Ipad Mini 2012 Overview

Abstract: This article will give you an understanding of some of the key features of the  Ipad mini 2012 and an overall idea of how this mini Ipad performs against the other tablets of 2012.  It will point out the differences between the Ipad mini and the bigger Ipad.

What is an Ipad Mini?

The Ipad mini is undoubtedly Apples answer to the Google Nexus 7 which was released in April 2012.  The Google nexus 7 was built to take on the 7 inch Kindle Fire and destroy it which it did.  The nexus 7 was crowned king of the 7 inch tablets whilst the Ipad was considered the best "big" tablet.  The Ipad mini released 2nd November 2012 is therefore Apples answer to Googles' Nexus 7 tablet.  The strange thing here is that Apple said a 7 inch tablet was pointless unless it came with sand paper for users to sand their fingers down to be able to use it. 

What is the difference between the Ipad mini 2012 and the new Ipad?

Ipad and Ipad mini

The first and most obvious difference between the Ipad mini and the 2012 Ipad is the screen size.  The Ipad mini has a 7.9 inch display whereas the newest Ipad has a 9.7 inch display.  On top of this the mini does not have a retina display but quite a poor display with the lowest resolution out of the top 7 inch tablets.  

The mini uses the old A5 dual core processor whereas the newest Ipad has just been upgraded to the A6 processor which is a lot faster however users won't notice a huge difference.  Since the mini is much smaller than the big brother Ipad it weighs a mere 312 grams which is half of the new 2012 Ipad.

Aside from those points the only other difference between the mini 2012 and the newest Ipad is the price.  The mini starts at $329 which is a fair bit higher than the other 7 inch tablets which puts it at a huge disadvantage. 

Should I buy an Ipad Mini 2012?

2012 has been a great year for tablets and the competition between them is hot especially in the 7 inch market now that the Ipad mini has came along but should you buy it?  This question depends a lot on what you want to use a tablet for and a lot on your budget myself personally will say no and here is why.  The Ipad mini has the worst display and on top of this it is a lot more expensive.   

Apples operating system is more basic than Android so if you will be using it a lot Android will be better.  The Ipad mini is built slightly better than other 7 inch tablets but the other ones certainly don't feel cheaply made and the Nexus 7 comes with Gorilla glass which is very strong.  Really the only major advantage the mini has over the competition is the amount of apps it has.  Apple has more apps giving you a huge range to choose from which in turn will give you more from your tablet.  However Android is rapidly growing and has a massive 75% market share so it will catch up very soon and we may soon see mac vs pc all over again.  

Hopefully you have enjoyed our article on the Ipad mini 2012.  Check out the links on the top of this page for more great articles!