. Overall, we found ourselves liking the Air best, followed by
the Nexus 7 and then the Fire, with the Mini in last place. It wasn't
bad, just not as good as we'd expect.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Does that matter? Well, if you want the best possible display
for photos, games and movies, then yes. But the Retina Mini's crisp,
bright display still looks awfully good for just about everything, and
unless you're comparing photos or icons side-by-side, you probably won't
miss that lost saturation.
Performance: Very nearly the same, but the edge goes to the Air
Do you want the very fastest iPad out there? Get the iPad Air: it has a
slightly speedier A7 processor that gave it an edge on our benchmark
tests.
But I wouldn't call that edge significant. Both the
Retina Mini and iPad Air were miles better than last year's iPad Mini,
and a significant step up from last year's fourth-gen iPad. Battery life
on both iPads exceeded 10 hours, too.
A few apps did seem to
run a little less smoothly on the Retina Mini compared with the Air, but
I wouldn't say you're gaining an extra $100 worth of performance.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
The key differences: Price and size
The iPad Air weighs a pound, and has a 9.7-inch screen. It starts at
$499. The iPad Mini with Retina Display weighs 0.73 pound and has a
7.9-inch screen. It's also $100 less, starting at $399.
You're really saving money by getting a physically smaller display with higher pixel density.
Is
your eyesight bad? Do you appreciate perfect color accuracy? Get the
iPad Air. But I made the switch to using an iPad Mini last year over the
fourth-gen iPad despite a drop in performance and screen quality. The
gap is now nearly invisible, and so the Retina Mini remains my personal
pick.
Both iPads with the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover added.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Productivity? Lean to Air...but the Mini can get things done, too
I've been able to get a lot of work done on the iPad Mini, both Retina
and non-Retina models. It's not as ideal for every task, but it works.
If you're a hardcore write-on-an-iPad person, the Air's physically
larger size and virtual keyboard might make more sense. But you can do
everything else fine on a Mini. It's just more compact. For me, that
e-reader-plus-extra feel of the Mini make it a perfect companion.
Saving $100: Does that sound good to you? Go Mini
The Retina Mini offers a very similar product, for $100 less at the same
storage configurations. Saving $100 on a Mini means you can get a 32GB
Retina Mini for $499, or get the 16GB LTE version for $30 more than a
Wi-Fi Air. Or, savings can go toward a keyboard case or other accessory.
Or, you just save $100.
iPad Mini and fourth-gen iPad keyboard cases: big difference in size. It'll be similar with Mini and Air.
(Credit:
Scott Stein/CNET)
Do you use a keyboard case? Go Air
The iPad Mini keyboard accessories I've used just don't feel
comfortable: they compress and remove keys to fit the dimensions of the
Mini. You could always prop the Mini up and use a full-size Bluetooth
keyboard, but it'll feel a little more clunky.
The iPad Air
enjoys much better keyboard accessories, much like previous "large"
iPads: the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case, Logitech Fabricskin Keyboard
Folio and Ultrathin Keyboard Cover are all very good, and I've been
alternating between them -- stay tuned for full reviews. Already, I can
tell that the iPad Air is better for those who are using an iPad as a
true writing tool.
If you're a big keyboard typer, get the Air.
Is bigger better?
My advice is get thee to an Apple Store and just look at the size of the
Mini and 9.7-inch iPad screens. See if that 7.9-inch screen works for
you. You don't need to see the Retina version to understand if the
display feels too small for your everyday needs.
I like smaller
travel tech: I gravitate toward the Mini, especially since it seems to
have no compromises. Some people prefer the
11-inch MacBook Air to the 13-inch. I think it's a similar analogy here: it depends on how small you want your bag to be.
Same thickness.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Retina Mini and Air: Two different-sized peas in the same pod
It seems like the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display have nearly
identical specs. Both have A7 processors. Both have the same-resolution
Retina Display. Both start with 16GB of storage. Both have 5MP rear
cameras and improved front-facing cameras. Both have, according to
Apple, up to 10 hours of promised battery life (but we exceeded those
promises testing both iPads). Neither has Touch ID. They even have the
same colors.
There are some differences: the A7 processor on the
iPad Air is a little bit faster than the A7 on the Retina Mini. The
display quality on the Air's a bit better, too.
But essentially,
these are the same iPad, in two slightly different sizes: 9.7-inch, and
7.9-inch. Both have 2,048x1,536-pixel resolutions, at 264 versus 326
pixels per inch. For comparison, both top the pixel density of last
year's Mini (163). Can you tell the difference between those pixel
densities? My guess is no. It will mean some in-app text is inevitably
smaller on the Mini.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
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