LONDON — It’s not long until Christmas, and every year a new device bags the award for the most popular Christmas present. This year, that looks set to be between iPad mini and iPad with Retina display.
The tale of the public appearances of these two devices is fairly different. It seems everyone, no matter who they were or what they did, expected Apple to announce iPad mini. The new full size iPad, iPad with Retina display, was a surprise, something increasingly rare in these large, international press announcements. But which is going to be the most popular as a surprise wrapped up under the trees this Christmas?
iPad mini has a lot going for it. Seemingly built to compete with Google’s Nexus 4 by Asus and the Kindle Fire HD, it offers a scaled down iPad experience. Compared to its main competitors its screen is larger at 7.9″, versus the 7″ of the Nexus 4 and Kindle Fire HD. iPad mini is also easily the better looking tablet – it’s such a premium design and finish. At over 80g lighter than either the Kindle or Nexus, iPad mini is also super thin, measuring just 7.2mm. This makes it thinner than even iPhone 5.
With iOS 6 on board, it’s got the latest software with Siri, Apple Maps, and all of Apple’s famous apps and attention to detail. iPad mini is aimed not so much at the budget user, but at those that want a tablet that is genuinely practical to carry with you, but that still offers the full feature set of a traditional 10″ tablet.
iPad with Retina display, sometimes referred to as iPad 4, is dominated by its 9.7″ touchscreen. While this is slightly smaller than the displays on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or the Asus Transformer range, which all have 10.1″ screens, the stats for iPad with Retina display make it a winner. A resolution of 2048×1536 with 264 pixels per inch (ppi) translates into a screen that is extremely sharp and crisp to look at, and when using it normally, about 9″ away, the naked eye can’t see individual pixels.
Compared to the competition, only the Nexus 10 can compete in screen quality. Inside iPad 4, the trend continues. The new A6X processor packs twice the processing power and computes twice as fast as the chip in the new iPad (or iPad 3), and really helps iPad with Retina display to delivery stunning performance for games and multitasking, allowing you to open many apps at once without experiencing slow down. And, finally, iPad is 4G compatible in the UK, so you can use the new 4G network to get mobile internet speeds up to five times faster than current 3G speeds (you’ll have to get the cellua iPad with Retina display remember though.) iPad 4 is more for the home user who wants to spend time enjoying the web, watching HD content or gaming.
All in all it depends what you’re looking for. With both iPads delivering 10 hours of battery life, something only the Asus Transformer Prime and Transformer Pad can live with thanks to the second batteries in their keyboard docks, usage isn’t limited by your access to a mains supply. The larger, more powerful iPad 4 is ideal for home use, and those that want the best tablet experience. Carphone Warehouse has iPad with Retina display starting at Pounds 389. iPad mini is the portable choice, and will be great for younger users and teenagers due to smaller size and its lower retails price. Carphone Warehouse is also stocking the mini version, and is currently offering tablets at the best prices in the UK, so get to the website to see the latest prices.
Carphone Warehouse/PRNewswire
