The new iPad mini

The second-generation iPad mini with Retina display is my third tablet computer from Apple. My experience with the iPad began in 2010 with the first model. Two years later, I became an enthusiastic owner of a third-generation iPad with Retina Display (and was, like many other buyers, infuriated that in the same year, after less than seven months (!), Apple already introduced the fourth-generation iPad.)And now the second iteration of the iPad mini. The mini is available in two colors (White/Silver and Black/SpaceGray) and four storage variants each (16, 32, 64 and 128 GB).

I chose the 32GB WiFi version in white/silver, and I have to say that this iPad mini with Retina display is exactly what I've been waiting for since the first iPad came out. In my opinion, it's not only the best iPad Apple has ever made, but it's the best tablet computer on the market today. (The emphasis here is on 'computer' - But more on that later.)Just a month before Apple's iPad event, the trade press doubted that Apple would give its small tablet a Retina resolution and that the engineers in Cupertino would not be technically capable of installing such a display in an iPad mini.Looking at the data of the 7.9-inch 4:3 screen, the experts' doubts become clear: With a resolution of 2048 × 1536 pixels, the new iPad mini has a pixel density of 326ppi. It thus corresponds to that of the iPhone 5s. The number of pixels is over 3.15 million. By comparison, the number of pixels on the 16:9 7-inch screen of the Nexus 7 is 2.3 million pixels.(And by the way, I'm very happy with the display, even though the RGB color space is probably not supposed to match that of the iPad Air. I have not noticed any paler colors in everyday use so far. Almost a third more pixels also necessarily means a higher energy consumption, but the already legendary battery performance of over 10 hours is still achieved by the iPad mini. To achieve this, however, the Mini's battery had to be increased (from 16.5 Wh to 23.8 Wh) - and so did the iPad mini itself. This was also necessary for the 'retina jump' of the display of the third-generation iPad. The new iPad mini therefore increases in thickness by 0.3mm. The weight increases by about 23g (WiFi version) or 29g (WiFi+LTE version) compared to the predecessor. However, this is only noticeable in direct comparison with its predecessor. (If at all). The weight increase is not noticeable in everyday use. The form factor remains the same. The Mini appears in haptically compact and of high strength. The fact that the changes are so marginal (and that accessories like cases and bags from the predecessor still fit) is due to the biggest innovation of the Mini besides its improved display. The Mini is powered by the same processor as the iPhone 5s and iPad Air, the A7. This leads to a change in the balance of power in the iPad family. Whereas the Mini without Retina Display was the unloved stepchild of the family in terms of performance, the Retina Mini is now the equally powerful younger brother of the iPad Air.With the new iPad mini, the advertising message of the first Mini is now being redeemed. You get an equivalent iPad, only with a smaller form factor, which makes the mini the ideal mobile companion. Critics argue that the mini is not suitable for production, but only for consumption.The exact opposite is the case.The new iPad mini is for me the first 'real' tablet computer from Apple. It will do for text and media production what the iPhone has already done for photography.Because content can only be created 'on the go' with a device if you carry that device with you. The iPad Mini Retina fits in a coat pocket and is therefore mobile, and at the same time has a computing power that until a few years ago could only be found in a full-blown laptop.Incidentally, photography will not be revolutionized by the iPad mini. The cameras of the mini are just on par with the iPhone 4, which is now three years old. However, the camera for recording 1080p videos and especially the subsequent post-production using (now free) apps like iMovie is a pure pleasure thanks to the fast A7 processor.My conclusion: If you can live and work with the smaller screen, then the iPad mini with Retina display is the iPad of choice. For me personally, it is even the tablet computer of choice. The only drawback is the price. The smallest model with 16GB and Wifi costs 389€, the model with 16GB and Wiki+LTE costs 509€.