(Pocket-lint) - The iPad mini first graced shelves in 2012 and its design hasn't changed much over the last seven years. The internals are a different story though, and Apple has upgraded it several times - this 2019 model being the fifth generation of the popular compact tablet. It's certainly true that the iPad mini holds a special place in many hearts due to its convenient size. An update has been long-awaited by many users who like its compact size, often because it'll easily fit inside a bag or large pocket. But the landscape for mobile devices has significantly changed since the iPad mini 4 in 2015. Then, a 7.9-inch device was still far more sizeable than many smartphones. But with the move towards big screen phones of the last few years - not least Apple's own ginormous 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max - the line between tablets and phones is becoming ever more blurred and is set to become even more so as foldable devices debut and grow. So can the new iPad mini hold its own in 2019? 7.9-inch display, 2048 x 1536 resolution Bezels remain huge Apple Pencil support introduced The 2019 mini retains the fourth-generation device's most recognisable features: the 7.9-inch screen size alongside Touch ID. The screen real-estate is nearly twice that of the iPhone XS Max and the tablet's 4:3 aspect ratio does make it better for viewing and editing documents, making notes and looking at pictures compared to a smartphone screen. The overall aesthetics haven't changed and although the aluminium body still looks the part, the bezels around the screen remain huge. It's not just that we've been spoiled by the iPad Pro, even many laptops have far more aesthetically-pleasing borders nowadays. The lack of competition probably doesn't help - while Samsung and Huawei try, no manufacturer is really pushing Apple in the tablet market, certainly not around this size. The new mini is slightly heavier than the older model by around 10g. However, the dimensions remain the same, so older accessories like smart covers will fit, as will third-party accessories. Again, it's available in Silver, Space Grey and Gold, although Apple's definition of 'gold' has shifted slightly since the last iPad mini - it's now more of a rose gold even though it's not billed as such. It's clear that Apple is choosing to differentiate between the 'standard' iPads and the iPad Pro lineup. The headphone jack stays on both the iPad mini and the new iPad Air, whereas it has been binned for the iPad Pro series. Touch ID and the home button remain instead of Face ID too. And there's Lightning and stereo speakers here, whereas iPad Pro is all USB-C with quad speakers. There's clearly no desire to roll out USB-C across the range of iOS devices for now - Apple probably reasons that USB-C's high data throughput and 4K display support just isn't needed on non-Pro iPads. The other key feature for this new mini is Apple Pencil support for the first time. It's the same as 2018's 9.7-inch iPad in that it supports the older Apple Pencil rather than the newer magnetic type that works with the iPad Pro. In use the Apple Pencil is great on any iPad, but of course it does cost extra - a not inconsiderable $99/£89. Apple must have been tempted to standardise Pencil support across its iPads, but this older pencil uses Lightning to charge and initially pair, so it would have been a bit of a challenge to have a one-Pencil-fits-all solution. These devices now support the old pencil in addition to this new 5th gen iPad mini: iPad Air (3rd generation, also newly released) iPad (2018 - 6th generation) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation - not the 2018 thin-bezel models) iPad Pro 10.5-inch iPad Pro 9.7-inch The Pencil experience is excellent for making notes and marking up documents - signing PDF forms is a doddle and you quickly get used to the sensitivity and what you can do with it in, say, Notes where it's great for just noting down ideas. Google I/O 2021 special, Android 12, Wear OS and more - Pocket-lint Podcast 104 By Rik Henderson · 27 May 2021 Moleskine is launching a new app in late March 2019 called Flow that's essentially a continuous notebook for drawing, sketching and writing down ideas. Apple has also showed off the upcoming Pixelmator Photo auto-enhancement app designed for use with Apple Pencil, while iWork suite (which is pre-installed and included Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Garage Band and iMovie) will work even better with Apple Pencil, too, including new path effects in Keynote and annotations in Pages. But how many iPad users will actually spend the extra to buy the pencil is debatable. It's also a shame that it can't attach to the iPad in any way - although various accessories will surely be available to carry around both together. Based on the iPhone XR and XS platform Support for premium apps and games Other enhancements such as Bluetooth 5.0 and 1080p video It's been four years since the last iPad mini hit the streets and so the 2019 model is a serious upgrade internally. Gone is the 16GB entry-level model - 64GB is the new minimum, joined by a 256GB version. The Apple A8 platform has been replaced by the A12 Bionic from the iPhone XS, XR and XS Max alongside the M12 co-processor. This all shows in basic use, with everything being extremely snappy. Apps install and run quickly and we experienced no performance las. You will be able to run pretty much everything the App Store can throw at it, including full support for ARKit apps as well as the latest games. To get a sense of where the iPad mini sits in terms of performance, we ran some tests. For multi-core performance, it's more powerful than every iPad ever, save the latest generation of iPad Pros. Yes, it's even more powerful than the second-generation iPad Pro released in 2017 or the iPhone X. Impressive stuff. Cited battery life is around 10 hours of constant use, but as with other iPads you really have to use it constantly to notice serious battery drain. After around 48 hours of on-and-off use our iPad mini was still at around 70 per cent. We mentioned the display previously - it's the same size and resolution as before, but it's now a TrueTone display with support for wide colour and 500 nits brightness. TrueTone essentially corrects the white balance and display brightness depending on your environment. It is a super little display. Other specs have naturally also been upgraded across the board - there's now the latest Bluetooth 5.0 on board in addition to faster 4G. And on the cellular models, there remains a nanoSIM slot, but you can use eSIM. Note that while iPad mini can use Apple Pay for online payments, it doesn't have NFC so you wouldn't be able to use it to pay in a shop. Which is probably for the best. The cameras have also had a bit of an upgrade - there's still an 8MP rear camera with 1080p video that can now capture HDR photos (that's High Dynamic Range, to balance out shadow and highlight exposure for a clearer shot). It'll be fine to use in an emergency, but the camera on your smartphone is almost certainly better. The front camera has had a more serious upgrade. It's now 7MP with 1080p video - it was a meagre 1.6MP previously. The images we took were perfectly decent - gone are the days when iPad photos had a certain blur to them - not that we'll be using it as our primary camera in any case. Software-wise, the iPad mini ships with iOS 12 - 12.2 to be precise - but it will no doubt be able to be updated to the upcoming iOS 13 software later in the year. More expensive than standard iPad Better value than outgoing model because of storage increases Overall pricing has reduced for the equivalent models in terms of storage size - the starting price is still the same as it was for the old iPad mini in the US, at $399/£399, but you get 64GB of storage now instead of 16GB. However, it must be said that the iPad mini is $70/£60 more than the larger 9.7-inch iPad, which starts at $329/£319. Our review model is the 256GB version, which you may find you need if you're a total app addict or you want to store a whole bunch of videos for that upcoming flight. We think 64GB is capacious enough though, especially for cloud users, so will be more than enough for most needs. Our favoured combo of price and capability is probably the 64GB cellular version - you'll pay $529/£519 for that option. You can get some great deals on an iPad data SIM-only package now and if you can run to it, it certainly makes the iPad a whole lot more useful when you're out and about. Another option is to get the Wi-Fi version and tether from your phone - networks are a little more generous with tethering allowances nowadays, but it can be a killer for your phone's battery life. Verdict The iPad mini is a huge leap in terms of performance over its predecessor and last year's 9.7-inch iPad, too. If you want a more compact iPad, there's little we can say against it. Yes, there is some sadness that iPad mini couldn't have had smaller bezels and been a little more progressive in its appearance, but we don't believe that many would-be buyers will be put off by that. The 2019 mini is remarkably powerful device, especially when you team it with Apple Pencil and a third-party Bluetooth keyboard (Apple doesn't make an official one, though, as iPad mini doesn't have the smart connector found on the new 10.5-inch iPad Air and the iPad Pro lineup). There's simply no better tablet at this size, with ultimate portability and unparalleled power for its price point. squirrel_widget_144061 It's cheaper, it's bigger. Chances are you'll have considered the standard 2018 iPad already and for most people, it will still be their first choice largely because of the excellent price point. It isn't anywhere nearly as powerful as the new mini, however. Apple iPad review squirrel_widget_143828 In our review of the M5 last year we said it was genuine competition for the iPad mini and we haven't changed our minds since. Because of the lower price point and slightly bigger display, it's a serious option if you're not determined to have an iPad and iOS. Huawei MediaPad M5 (8.4-inch) review Writing by Dan Grabham.<doc-sep>Apple iPad Mini 5 Score Details DT Editors' Choice “The iPad Mini is the best small tablet you can buy today.” Great screen Strong performance Portable and compact Apple Pencil support Good battery life (so far) Same old design No second-gen Apple Pencil support Fast charging adapter and cable not included MSRP $400.00 The 12.9-inch iPad Pro sits next to my home desktop computer. Its beautifully large screen is a creative canvas I love using, Face ID continues to feel futuristic, and the magnetic, second-gen Apple Pencil is so darn convenient. So you can understand my disappointment as I first laid eyes on the new iPad Mini. Apple hasn’t refreshed its smallest slate since 2015, and after four years, I felt like we’d see something akin to the redesign of the latest iPad Pro tablets. I was too hopeful. The iPad Mini (fifth generation) has a near-identical body to its predecessor, with almost the same chunky edges around the 7.9-inch screen. It even skips out on Face ID and resurrects Touch ID, which I thought the world wouldn’t see again after its presence on the 2018 iPad. None of this means the iPad Mini is a bad tablet. In fact, it’s the best tablet in its size category. It has beastly performance, the software is fluid, and the display is quite stunning. It’s just holding onto some quirks I would have liked not to see in 2019, even at $400 (or half the price of an iPad Pro). Same design, great display Looking at the iPad Mini puts me back in 2015. It feels so out of place in today’s world of edge-to-edge screens on smartphones, laptops, and TVs. The thick edges flanking the 7.9-inch screen stick out, especially on the silver and gold color options that have a white front. Now this is partly subjective — if the thick edges (or bezels) around the screen don’t bother you at all, then you’ll absolutely have no issues with this device. But what’s so great about the iPad Mini is what’s in its name. It’s “mini,” and compact. At 7.9 inches, it’s easy to hold this tablet with one hand while reading (granted, I have large hands). And at just 0.66 pounds (0.68 for the cellular model), with just a 6.1mm thickness, using it for some time doesn’t feel weary. It should be noted, there simply aren’t a lot of small tablets left in the market — especially powerful ones — save for devices like the Huawei MediaPad M5. So the iPad Mini’s lack of an edge-to-edge screen doesn’t make it feel as immersive as the fantastic one outfitted on the 2018 iPad Pro — that doesn’t mean the display isn’t stunning. It’s bright (500 nits, to be exact), and it’s a Retina display with a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch. Text and images on the screen look sharp, and at a reasonable viewing distance, you won’t see any pixels when watching YouTube or movies on Netflix. Colors look vibrant thanks to support for a wide color gamut, which is new in the iPad Mini series. Blacks aren’t as deep as I’d like, but I’m nitpicking here. This is a fantastic screen, and iPad Mini owners will be more than satisfied. Apple has added support for True Tone display, which changes the color tone of the screen depending on the environment to make it easier on the eyes. It’s a nice addition that helps the screen look a little more natural in various lighting conditions. The excellent screen experience is paired with Touch ID at the bottom bezel on the front which, in case you forgot, is the home button. You can still use iOS gestures — like on the iPhone XS — to navigate the operating system, but the home button helps take you home no matter the app you’re in. Using the fingerprint sensor to access sensitive apps or to unlock the iPad Mini itself is relatively fast, though I’ve gotten used to the convenience of Face ID on the iPad Pro and Apple’s latest phones, which now feels faster, as it unlocks as soon as it sees my face. The iPad Pro makes my heart flutter when I glance at it, and I wish I could say the same for the iPad Mini. Touch ID does have a leg up on when you’re trying to unlock the tablet when it’s flat on a table, though, as you don’t need to pick it up. I can see people happy with the return of Touch ID, which I don’t mind at all. There’s no Alert Slider on the tablet anymore. You’ll just find a power button at the top (in portrait orientation), and a volume rocker on the top right edge. At the bottom edge is a Lightning charging port, which is flanked by bottom-firing speakers. Apple sees its iPad range like buying a car — the lower in price you go, the fewer features you get. I get it; with a lower price, you get compromises. But I don’t care if Face ID isn’t available or if there’s no USB-C port: I want a more modern design. Apple could have made something truly special here — the iPad Pro makes my heart flutter when I glance at it, and I wish I could say the same for the iPad Mini. Powerful specs, and iOS 12 The biggest changes to the iPad Mini are on the inside, and there are some impressive upgrades. It’s powered by the same chip that’s inside Apple’s latest iPhones — the A12 Bionic processor — which is still one of the fastest mobile processors on the market. It’s not as good as the A12X Bionic inside the latest iPad Pros, but you’re getting plenty of power. I played games like Marvel Strike Force, Alto’s Odyssey, Inside, and Assassin’s Creed: Rebellion, and the iPad Mini had no reason to slow down or show signs of stutter. That extends to just using iOS 12 day-to-day — everything feels buttery smooth. Apps are quick to open, navigating the OS feels fluid, and multi-tasking is seamless. The Mini had no issues running apps like Adobe Lightroom as well. Here are a few benchmark results: AnTuTu 3DBench: 332,628 332,628 Geekbench 4 CPU: 3,536 single-core; 11,096 multi-core The iPad Mini’s scores beat out more expensive devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and the Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro. It’s safe to say most people won’t find the power here lacking. If you’re looking to do a ton of editing on Adobe Photoshop or video editing on Premiere Rush, then it may make sense to go with the bigger screen — either on the new iPad Air, or the more powerful iPad Pro devices. Short of what you get with iOS on an iPhone, you can expect a few tablet-specific features, like a dock that shows recently-used apps, as well as multitasking features like Split-View, Slide Over, and the ability to drag-and-drop files between two apps open next to each other. These features enable the iPad Mini to be a little more useful when juggling several tasks, but I never felt like I could get a lot of work done, as the screen is a little too small. The lack of Smart Keyboard support also means you’ll need to buy a third-party keyboard case (or a detached Bluetooth keyboard) if you wanted use it for writing. Don’t get me wrong, the iPad Mini can handle these tasks. But its size makes it suited more for light work, and doing anything that takes a longer period of time feels cramped and slow. I think you’re better off buying the iPad Mini as a consumption device (if you need one); it’s something you can use to read articles or books with or play games and watch movies on, and not exactly a productivity work horse. You get a 64GB of internal storage on the base iPad Mini model, but you can upgrade to the 256GB one if you want more space, for more money. The Apple Pencil The original Apple Pencil debuted alongside the iPad Mini 4 back in 2015, but it only worked with the iPad Pro at the time. Last year, Apple brought Pencil support to the base iPad, and now both the new iPad Air and the iPad Mini support it too. But this is the original Apple Pencil, not the newer, second-gen model that only works with the 2018 iPad Pro. It’s still fantastic using it to sketch in drawing apps. It’s responsive, and Apple’s palm rejection technology is one of the best, allowing me to place my hand anywhere while drawing, without worrying about activating the screen. But having used the second-gen Apple Pencil extensively, I’m a little spoiled. I love the matte texture of the newer stylus, which is also smaller and more lightweight. It also has a nice flat edge, which is a great place to rest my thumb and more importantly, it’s where you magnetically attach the Pencil to the iPad Pro to charge it wirelessly. But what’s so great about the iPad Mini is what’s in its name. It’s “mini,” and compact. I sincerely miss this when using the original Apple Pencil on the iPad Mini. It’s harder to tell immediately how much charge is available on the Pencil without turning on the iPad Mini, and if you do need juice, you need to remove a cap at the other end of the Pencil and plug in the Lightning connector to the Mini’s Lightning port. It’s a clunky way to recharge it, not to mention it feels as though I’ll snap the Pencil off accidentally if I’m not careful. All of this also means there’s no good place to store the Pencil, and I’m always worried about losing or damaging it as it sits freely in my bag (perhaps consider a case that comes with a Pencil holster). Despite these gripes, it’s still nice to see Pencil support on a tablet that’s a smaller size. I’ve found I’m more prone to taking notes with the Pencil on the Mini because I can easily hold the tablet with one hand. Sketching with it in various locations like the train feels a little more natural, too, as it can be awkward pulling out a 12.9-inch iPad Pro when there’s not a lot of seat space in a crowded New York subway. Keep in mind, the Apple Pencil doesn’t come with the iPad Mini — it still costs an additional $99, bringing your total purchase cost to $500. Camera and augmented reality You shouldn’t be using a tablet to take photos outdoors — the camera in your smartphone is undoubtedly better. The camera on a tablet can be handy for taking pictures of documents, but I’ve found Apple is increasingly talking up using the camera for augmented reality (AR) applications on its tablets. It’s an 8-megapixel lens on the back, and image quality is solid, and some of the photos that come out of it look great when there’s good lighting. I did more testing with AR apps, though, and it feels perfect on this slate because it’s such an easy device to use one-handed. I played a short demo of Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, which isn’t available just yet, but the gameplay was incredibly smooth, the animations and graphics were well-detailed, and the interaction between the virtual objects and the real world looked perfect. I then played the AR mode in a game called Stack AR, and augmented reality added an extra level of fun because the objects feel like they’re right there in front of you. The same rang true for the AR mode in Euclidean Skies. The game felt more dynamic as I moved around castles to find a path for the protagonist, and the iPad Mini never struggled to keep up. I’ve found myself enjoying AR applications on the iPad Mini over other tablets. Its size makes it perfect to hold one-handed while looking at AR objects, while having a big-enough screen that makes the experience feel worthwhile (unlike using an AR app on a smaller screen like a phone).<doc-sep>
The 2019 iPad mini reviews are out, and they are pretty consistent – with four clear themes emerging. First, this is an evolutionary device, not a revolutionary one. That’s in large part because Apple wanted to hit the same price-point, one likely driven more by business customers than consumers. From waiting staff in restaurants to delivery drivers, the business market is a key reason Apple has chosen to update the iPad mini … Second, while it’s disappointing that the new mini doesn’t adopt the design language of the iPad Pro range, nor all of their features, it does do the most important thing: beef up the internals to turn it into a powerful device you’ll be able to use for years to come. Third, this is hands-down the best small tablet on the market. There are better options if you don’t need something this compact, but if size is key, there’s nothing that comes close. Finally, if you already love the iPad mini, the compromises this makes won’t matter to you. It may be squeezed in between a large-screened iPhone and 9.7-inch plus tablets, but it does a job nothing else can do. If you already have an older model, you’re going to want this one. Fans of the size will forgive its weaknesses, but the are better alternatives otherwise. The design is showing its age a little bit. Apple didn’t include Face ID and there are still bezels around the screen, for example, so it looks pretty much exactly like the iPad Mini that launched in 2015 [but] the new iPad Mini dramatically improves the components that matter most: the screen and the processor. The iPad Mini is for people who want a smaller iPad with all of the power of the new iPad Air. I think there are a lot of those people and, even if you don’t think you want a smaller iPad, it’s worth checking out. That said, if you’re bargain hunting and just want any iPad, consider the regular 9.7-inch model. It’s a year old and not as powerful, but only costs $329. If you want a bigger screen than what the iPad Mini offers but still want the new A12 chip, consider the new iPad Air which is only $100 more. Combines power with portability, but probably not the right choice for most people. I’m glad the iPad mini still exists, and it packs some crucial updates that make it worth using in 2019. I’m just not convinced it’s the right tablet for most people […] I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that Apple didn’t see fit to revise the mini’s design after a more than three-year hiatus. It just looks a little dated. That’s not to say there aren’t any noticeable changes here, though […] There’s more than enough power here for most people, and if portability is your biggest concern, there’s no denying the mini is more convenient to lug around [but] Apple’s no-frills, 10-inch iPad costs $70 less than the mini, and the arguably superior new iPad Air costs only $100 more than the mini. If I’m the kind of person who hasn’t upgraded my tablet in a while, or if I’m new to iPads in general, either of those options seem like more sensible choices. This is the iPad mini renovated, not reimagined. More than three years after Apple last upgraded its smallest tablet, it’s given us a new version that looks just like the old one, with the same 7.9-inch screen size and starting price of $399 […] Though the screen size and resolution remain the same, the display is now 25% brighter, offers a wider color gamut for more vividly realistic images, and features Apple’s True Tone technology […] As for processing power, the Mini now runs Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, like the current iPhones. That gives the tablet potent graphics and Apple’s neural engine, a coprocessor tuned for on-device AI […] Bottom line: The Mini now runs all iPad apps well, as an iPad should. Just as important, it should be well equipped to handle future apps–even if you hold onto a new Mini for a few years, as people tend to do […] Still, I hope that elements from the iPad Pro line filter down to the iPad Mini–along with the iPad Air, and the $329 iPad–in models to come. At some point, aspects of the new Mini that are now pleasantly familiar will feel stale.