Apple introduced the much rumored iPad mini today, as a 7.9-inch alternative to the bigger 9.7-inch iPad. Entry price is $329, with Apple taking pre-orders now before the November 2 release date.
The new iPad mini sports 7.9-inch display with 1024×768 resolution at 163PPI, with iOS 6, dual core A5 chip, 1.2MP front camera and 5MP rear camera, and 10 hours of battery life. It has all the features of a regular iPad 2, but not the retina screen found on The New iPad (2rd generation iPad).
iPad Mini
iPad mini has a design of aluminum and glass that’s 7.2 mm thick, and weighs 0.68 pounds or 308 gram. For a tablet of almost 8-inches, that’s a very impressive weight. It makes it the lightest tablet on the market right now. [See comparison list]
The iPad mini features a front-facing 720p HD camera and a 5 megapixel rear camera with video image stabilization, face detection, and also backside illumination for low light capture.
iPad mini features dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi support for speeds up to 150 Mbps, so it can compete with the new Kindle Fire HD’s. And just like the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 there’s the option of a cellular connection which will give you GPS as well.
Other sensors are found on both models is a three-axis gyro, accelerometer, digital compass, and light sensor. Other connctivity found on boths is Bluetooth 4.0.
iPad mini in hand
The iPad mini comes in either black or white and is released on November 2, with a MSRP of $329 with 16GB, $429 with 32GB, and $529 with 64GB.
It’s a nice budget iPad, but I’m guessing people will buy it because of the iOS operating system and Apple ecosystem, not because of it’s specs, since both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have cheaper tablets. Particularly B&N’s new NOOK HD+ with 1920×1280 display and $269 price.
