iPad mini

Everything you need to know about Apple's smaller, thinner, lighter, 7.9-inch iPad mini

Apple's new iPad mini was announced on October 23, 2012. Apple calls it the iPad, just concentrated, but the specs are closer to the iPod touch 5 or iPad 2. With an Apple A5 processor, LTE 4G and DC-HSPA networking, and the new Lightning connector, that still makes it the best small tablet on the planet.

Key features: 7.9-inch, 1024x736 163ppi display, Apple A5 chipset, 5mp/1080p iSight camera, 720p FaceTime HD camera, LTE/DC-HSPA+/EVDO data, Lightning connector.

Pricing: $329/16GB, $429/32GB, $529/64GB for Wi-Fi. $459/16GB, $559/32GB, $659/64GB for Wi-Fi + Cellular.

Availability: Wi-Fi available now, cellular shipping in mid- to late-November.

iPad mini buyers guide: How to choose the perfect iPad mini model, color, capacity, carrier, and more.
iPad mini users guide: How to set up your iPad mini and start using iCloud, Siri, Notification Center, iMessage, FaceTime, Calendar, Mail, Photos & Camera, and more.

More coverage

iPad mini review

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Nov 8, 2012 a 4:06 pm

Once upon a time Apple had a big, industry leading product that they fearlessly overshadowed by releasing a slightly cheaper, more portable version. That was January, 2004 and the product was the iPod mini. This is October, 2012 and Apple has just done it again with the not-coincidentally named iPad mini.

Like the iPhone 5, the iPad mini looks and feels almost unreal. It's not much smaller than the full-sized iPad 4, 7.9-inches diagonally across the display rather than 9.7, but it's almost 25% thinner -- as thin as the last generation iPod touch -- and over 50% lighter. Yet it still runs the same tablet-optimized version of iOS 6 as the iPad 4, and has access to the same 700,000+ apps, 275,000+ of which are tablet-optimized.

Unlike the iPhone 5 and iPad 4, however, the iPad mini uses last year's specs to get that thin and light, and run all those apps. That means no Apple A6-series processor, and most noticeably, no Retina display.

So does portability ultimately win out over power and pixel density, or is Apple's iPad mini a non-Retina non-starter?

iPad mini camera review

By Leanna Lofte, Thursday, Nov 8, 2012 a 12:02 pm

The newly released iPad mini comes with two cameras: a 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with a f/2.4 five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, and backside illuminations. In fact, this is the exact same camera featured in the iPod touch 5.

Should it bother investors that Apple stock is getting killed lately?

By Chris Umiastowski, Thursday, Nov 8, 2012 a 10:22 am

Yes, Apple is still the biggest company in the world. But since hitting a high of over $700 in late September, the stock is off about 20%. Putting this in dollar terms, the value of Apple, as a company, has fallen by nearly $140 billion compared to the September highs.

During this 20% drop, Apple’s market value has fallen by 32x the total market value of RIM. Talk about a metric that puts things in perspective! Apple has also lost more value than 60% of Google’s total market capitalization, and more than Verizon’s entire market cap. Why?

iPad mini vs. BlackBerry Playbook hands-on

By Chris Parsons, Tuesday, Nov 6, 2012 a 8:47 pm

Rene already expressed the opinion that if Amazon, Google, et. al really want to come at the iPad mini based on price, what they're really doing is telling people to buy a $150 BlackBerry PlayBook. So, in the interest of science, I picked one up to put it's through it's paces.

iPad 4 and iPad mini performance tests

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Nov 5, 2012 a 12:11 pm

The iPad 4 has an Apple A6X system-on-a-chip (SoC) is marketed as twice as fast, both in central and graphics processing, as the iPad 3 released only 7 short months ago. Apple's custom, manually-set ARM v7s processor -- called Swift -- remains the 32nm CMOS dual-core beast found in the iPhone 5, but it's been cranked up to 1.4 GHz. The X in the iPad 4's A6X once again represents a quad-core graphics processor, this time the PowerVR SGX554MP4. On spec, that's some serious fire-power.

The iPad mini, by contrast, has the same die-shrunk Apple A5 SoC found in the iPad 2. That's a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 and PowerVR dual-core SGX543MP2. But the iPad mini also has the same 1024x768 display as the iPad 2. It's smaller but denser, going from 9.7-inches to 7.9 inches, and 132 ppi to 163 ppi, but it's the raw pixel count here that makes the difference.

Retina comes at a price, and that price is performance for the first generation devices that have to support it. The iPad 3, iPhone 4, the iPod touch 4, even the Retina MacBook Pros were and are maxed out trying to push all those pixels. Once that's done, though, once the price has been paid, however, performance improvements go back to where they belong -- making things feel faster.

So, even with the older, less powerful Apple A5, the iPad mini should fly. But will the new A6X help the iPad 4 do likewise?

Apple sells three million Wi-Fi iPad 4s and iPad minis in three days

By chrissyboy6969, Monday, Nov 5, 2012 a 9:04 am

Apple has just announced that it has sold a staggering three million Wi-Fi-only iPad and iPad minis over the opening three days of sales. The figure of three million has not been broken down between devices so includes both the iPad 4th generation and the iPad mini. It does not include cellular iPads which may have been pre-ordered but won't ship for another couple of weeks. The three million figure eclipses the last opening weekend figures of just 1.5 million Wi-Fi units sold of the new iPad (third generation).

iMore show 324: Reorganized

By Rene Ritchie, Sunday, Nov 4, 2012 a 12:25 pm

Rene Ritchie and Ryan Block of GDGT talk Apple's recent management re-organization, the future of Forstall, the iPad mini launch and where Apple goes from here, and the LTE compromise in the new Nexus 4. This is an iMore show special edition.

Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video
Subscribe via RSS: Audio | Video
Download directly: Audio | Video

iPad mini vs. iPad 2 vs. iPad 4 vs. iPhone 5: Display density macros

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Nov 3, 2012 a 7:00 pm

The iPad mini is the first non-Retina display iOS device Apple has introduced since the iPad 2 in the spring of 2011. The iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5 are all Retina devices, as are the iPod touch 4 and iPod touch 5. There's are a lot of technical reasons why Apple made that choice. Lighting, powering, and paying for a 2048x1536 panel would have resulted in a substantial thicker, heavier, more expensive iPad mini. But how much of a difference does it really make?

Best apps to show off your new iPad 4 or iPad mini

By Leanna Lofte, Saturday, Nov 3, 2012 a 2:31 pm

If you just got your new iPad 4 or iPad mini and you're wondering which apps and games you need to download right now to show off that gorgeous new piece of tech, you're in luck. We have your list right here!

iPad mini already installed in a car dashboard, could be the perfect in-car entertainment device

By chrissyboy6969, Saturday, Nov 3, 2012 a 5:11 am

The iPad mini was only available to buy yesterday but it has already found its way into a car dashboard. The guys from Soundwaves in Tampa, Florida were really on the ball with this one by pre-fabricating the necessary dashboard mods all ready for the iPad mini’s launch.

There are 19 comments. Add yours.

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lisa789 says:

Nov 4, 2012 at 9:54 pm - 6 months ago

Bluejayz says:

Nov 27, 2012 at 9:15 pm - 5 months ago

I like being able to hold the mini in one hand comfortably. It's better in bed for late night browsing, nothing sketchy, just catching up on the news when I can't fall asleep :)

Tic Tac Watt says:

Dec 1, 2012 at 7:35 am - 5 months ago

I have had an ipad for a long time and it is so big I think the screen on the mini will be awesome I wish I had enough money to get one! That's the last product I would like to have from apple.

Ernieican says:

Dec 3, 2012 at 6:59 pm - 5 months ago

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kapilnabar says:

Dec 10, 2012 at 12:55 pm - 5 months ago

Pad in mini ?

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Nobody has it & nobody can compete .
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Vita Eragon says:

Dec 15, 2012 at 12:39 pm - 5 months ago

the more i look at it , the more i want it so bad lolzzz

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Dec 24, 2012 at 1:51 pm - 4 months ago

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jogsix says:

Feb 3, 2013 at 10:33 pm - 3 months ago

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iRepairNational says:

Feb 13, 2013 at 1:10 am - 3 months ago

We have been getting a lot of questions about iPad mini durability and screen repair feasibility lately here at iRepairNational. We have been posting our finding on some of the major discussion and blog sites and iMore.com made the cut. It turns out we have good and bad news.
~The bad news is that the mini is as fragile as its big brothers, despite being lighter. Why you ask? Well, all previous versions of iPad have a had a thin plastic or rubber trim that fit between the aluminum frame and the glass. This allowed the iPad to absorb small dents and dings before the aluminum put too much pressure on the fragile glass (yes, despite the hype all of Apple's products still use crack-prone glass). The iPad Mini Glass fits right up to the beveled aluminum edge, and if that edge gets dented in it immediately puts a lot of pressure on the glassing causing it to crack.
~ The good news is that the glass can be replaced for much less than purchasing a replacement or even one of Apple's refurbished units. There are a few challenges to the repair, primarily in that this is the first ever Apple mobile device to require soldering when replacing a cracked or shattered screen. The glass/touchscreen itself has cable that is soldered to a touchscreen controller board, and than a cable from the home button also solders on to the digitizer cable.

http://www.irepairnational.com/ipad-mini/

Kaleem Mahesar says:

Feb 15, 2013 at 12:41 am - 3 months ago

ipad mini my dream>>>

Ros Chivin says:

Feb 17, 2013 at 11:57 pm - 3 months ago

hello, i want to add english phonetic keyboard on ios 6.1. is there way to do it? thanks.

Lezz13 says:

Feb 22, 2013 at 4:57 am - 2 months ago

i just like apple!!!!! ang lupet!!!!!

dilipbane says:

Mar 22, 2013 at 9:28 am - 2 months ago

sounds good
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Aminda Abeywardana says:

Apr 17, 2013 at 11:04 pm - 1 month ago

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