In September 2015, Apple introduced the world to its new developments - iPad Pro, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. 4 Wi-Fi was also released at the same time, but other new products overshadowed the release of this miniature device. Both the press and manufacturers mentioned the 4th series iPad Mini casually, without any details.
And when this Internet tablet finally fell into the hands of connoisseurs, many were surprised by the interesting, but at the same time not very clear functions and features of the iPad Mini 4. Review of this device, differences between the 4th generation and previous ones, price and forecasts - all this awaits you in the article.
Performance of the new mini tablet
Everyone relied on a good filling. The performance of the company's other products had improved quite well, so many were confident that the mini-tablet manufacturers would not deprive them of improvements and would delight future buyers.
Many expected some fundamental innovations from the iPad Mini 4, or at least some fundamental changes in the device’s hardware compared to the Mini 3. But in some areas, Apple not only did not improve the performance, but also “went back.” Of course, the tablet is better than many others, but it is not very different from previous versions.
Buyers were not happy that the number of processor cores was reduced - from 3 A8 to 2. Of course, their power increased, and the 4th generation works better than the 3rd and 2nd, but, for example, with the iPhone 6s and iPad Air 2 he doesn't have to compete. Although this generation of Mini is still better optimized than many other devices of the same size.
At first glance, the iOS 9 operating system is not very different from previous versions. For the user, the iPad Mini 4 will not be significantly better than its predecessor on version 8.4.1. Moreover, many users have noticed that the built-in version of iOS 9 has many bugs, as well as some optimization problems, which is why the new device sometimes freezes on basic tasks. Even the updates that were soon released for this version of the operating system for some reason did not solve the problems.
But playing the application from EpStore and surfing the Internet is easy. Even if the user runs several programs in the background, there will be no problems with the device; the operating speed is excellent.
Appearance of the device
The iPad Mini 4 has not changed much in appearance - still the same 3 colors (gray, white and gold), the same as the previous generation, screen diagonal - 7.9 inches, the same design.
The tablet lost 20 grams and became thinner by several millimeters. Other changes include slightly moving the buttons and changing the speaker holes. The port location, shape and design remain the same.
The assembly of the new device is of high quality, the tablet does not crack, nothing shakes inside. The crash test, as in previous times, is unlikely to pass - even a fall from a small height will certainly harm the iPad Mini 4. The review would be incomplete without this point, but you should not intentionally break the equipment.
Camera, screen and sound
The front camera has been improved to a comfortable 8 million pixels. Color reproduction has been improved, so photos from the device turn out pretty good. The front camera remained 1.2 megapixels, which slightly upset buyers who expected improvements to 5, like the new iPhone models.
The brightness and contrast of the display have improved pleasantly, and the viewing angle has also increased. This is completely enough for everyday tasks and entertainment. And thanks to the anti-glare coating, this Internet tablet is convenient to use both at home and outdoors.
The location of the speakers has not changed - they are located quite close to each other. But this did not affect the sound quality in any way - everything sounds clean and does not hiss. As a multimedia device, the iPad Mini 4 is quite good - the review confirmed this.
Operating time and device heating
Unfortunately, due to the fact that the dimensions of the device have changed, the battery capacity has also decreased. Now it is only 19.3 W/h versus 23.8, as was the case with the iPad Mini 3. But to the pleasant surprise of users, the device turned out to be well optimized, thanks to which the operating time remained virtually unchanged and even improved slightly.
A full battery charge will last for 3-4 hours of gaming or 8 hours of movies. This is a very good indicator for a small Internet tablet.
Testing the tablet showed that its thermal conditions are optimized. Even when running “heavy” applications and prolonged use above the permissible and comfortable temperatures, the gadget did not heat up.
Options
Buyers have a choice between iPad Mini 4 64 GB, 16 GB and 128 GB. As usual, there is no support for memory cards, so devices with more memory are still the most popular. Each option can be purchased with Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+3G.
The most budget option is iPad Mini 4 Wi-Fi for 16 gig. It costs 32,990 rubles. Well, the most expensive of the iPad Mini 4 series, the price of which is almost 59 thousand rubles, is also equipped with a 4G function. However, this is a typical difference for Apple devices.
Did this iPad live up to expectations?
The main disadvantage of the iPad Mini 4 is the price. It is not so great as it is incomprehensible to potential buyers. For example, the mini version of the 2nd generation iPad is not very different in performance from the new one, but now costs 3 times less.
Overall, this internet tablet is good for work and entertainment. High-quality display, good performance, battery capacity, design. But bugs in the operating system made buyers think twice.
Not everyone liked the design changes either. A lightweight body and minus a couple of mm in width are not bad, but there is nothing “fundamental” about it, the device remains “mini” anyway. There is also no need to talk about a more convenient option - both the 2nd and 3rd “Mini iPad” are light and well thought out.
If you decide to purchase the fourth generation iPad Mini and have never held previous models in the series in your hands before, then you will be pleased with the device. Well, those who dealt with previous minipads are clear in their opinion - connoisseurs of Apple products expected more from manufacturers.
Whatever the manufacturers planned, they failed to create a new iPad Mini 4 - the review showed this. Connoisseurs of Apple products hope that the 5th representative of the series will be different from the previous ones.
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